Journey toward a pronghorn hunt.

[mustanggt]

I've lurked here for quite some time just soaking up the wisdom of those here. I've loaded my own off and on since the 80's. I've hunted some but got soured to deer hunting in that time in this state (WA) so haven't done so since the 80's either. I have a good friend who is retired and moved back to MT who has a son that is a guide in that state. He's got good land down in the Powder River country and with the pronghorn numbers coming back from 09 and 10 when there was such a bad winter kill then. As I wait for the draw results I've been working up loads for my Model 70's in 264 WM and 7 Mauser both FWT's. I also have one in 30-06. So I am a M70 rifleman. I've been having a helluva time working up good handloads for these rifles. 7x57 no matter the load would group an inch and a half or so. I knew that there would be a good one under an inch and sure enough I came up with one in the following target. 44gr Big Game, 140gr BT, R-P brass, WLR primer, 2716fps. http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... 4f94df.jpg
Next photo I wanted to show is of my typical results thus far on the 264 WM,
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... f39d7c.jpg
I have been real frustrated with this one. Due to registration problems I wasn't able to post on here till now since several weeks ago. Now I have found a load that really works just the other day. 59.2gr of H1000, Hornady 129gr IB, R-P brass and 9 1/2M primers .030 off the lands, 3037fps.
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... 7697cc.jpg
So I think I'm set with my loads for this hunt. Now I need to get out into the field and practice. Only draw back is I only found that one pound of H1000 and I can't find it anywhere else. I have RL25, US869 and IMR 7828 3lbs each of these. I wish I could find a load using these powders. I think happiness with that rifle and those powders will come at near max charges and hence velocities. Thanks for listening.

 

[mustanggt]

Forgot to mention. That 5th shot in the first target, one of my appendages got in the way. I real excited. :lol:

 

[gerry]

Welcome to Noslerreloading. Those loads will certainly work and I hope you can make the pronghorn hunt happen. From that one group that is stringing vertically you showed it looks like you may need to look at the bedding at some point, I bet things go easier after that. Since you are shooting Model 70's and have rounds like the 264 WM and 7x57 you are sure to find a bunch of friends here

 

[SJB358]

Since you are shooting Model 70's and have rounds like the 264 WM and 7x57 you are sure to find a bunch of friends here

^^^^^^^ This guy speaks the truth! :grin:

I use RL25 and the 140 AB or BT. I could give you my exact load if you want to PM me or we could just work it out using QL and your preferred bullet. I have had excellent results though, RL25 gives me 3180 with the BT and 3200 on the nose with the AB.

This was 3 shots at 300.. Could have been me shaking just right three times though!



These are pretty normal 100 yard groups though







Here is an AB



Big fan of RL25 in the 264, at least with 140's. It works well for my rifle.

As for the 7x57. I had good luck with RL19 and the 140 BT Loads ran right around 2750 and are very accurate for me.



RL17 has worked very well with the 140, 150 and 160's for me as well.




Let us know how we can help. Scotty

 

[6mm Remington]

Welcome and those are two great rounds you have and wonderful rifles. Lots of folks on here who appreciate how great the Model 70 is. It looks like you are on your way to really good loads for each, but Scotty, Mike, and others have some recipes they will gladly share. Hope you draw a tag as antelope are a lot of fun to hunt and they eat just as well.

 

[DrMike]

Anyone shooting a Model 70 will find a ready welcome in this crowd. :grin: You're well on your way to eating pronghorn steaks this fall. That will be a great hunt, undoubtedly. I've threatened to make the trip down to Montana or Wyoming for several years just to hunt antelope. Somehow, it just hasn't happened. Inertia is a terrible thing. Scotty has posted several pictures of targets that show what those calibres are capable of. This present FN produced 7X57 I'm shooting is still fairly new, so my loads aren't settled, yet. Nevertheless, it is giving me sub-MOA groups with 140 grain ABs. I have several loads prepared to take to the range this week. I'm not shooting a 264 WM at the present, but my FN produced 30-06 is giving me sub-MOA groups with several bullets. The first season I took it out, I used a 165 grain Hornady InterBond and took a fat mule deer with it. Right now, my best accuracy/velocity combination is coming with a 168 grain Barnes TSX. I may finish up work on that yet this fall, but there are several rifles that are begging to draw blood.

 

[mustanggt]

Thanks so much for the welcome fellas. I'll try and post some pictures later of my trio of M70s.

 

[DrMike]

Thanks so much for the welcome fellas. I'll try and post some pictures later of my trio of M70s.

That is always welcomed by this crowd. :grin:

 

[1100 Remington Man]

I have Hunted MT for Pronghorn & one year our group go 5 people bagged 13 & our average shot was 290 yds. I used my .264 Win Mag. & Nosler's 120gr BT and had compleat passthrough on Antelope at 500+ yds. You are in for a great trip & very nice country. My Brother & Father used the 30-06 I loaded up some Nosler 125gr BT for my father that shot flat but in truth I would load him 150gr BT next time. Good Luck

 

[SJB358]

Thanks so much for the welcome fellas. I'll try and post some pictures later of my trio of M70s.

That is always welcomed by this crowd. :grin:

Without a doubt. Pictures are always welcome!

 

[PJGunner]

I don't have or shoot a .264 Win. Mag. so no help there. I have several rifles in 7x57 though, one an M70 FWT push feeder. My 140 gr. Ballistic Tip load is 47.0 gr. of W760, WLR primer and Remington brass. Velocity is right at 2800 FPS. This load is safe in my M70 FWT and Ruger #1A but way too hot for my custom Mauser so do start at least 5 to 10 percent low and work up. Accuracy from the #1A is right at one inch for the most part but the FWT does anywhere from .50" to .75", mostly in the latter level of groups.
I shot my antelope in 2009 with an M70 XTR in .270 Win. while the FWT sat all alone at the motel. My hunt was in New Mexico and took place before the rut and my shot was at 75 yards after a fairly easy stalk. I just might go agin in the not too distant future. :mrgreen: Right now I'm wotking up a potential elk load for the 7x57.
Paul B.

 

[mustanggt]

Here's the M70 family. Since the Kimber at least has the M70 safety I thought I'd throw that in there too. It's in 257 Roberts.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... imber1.jpg
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... ce0ff5.jpg
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... esters.jpg

 

[OU812]

Nice looking rifles you got there.

 

[DrMike]

Handsome rifles, to be sure. Getting to be time for another thread on pictures of favourite rifles. It is always fun to see what others are using.

 

[Guy Miner]

Mustanggt - the Wyoming non-resident results are available online! And have been for some time.

I too am awaiting the arrival of my tags, but rest assured, you can go to Wyoming's site and check.

I hope you drew! I will be in the Powder River area myself come October, hunting for mule deer & pronghorn.

And, Welcome Aboard!

Guy

 

[Vince]

Welcome Mustanggt.
You're in good company with excellent taste in rifles if I do say so.

 

[wildgene]

...Next photo I wanted to show is of my typical results thus far on the 264 WM,
http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x42 ... f39d7c.jpg

...when you say this is "typical", makes me wonder if you are getting vertical stringing w/ most loads you have tried, & if it has a consistent pattern, like the first two rounds @ "zero", next round "high", etc. Just curious, 'cause goat hunting in MT, like WY, during the course of a week you can expect to encounter temps from the mid-80's to low 20's, which well it won't really have a significant effect on you ballistics under 500yds. might have a real effect on your POI if you have a pressure point on your barrel. In any case, I'd pack along enough extra ammo to check your rifle when you get to MT, especially if you're coming from a "low" elevation...

 

[mustanggt]

Gene, thanks for the reply. That "typical pattern" I referred to was what I had gotten up until I fired that other target using H1000. Today I shot a 10 shot group that was very consistent using RL25 and 140gr Berger VLD hunting bullet. I was happy with that so I have confidence in that loading as well. I also got a nice three shot group using IMR 7828 and a 129gr Hornady IB bullet. That one I'll load up ten and shoot for consistency. I also shot the 7x57 with it's good load for consistency and that load will hunt too. It's the 44gr of Big Game with the 140gr BT. On a real downer I was pulling the 264 out of the case and the lid slammed on the wood on the left side. I wanted to cry. That's it's nicest face and I buggered it up good. I wish I could say that I got it on a hunt then it wouldn't hurt so bad.

 

[mustanggt]

Well I worked from field positions today with a target from Wolfe Publishing. It's a half size target of a pronghorn. So at 100 yards it is really what it looks like at 200. I practiced with both rifles and out of 30 shots only two were out of the heart lung area and one of those two was right in the middle of the neck so maybe that would have taken out a lot of the arteries coming from the heart. Has anyone ever shot one in the neck and had a favorable outcome? Next will be to go out farther and see what I can do there. All of my worry over getting the right load was a little for not because I just shot some so so loads and they went where every other bullet went from the good loads. I'm also happy with the rifles. They are breaking in nicely and the safetys and triggers are smoothing out love the M70 Winchesters. I'm also doing dry fire practice at home so I can be as ready as I'm able to be. Draw results come out tomorrow. Thanks for listening.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Never shot a goat in the neck...but have taken several deer that way...it works fine with high speed, expanding bullets...it's a little messy though.