Easy shooting rifles to the range

[Guy Miner]

No photos from today's range trip - sorry guys - the camera was busy with my youngest son on some adventure of his. Too bad, because although you've seen all the rifles before, today I got close to a flock of at least a dozen wild turkey, and also saw 7 mule deer, one a buck in velvet. And no camera. Sigh...

Maybe this should have been posted in the reloading section, 'cause I was basically testing some hunting loads in three easy-shooting rifles, and getting in some practice.

Rem 700, 24" Krieger barrel, chambered for the .308 Win, bedded in the HS stock. 4.5-14x Leupold:
165 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 2750 fps, .3" three shot group, 45 gr Varget & CCI BR2 primers in Federal brass. What a great shooting rifle & load! We've been together a long time, and this thing keeps proving over and over that it is my most accurate rifle. Never even shifts zero. Love it.

Rem 700, 24" Rem barrel, chambered for the .25-06, factory CDL. 6x Leupold:
115 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 3120 fps, just under a .8" three shot group, 57.5 gr Retumbo & Federal 210 match primer in WW brass. This load doesn't shoot quite as well as it did with a touch more powder in it, but I think that higher charge was giving me some excessive pressure... Still, MOA at 3120 fps with a good bullet should work out fine.

Marlin-Glenfield, 20" Marlin barrel, chambered for the .30-30 Win, 2.5x Leupold:
170 gr Remington SP @ 2180 fps, a bit over a 1.5" three shot group. 35 gr BLC2 & CCI large rifle primer. Easy shooting. Group was about as good as I get with a lever-action .30-30 rifle.

Thoroughly enjoyed my time at the range with these three easy-kicking rifles. The turkey and deer were icing on the cake. Sorry 'bout no camera today...

Guy

 

[DrMike]

The older I get, the more I appreciate rifles that don't kick me out from under my hat. Any of the three you took to the range will bring home venison should you opt to use them.

 

[JD338]

Very nice Guy.
I got the 338 RUM braked and it sure is more fun to shoot. Guess I was just stubborn all these years with the heavy recoil.
The 22-250 and 257 Roberts are always fun to shoot too.

JD338

 

[BK]

Must have been the day for seeing turkeys! We saw probably 75 today, and a nice big fork still in velvet.

 

[FOTIS]

2 velvet bucks today...in Cheyenne

 

[Too Tall]

Last time I was home, I had a whitetail doe with triplets, living around the house.

Took the 'Twin' and the .300 WSM up a canyon, both rifles hit at 720 yards from a cold bore. The 'Twin' (7WSM) was throwing a 180 Berger over 66 grains of H1000, Winchester case and primer. And the .300WSM was throwing a 190 grain Berger over 63 grains of H4350, with Winchester parts. The last barrel the 300 had threw 180 grain Accubonds, real well.

Spent the rest of the day teaching 2 women how to defend their home and family, with a pistol. Both ladies had their own pistol, but I furnished the ammo. Total 'we' fire over 500 rounds.

Then the Grand kids showed up, and we spent the rest of the time Horseback, in Cold Water Canyon. Had to come back to work and rest up.

 

[Guy Miner]

That seems like one heck of a good trip home Too Tall.

 

[DrMike]

Too Tall, that sounds like a great day--one that has to give you great satisfaction when it was over.

 

[Wincheringen]

I took the 7/08 and .308 to the range today. Usually there are some mule does but not today. I've already put them on paper, but I have several steel silhouettes set up from 50-1500 yards that I like to plink with offhand. They are tough but it keeps me in shape.

 

[FOTIS]

You're set buddy

 

[Guy Miner]

"I have several steel silhouettes set up from 50-1500 yards that I like to plink with offhand."

1500 yds? wow!

I like the steel gongs, and generally shoot them for practice from prone, sitting and standing, but... not to 1500 yards! Awesome. Yeah, I really don't spend much time on the bench with my rifles. Most of my shooting is done w/o the bench. It's more fun for me, even if the groups aren't as purty.

Guy

 

[gerry]

Great guns, love how the green machine and CDL look especially.

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks Gerry - I like those three rifles. The Glenfield is pretty new to me, but it's just another good ol' .30-30 by Marlin. The .25-06 has been my standard mule deer rifle for some years now and the Green Machine and I go back about 17 years and several barrels now.

I like them because they're easy to shoot. Accurate. No-frills, no-fuss, good rifles. No huge muzzle blast. No he-man recoil. Just accurate, good shooting, easy to live with, easy to hunt with rifles.

Regards, Guy

 

[Too Tall]

That is a powerful statement, "and the Green Machine and I go back about 17 years and several barrels now."
In a .308... Not a barrel burner at all.

I like it.
Remember the comment, "The man with one rifle, probable knows how to use it."

 

[Wincheringen]

1500 yards is pretty tough. It takes a long time for the sound to get back. Its also a 10' square target so I can kind of see it. I usually stick to the 850 yard target with most stuff. The .444 Marlin makes a pretty thump on it.

 

[Guy Miner]

Outstanding!

We've got targets to 600 regularly at our club. Sometimes we'll put up a gong at about 820 yards, and from one spot we can get 1200 yards, but that involves borrowing land from a neighboring farmer, so it doesn't happen often.

I like the .308 Win at the 820 yard gong - that works out pretty well on still days - from prone! You're shooting the ol' .444 Marlin out that far? Wow... Outstanding!

Guy

 

[Wincheringen]

I'm not even that good of a shot, my friends come out and we have a little competition. Most of the shooting is only out to 500 or so yards, but its all lever guns and offhand.

I can assure you that a .44 Mag will do quite a bit on out to 500 yards.

We do set up stuff at 625, 750, and 900 yards and have a little benchrest match. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a lot of fun out that far.