idahohunter8
Beginner
- May 7, 2015
- 119
- 2
So last Sunday I was able to harvest a nice black bear here in idaho...
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=36141
What wasn't shared in that post was that I had a little adventure with my load. The load I had worked up was 1/2-3/4" load - 77.0 of n540, cci 250's and a 260 Partition in Hornady Brass. This load was smoking at 2880 FPS average. Warm load but not hot - or so I thought. Range work was done in the morning when it was cool and while I knew this load was a warm one, didn't think about using it in hot weather.
Well skip ahead to by bear hunt. It was 96-99 degrees for most of the time I was hiking around and looking for a bear. I had my rifle in my pack with direct path to the hot son. Hot enough the metal was almost to hot to touch. When I touch off the round, everything seemed fine until I opened the bolt. Was super tight, almost wouldn't open. When it did open the brass kicked out and the primer had blown. The sun had got the gun/action/round so hot that it made my H&H turn into an UltraMag for that one round. YIKES!!! However, I am taking this rifle on my BC moose/caribou hunt this month and it was good to discover this issue prior to that hunt. (even though its probably not going to be anywhere near 99 degrees up there)
When I got back I pulled the bullets from those and loaded up new rounds. I had developed two great loads for this rifle - one with 72.0 of RE15 and the N540 load. Both shot lights out. I had gone to the n540 load due the almost 2900 FPS while chasing velocity this summer (plus it shot great) Went back to my re15 load which is right in the 2730-50FPS range. Really didn't have any concern switching up loads a week before my big hunt because I knew this had previously shot well in the rifle. Just had to see about scope adjustments for the slower round. As you can see in the pic below, all is good.
I shot the first 3 and they went into 1/2" into the bullseye at 100 yards. I sight my 375 in for 200 so I knew I needed to move up 2.25". However, with all the stuff that is being posted online these days on how bad leupolds are and how bad they track, I thought, WTH lets see what this one will do - a 2-7x33 VX-R. So I raised it 4 clicks and shot round 4 - 1" above the group. So far so good, turned it 5 clicks for final zeroing and shot the last 3 shot group. All 3 bullets in 3/8" group - 2.25" above center.
Now I know this is not a true hardcore tracking test, but for this rifle platform the scope did exactly what I needed it to do as it did in field the week before and as I am sure it will do this next couple weeks in BC. Very happy with this morning range session and this rifle. Now its off on Tuesday for 16 days to traverse the Yukon/BC border to go find a monster moose and caribou!
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=36141
What wasn't shared in that post was that I had a little adventure with my load. The load I had worked up was 1/2-3/4" load - 77.0 of n540, cci 250's and a 260 Partition in Hornady Brass. This load was smoking at 2880 FPS average. Warm load but not hot - or so I thought. Range work was done in the morning when it was cool and while I knew this load was a warm one, didn't think about using it in hot weather.
Well skip ahead to by bear hunt. It was 96-99 degrees for most of the time I was hiking around and looking for a bear. I had my rifle in my pack with direct path to the hot son. Hot enough the metal was almost to hot to touch. When I touch off the round, everything seemed fine until I opened the bolt. Was super tight, almost wouldn't open. When it did open the brass kicked out and the primer had blown. The sun had got the gun/action/round so hot that it made my H&H turn into an UltraMag for that one round. YIKES!!! However, I am taking this rifle on my BC moose/caribou hunt this month and it was good to discover this issue prior to that hunt. (even though its probably not going to be anywhere near 99 degrees up there)
When I got back I pulled the bullets from those and loaded up new rounds. I had developed two great loads for this rifle - one with 72.0 of RE15 and the N540 load. Both shot lights out. I had gone to the n540 load due the almost 2900 FPS while chasing velocity this summer (plus it shot great) Went back to my re15 load which is right in the 2730-50FPS range. Really didn't have any concern switching up loads a week before my big hunt because I knew this had previously shot well in the rifle. Just had to see about scope adjustments for the slower round. As you can see in the pic below, all is good.
I shot the first 3 and they went into 1/2" into the bullseye at 100 yards. I sight my 375 in for 200 so I knew I needed to move up 2.25". However, with all the stuff that is being posted online these days on how bad leupolds are and how bad they track, I thought, WTH lets see what this one will do - a 2-7x33 VX-R. So I raised it 4 clicks and shot round 4 - 1" above the group. So far so good, turned it 5 clicks for final zeroing and shot the last 3 shot group. All 3 bullets in 3/8" group - 2.25" above center.
Now I know this is not a true hardcore tracking test, but for this rifle platform the scope did exactly what I needed it to do as it did in field the week before and as I am sure it will do this next couple weeks in BC. Very happy with this morning range session and this rifle. Now its off on Tuesday for 16 days to traverse the Yukon/BC border to go find a monster moose and caribou!
