Final Workup Before Moose

[DrMike]

Back to the range today for some final load work before moose opens. Two loads, in particular, stood out. The 280 is still struttin' it's stuff. It slings a 140 grain AB at 3081 +/- 8 fps into 0.93 inches. Not bad for not playing with seating depth. It will assuredly be sufficient for moose and black bear if I opt for this load.



That would get the nod over the 140 E-Tip that I showed in an earlier post (http://www.noslerreloading.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=25205) and would compete very well with the 139 HDY GMX that I also showed in the earlier post. Any of these loads will work. Now, I have to make a decision--quickly!

I did find a load with the Whelen that could get me interested. I've been shooting 225 grain TSX, and they shoot quite well. The 280 grain A-Frames I mentioned yesterday will deliver a mighty blow, no doubt. I shot another set of loads build around the 280 grain A-Frames and charged with W748. They were better than the former loads, registering ~2300 fps and MOA. However, I had one set of loads built with 225 grain Sierra Game Kings that measured 0.96 inches for five shots. The velocity was 2660 +/- 10 fps, which isn't bad at all. This is what five rounds of that load looked like on a hot afternoon (30 C).



I'll load up twenty or so and carry this rifle as a backup for the 280.

 

[joelkdouglas]

I wouldn't turn down a 5-round group like that... :grin:

 

[gerry]

Things are coming together nicely, Mike. I might have missed it but what powder did you use for the 225 gr Sierra's? They can be a bit soft but will surely do the deed if you stick them into the lungs of a bull

 

[DrMike]

Things are coming together nicely, Mike. I might have missed it but what powder did you use for the 225 gr Sierra's? They can be a bit soft but will surely do the deed if you stick them into the lungs of a bull

IMR 8208 XBR was the propellant; it worked quite well, I might say.

 

[sask boy]

Mike I think you have it all figured out. You should be fine with that 280 but I kinda like your back up as well :wink:.
Good luck my friend, sure looking forward to the photos & stories. I think this time if the year is the best!!!

Blessings,
Dan

 

[gerry]

That is starting to be a trend with IMR 8208 2660 fps with accuracy like that is very good. Only a couple more sleeps now

 

[Silentstalker]

Looks great! I think the moose are in trouble! Good luck!

 

[Desert Fox]

That accuracy is overkill for moose Dr. Mike.

 

[DrMike]

Rommel,

There is no such thing as "overkill" for moose. Those big critters, phlegmatic or not, soak up a lot of lead before looking for the most inconvenient place imaginable to drop dead. It is as if they want to exact revenge through making life miserable for the hunter. If they can drop into deep water--bonus. Gerry is right about the hunt being atop us. Anticipation is growing, that's for sure. I'd surely like to see a temperature drop, and I don't think it is going to do so very soon. That means an early morning hunt and finished for the remainder of the day.

 

[EOD Diver]

Doc,
Looks like you're really squared away for moose, which ever rifle you choose. That Game King load is no joke. It's always good to have options! Good luck and hope you get a break from the heat up there.
Joe

 

[DrMike]

Temps were down in the early morning today, but it is already climbing. It looks as if we will get about four to five hours of hunting before tempts climb to excessive highs. I don't want any meat to spoil, so whenever temps rise above about 15C, I'm finished for the day. It is wet enough in the bush to hold down hornets and yellow jackets, who are always looking for a meat treat during the warm days of summer.

 

[Wis65x55]

DrMike,
What powder are you using in your 280 to get these results?
Keith

 

[Vince]

Very nice loads!
Good luck on your moose hunt. I have a deer hunt coming up in October and it will be hot. If I'm lucky it will be cool when I'm hunting, nothing over 90 degrees F. That's cool for these parts.
That Whelen load looks to be the cat's meow and the other one is it's little brother.

 

[DrMike]

DrMike,
What powder are you using in your 280 to get these results?
Keith

Keith,

The powder with the 140 grain AB is RL19. The powder with the 139 grain GMX is either WXR or RL17. This is a 24 inch tube on the rifle rather than the 22 inch barrel on my other .280.

 

[DrMike]

Vince,

I'd be pleased to see temperatures drop into the 30s (F), but I can live with them in the 40s. It was 50 F when we went out this morning; it is 64 F now. That is getting fairly warm for bringing a moose out of the bush. The big critters trap so much heat that meat can spoil pretty quickly. It was 73 F when I first got to the range the other day and 89 F when I shot the groups reported--way too warm to be working with moose. Perhaps even worse than the potential for meat spoilage are the hornets that appear out of nowhere to feast on one's moose. They are assuredly pesky critters.

 

[Vince]

Lucky for me I only have to contend with a 90 pound, dressed out weight, critter this year in the heat.

Makes it a lot easier to dress, skin, and quarter, before packing it out.

 

[DrMike]

It should be cooler when elk opens in a couple of weeks. I have hunted in snow on September 1st, but I don't anticipate it this year. I do anticipate that it will still be wet. It was raining when we came in this morning, and the forecast is for thunder storms tomorrow and into the evening.

 

[OU812]

Mike looks like you could flip a coin and be happy with either heads or tails. That is my kind of coin toss. The only way the decision could be easier is if one of the rifles really out shined the other but great shooting and reloading on your part took that option away.

Bill

 

[DrMike]

Bill,

You are correct that any of these loads will work. I went with 139 grain GMX charged with WXR for the .280 and with the 225 grain Sierra load in the Whelen. I didn't get to pull the trigger this morning, but hope spring eternal.

 

[OU812]

Go get em Mike. Can't wait to see pictures. :grin: