Steve Wilson
Beginner
- Dec 2, 2009
- 1
- 0
I was having great results with my newest 600 yard match rifle in competition; a 6.5x284, and decided I needed to put a deer hunting version together so he could have a little brother. It would have every match grade specification and component as the competition rifle; just shorter, lighter and rest in a traditional style stock. Known to one and all as my "Proper Deer Rifle."
To start, I ordered another Broughton 5 groove, 6.5 mm, 8 twist barrel with a slimmer profile and that would finish at a shorter 24 inch length. My benchrest gunsmith buddy, Butch Hongisto, trued the action, used the same reamer to cut the chamber, thread the barrel and headspace it exactly the same as the match rifle he had done for me earlier. We fitted it with another Jewell trigger, set at 8 ounces this time, and the barreled action was shipped off to Lone Wolf Riflestocks in Montana to be molded into one of their California Sporter carbon fiber/kevlar stocks using 3/4 inch pillar bedding.
With the same handloaded ammunition as its big brother: 142 SMK and 54 grains of Reloader 22 it would print 300 yard groups of .62 inches and 500 yard groups at 1.22 inches. But Matchkings weren't the bullets I wanted to use for hunting. I tried my most favorite hunting bullet of all time, Nosler 125 grain, 6.5 Partitions, but the groups were unacceptable at 300 yards. So I called Mike at Nosler, who had been gracious enough to spend time with me in the past discussing hunting bullets. He suggested I try the then new 130 AB, telling me they were really only a bonded bullet version of the 120 BT's and should prove to be quite accurate. I didn't try the 120 BT's because I was afraid I would be overspinning them with the 8 twist barrel at those high velocities and really wanted something with a higher BC for long range hunting. As luck would have it, there were no 130's available so I was left to hunt with the 142 SMK's. While they resulted in two very dead deer, I was not impressed with with the bullet's terminal performance that year.
This fall I lucked into finding some of the new 140 AB's and couldn't be happier. Using 54.5 grains of Reloader 22, with the bullet sitting .004" off the lands I was getting 300 yard groups of 1 1/2 inches and 400 yards at 2 1/8 inches. They were crossing the chrono at 3034 with only 4 FPS spread. All in a 7-10 MPH crosswind with no windflags. Plenty good! It's time to go hunting. By the way, I'm using a 300 yard zero and it results in being 3 inches high at 100 and 4 inches high at 200.
I took my first deer, a nice big doe broadside in a cut soybean field, lasered at 389 yards just before I squeezed the trigger. The second was another nice doe at 227 yards broadside in the same field. Both bullets entered between the ribs and did not leave an entrance wound visible from the outside. Upon inspection after field dressing the entrances were about the size of a quarter and exits approaching half a dollar. I was also able to connect on two coyotes; the first at around 50 yards and the second at 167. The real plus of the season was an unexpected bobcat taken at close to 60 yards. The dogs and cat were all shot broadside and I was quite pleased with the minimal pelt damage.
I'm really thrilled with both the accuracy and terminal performance of these AccuBond bullets and highly recommend them to others.
To start, I ordered another Broughton 5 groove, 6.5 mm, 8 twist barrel with a slimmer profile and that would finish at a shorter 24 inch length. My benchrest gunsmith buddy, Butch Hongisto, trued the action, used the same reamer to cut the chamber, thread the barrel and headspace it exactly the same as the match rifle he had done for me earlier. We fitted it with another Jewell trigger, set at 8 ounces this time, and the barreled action was shipped off to Lone Wolf Riflestocks in Montana to be molded into one of their California Sporter carbon fiber/kevlar stocks using 3/4 inch pillar bedding.
With the same handloaded ammunition as its big brother: 142 SMK and 54 grains of Reloader 22 it would print 300 yard groups of .62 inches and 500 yard groups at 1.22 inches. But Matchkings weren't the bullets I wanted to use for hunting. I tried my most favorite hunting bullet of all time, Nosler 125 grain, 6.5 Partitions, but the groups were unacceptable at 300 yards. So I called Mike at Nosler, who had been gracious enough to spend time with me in the past discussing hunting bullets. He suggested I try the then new 130 AB, telling me they were really only a bonded bullet version of the 120 BT's and should prove to be quite accurate. I didn't try the 120 BT's because I was afraid I would be overspinning them with the 8 twist barrel at those high velocities and really wanted something with a higher BC for long range hunting. As luck would have it, there were no 130's available so I was left to hunt with the 142 SMK's. While they resulted in two very dead deer, I was not impressed with with the bullet's terminal performance that year.
This fall I lucked into finding some of the new 140 AB's and couldn't be happier. Using 54.5 grains of Reloader 22, with the bullet sitting .004" off the lands I was getting 300 yard groups of 1 1/2 inches and 400 yards at 2 1/8 inches. They were crossing the chrono at 3034 with only 4 FPS spread. All in a 7-10 MPH crosswind with no windflags. Plenty good! It's time to go hunting. By the way, I'm using a 300 yard zero and it results in being 3 inches high at 100 and 4 inches high at 200.
I took my first deer, a nice big doe broadside in a cut soybean field, lasered at 389 yards just before I squeezed the trigger. The second was another nice doe at 227 yards broadside in the same field. Both bullets entered between the ribs and did not leave an entrance wound visible from the outside. Upon inspection after field dressing the entrances were about the size of a quarter and exits approaching half a dollar. I was also able to connect on two coyotes; the first at around 50 yards and the second at 167. The real plus of the season was an unexpected bobcat taken at close to 60 yards. The dogs and cat were all shot broadside and I was quite pleased with the minimal pelt damage.
I'm really thrilled with both the accuracy and terminal performance of these AccuBond bullets and highly recommend them to others.
