.30-'06 Nosler Custom Ammo received

[HunterJim]

Guys,

My order came this week (165 AB, 165 NP and 180 NP), wow this is some good looking ammo. My rifle is being built now, I can already tell I will have trouble from my wife about shooting it (she has an '06 too).

Nice work, and the custom labels are a nice touch.

jim

 

[Glock Man]

Jim, how does the ammunition shoot? Do you need to buy some more?

 

[HunterJim]

My NULA M24 arrived this week, and I finally got to the range yesterday and shot some of the 165 ABs (the range was closed earlier by traffic control for the Harris fire). So far so good.

jim

 

[JD338]

How does she shoot?

JD338

 

[HunterJim]

I have shot the 165 AccuBond, the 165 Partition and the 180 Partition loads. The rife really likes the 180s, they were the first bullet holes to touch -- the others all made nice little groups.

I am taking the 165 ABs hunting next week for mule deer in Colorado. I want to see how this bullet performs.

jim

 

[JD338]

Jim,

Good luck on your hunt. Post some pictures!

JD338

 

[HunterJim]

OK, here is a photo of the mule deer buck I shot near Grand Junction Colorado on Nov 6th. He is a young 3X3 (and very tasty, we already tried some), and is a "Wednesday buck" if you will. The ranch I was hunting gets big bucks moving down from the Grand Mesa, but the weather was really too nice this year. Lots of sun and no snow, and none of the big bucks.

Wednesday bucks are bucks you would shoot on Wednesday, but probably not when you start hunting on Saturday. I picked up that term years ago when I worked for Rich LaRocco at Associated Hunting Consultants (hunts.net), and it is a good one.

I used the 165 gr AccuBond from my NULA M24 .30-'06, range was just about 250 yards. I ranged this deer at 236 yards, but he was moving slightly away from me, and dinking around trying to test does that were all around him. I wanted the bullet to go behind the shoulder when he turned broadside, but it caught one of the bones in the shoulder. The bullet may have broken up, at least I didn't find any remnants in the chest cavity. There was a 3" hole through the ribs going in evidently from bone spray, and the lungs were just shredded. The bullet deflected along the rib cage and exited at about the last rib. I decided to shoot this deer because he has really great eye guards!

 

[JD338]

HunterJim,

That is a nice looking buck, congratulations. Good shooting too.
Thanks for the story and the picture.

JD338

 

[honkeetonkin]

You know HunterJim here in blacktail country that could be considered a little big for a wednesday buck, good job!

 

[Guy Miner]

Good looking buck Jim - and good shooting! He's not the biggest mulie, but a good looking deer all the same. I'd shoot him! :grin:

 

[HunterJim]

I forgot to mention that the deer was pretty much dead right there too. When I shot there were about 18 or 20 does around him in the field between 200 and 350 yards from my hide out. I heard the sound of the bullet strike, and there were 20 does seemingly going 40 directions at once. I lost sight of the buck in that.

When the dust settled I walked out to where I thought he was at the shot to check for a blood trail, but from about 40 yards or so I could see the antlers above the cheat grass.

I grew up in Monterey County, California on the coast hunting blacktails. I understand the antler scale in blacktail country. My wife and I are looking at retiring in Vancouver, WA in a few years. We would both like to get good blacktail bucks.

Here in San Diego County we have small mule deer.

jim

 

[Powerstroke]

HunterJim,

You did good by your Wednesday buck !!
Two more buddies and I hunted south of G-Junction around the Gateway area. Snow over the weekend then short sleeves by mid-week. We came home empty handed... too nice of weather and the full moon didn't help much.
It's still really ( too nice out ) just got back from a late cow elk hunt that direction too, and nothing... no snow yet either.

Congrats again !

 

[HunterJim]

Powerstroke,

Yeah, it was definitely too good for the weather. The only good news for the Third Season was the dark of the moon!

After the hunt I went up to the Bitterroot Valley in Montana to hang with my cousin in Victor, MT and also do a little elk hunting. It was more of the same good weather there too. We only got one night of light snow to show tracks, and the best we got from that was a set of bear tracks.

Next year!

jim

 

[HunterJim]

Here is my rifle. The scope is a Leupold 1.75-6X32, and the strap is a Brownell's Latigo.

jim

 

[HunterJim]

My strategy for this Nov 3-9 hunt was to stake out a group of does and wait for Mr. Big to come courting.

I was seeing about 18 to 20 does a day plus four or five bucks. Initially the bucks were too small, and I didn't see a 4X4 until four days into the exercise. The 3X3 I shot came in and ran the 4X4 off, then started pestering the does.

The photo shows a typical group of my "bait herd" does feeding as sundown approaches.

jim