What rifle, bulllet, load do you have ready for this year?

[YoteSmoker]

The wife and I are going to be hunting deer and elk in November and will be hunting whitetail doe in December. Our artillery consists of the following:
M 70 7 mm rem mag 4-16x50 Elite 4200 160 Partition sighted dead on at 250 yds
Encore 7mm08 3-9x40 Elite 4200 140 AccuBond sighted dead on at 200 yds
Encore 7 mm rem mag 3-9x40 Redfield 150 TTSX sighted dead on at 250 yds--back up rifle

 

[FOTIS]

I will be hunting with my boy Stephan.

Antelope:
I will use my 257 Bee with either 110 AB at 3440 or 80 gr TTSX at 3970 fps
Stephan wants to use my 30-378 with 180 E-tips at 3520 fps (reminds you of anyone)

Elk:
Me 444 Marlin 300 gr at 2100
Stephan 325 WSM 200 gr NPs at 2920

Deer:
Me 32 Win Special 170 gr Hornady
Stephan 444 Marlin 300 gr at 2100 fps or 30-30 160 FTX at 2200 fps

 

[DrMike]

Ready to roll right now:

270 WSM--130 E-Tip
7mm RM--175 TBBC and 175 PT
7mm WSM--160 AB
280 Rem--139 HDY SP, 140 PT, 140 BST
30-06--165 HDY IB
325 WSM--200 PT
358--200 TSX
350 RM--200 TSX

 

[DeerTracker]

Im still workin on loads for my 7mm-08 and 243 but so far they are shooting 139gr Hornadys and 95gr BTips real well. Those will be used for deer and antelope. For elk/deer I have my 300WSM loaded up with 180gr Accubonds at 2900fps.

 

[Guest]

It's all white-tail for me this year, unless a surprise pops up. I'll be carrying any one of the following:

Remington 700 Classic 8x57 - Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 - 180gr Nosler BT over IMR4895 - 2" high at 100yds (270yd PBRmax)
Colt Light Rifle 30-06 - Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x40 - 168gr Nosler BT over H4350 - 2.25" high at 100yds (280yd PBRmax)
Weatherby Mark V Synthetic 270Wby - Pentax Pioneer 4.5-14x42 - 130gr Nosler E-Tip over IMR7828ssc - 2" high at 100yds (320yd PBRmax)
Win94 30-30WCF - Armsport 4x32 - 160gr Hornady Leverevolution factory ammo - 2" high at 100yds (212yd PBRmax)
Browning BAR 243Win - Leupold Vari-X II 2-7x28 - 100gr Federal Power Shock - 2" high at 100yds (275yd PBRmax)

With any luck, I'll get an opportunity to take them all afield. Heck - with Alabama's liberal bag limits, I can actually, given opportunity, take multiple deer with each one. But I doubt I'll get that many opportunities to shoot.

 

[Guy Miner]

Dubyam, what do you think about that Colt Light Rifle?

One of our local shops had one, for a long time. Eventually it sold. I don't know anything about them.

 

[Guy Miner]

My youngest son will likely hunt mule deer with his 6mm Rem 700 BDL, with 100 gr Nosler Partitions. That rifle has a 3.5-10x Leupold and is sighted in at 200 yards.

For bear & elk he wants to carry my old M1917 .30-06 again. It's topped by a 6x Leupold, sighted in at 200 yards with 165 gr Nosler Partitions.

I'll be hunting mule deer with my .25-06 700 CDL, with a 6x Leupold and shoving 115 gr Partitions downrange at almost 3200 fps.

The .375 H&H Number One is ready for bear or elk with that new 1.5-5x Leupold dialed in at 200 yards, using the 260 gr AccuBond.

If I need a rifle for longer pokes, the Model 70 in .300 WSM is up to the task, with 200 gr Accubonds.

 

[Guest]

Guy, I really like the Colt. It's a similar story to what you just told as to how I got the darn thing, too. I looked at it in a gun shop in 2001-2002 or so. At that time they had several, one 30-06 and two 270Win and one 300WinMag. Over the years, they sold all of them but the 30-06. So I ended up seeing it several times over the years when I would stop off in that store during lunch when I was in that area. That was one of the real benefits of being on the road as an account rep - lunchtime at gun shops. I saw a lot of great rifles, and got a few good deals myself. Heck, if I'd had the money, I'd have bought maybe fifteen or twenty more rifles that were absolute steals. So I end up with some Christmas money and birthday money, and some other cash I'd scrounged, and I'm thinking about what I might want. I almost bought a 300WSM but decided it just wasn't for me. Then I remember this rifle is in this shop, a couple of hours away. So I call them and ask about it, and it's still there. This is 2009, so the rifle is sitting there, NIB, but almost a decade old. Talked the dealer way down on it, and drove over one morning early to get it.

My impressions on shooting it are that it's very accurate. I've managed sevaral sub-1" groups and the best load is about to be re-tested, but first performance came in at just under .5" at 100yds for three shots. I love the weight of the rifle (though it's about 6.5lbs bare, not 5.5lbs like it was originally advertised). Fully outfitted and ready to carry into the woods, mine runs about 7.5-7.75lbs, but that's rifle, scope, sling, ammo, and all. Not bad for a rifle I paid less than dealer cost for. And remember that this gun wears a 24" barrel, not 20-22" like many lightweights. I'm getting 2950+ with the 168gr BT's and putting them into small groups, so I can't complain. The balance is excellent for me, as well.

I've only run into two complaints. First, the stock is just a tiny bit short on LOP for my taste. Doesn't bother me much, but I'm going to investigate installing a spacer and a thicker recoil pad at some point. I can buy a stock from Melvin Forbes at NULA (for more than I paid for the rifle...) and get a custom length of pull, as well as lose a pound of weight. But I'm not to that point yet.

My other complaint is that I've had two primers fail in this rifle. One was a Remington factory load, and I wasn't the least bit surprised. Then I had one of my handloads (WLR primer) fail this last time out. This could be a firing pin spring, but I don't think it is. The primers that failed to detonate were both well indented, so I suspect they were just bad. I'm going to try some Federal 210's that I've had no trouble from and see if that makes a difference.

Other than that, I'm very pleased. I've seen these going for $500-800 recently, though I don't know what they are actually selling for, just what's on gunbroker as asking prices and bids. If I found another one in either 270Win or 30-06, I'd grab it if I had the cash. I'd likely rebarrel it to something interesting, like a 6.5-280RCBS Improved. But I bet I never do that. Likely easier to find a 700 action and rebarrel it, and drop it into an Alaskan stock, and still be about the same weight if I do it right.

 

[Elkman]

I believe that Dr. Mike could field a light platoon with his hunting rifle inventory.

My self will be using the following

Deer, Clearwater compound bow with muzzy broadheads at a sizzling fps at 25 yards
Elk Wyoming, 300 Win Mag, 180 gr Pt with lots and lots of 4350 at about 3050 or so, sighted in a 4" high at 100, with my 2.5 X 8 Leupold scope.
Elk Oregon , same as above rifle
Elk Idaho, same as above rifle.

Backup will be either my used yet untested 300 win mag, with its new used McMillian stock. (all still in pieces). Or my overtested 7MM STW also sighted in for 300 yards. with 3X10 Leupold with the BDC turrent, which is the backup scope for the yet untested 300 win mag.

Gee I still have 6 whole weeks until my first season :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[nuke-cu]

So far I have managed to work 1 accurate load:

CZ 550, 6.5x55 Swedish mauser. Shoots sub MOA to 300 yards (load development was done with target scope - Weaver T36). For hunting, Bushnell elite 4200 3-9x40.

Load: 155 gr Lapua mega bullet, Lapua brass, Federal 210M primer, 45.2 grains of RL22 (safe in my rifle, aways start 10% lower and work up in yours). Unless my chronograph is off, it leaves the barrel at 2725 fps.
Will be used for mule deer and cow elk in NM this fall.

*******

I would like to make a correction to the above velocity. I reverified the load today and obtained 2610 fps. This is more in line with what you would expect from a Swedish mauser. I don't understand why the original numbers came the way they did. The velocity for every shot was recorded for 10 shots.

 

[JD338]

I have the following ready to rock....

Rifles-
22-250 Rem 55 gr BT
257 Roberts 110 gr AB, 100 gr BT (same POI at 100 yds)
6.5mm Rem Mag 130 gr AB
280 AI 140 gr AB
338 RUM 250 gr AB
35 Whelen 250 gr PT
45-70 300 gr BST

Handguns-
6.5 JDJ 120 gr BT
7x30 Waters 120 gr BT
44 Rem Mag 240 gr JHP

I need to zero my scope on the T/C Omega muzzle loader and then focus on my bow.

JD338

 

[375hh1973]

I have the following that are ready for this coming season:

BLR .308/Leupold VX3 2.5-8x36--165 gr accubonds
Win 70 .375hh SS-Syn/Zeiss Diavari 3-9--210 gr Barnes X
TC Omega .45 SS-Syn/Nikon Prostaff 3-9--200 gr SST


I didnt get drawn for NDak mulies so I will have to focus on deer here in MI. That and killing a large number of geese with my 10 gauge.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I just loaded up some 160 gr Accubonds for my 7mm Rem Mag. I have been using 160 gr Partitions in this particular 7mm Mag rifle for over 35 years. First time that I have tried AccuBond bullets in this rifle though. Using my standard 66 gr of IMR 7828 load with Fed 215 Mag Match primers. We will see how this bullet does over the next few days.

 

[YoteSmoker]

Good luck with the AccuBond. That would be my general purpose do-all bullet but my M70 just doesnt like them. The Partition touches holes, go figure. I can live with that!

 

[Oldtrader3]

My rifle has always shot the Partitions both 150 and 160 gr really well. There was really no reason to change, I just bought a box of 160 AB's to try them and see what happens with accuracy. This is a Mauser actioned 7 Mag. We will see how they do.

 

[russ808]

I will be using for all hunts the rest of this year
Nosler 48 Sporter in 300wsm
180 grain A-Bonds with Nosler Brass
IMR-4350 @ 64 grains
CCI-250 primers

 

[Elkman]

yotesmoker says
Good luck with the AccuBond. That would be my general purpose do-all bullet but my M70 just doesnt like them. The Partition touches holes, go figure. I can live with that!

Gee thats to bad that you have to settle for the PT, Oh what misery !!! :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[Elkman]

JD388 says
I have the following ready to rock....
Rifles-
22-250 Rem 55 gr BT
257 Roberts 110 gr AB, 100 gr BT (same POI at 100 yds)
6.5mm Rem Mag 130 gr AB
280 AI 140 gr AB
338 RUM 250 gr AB
35 Whelen 250 gr PT
45-70 300 gr BST
Handguns-
6.5 JDJ 120 gr BT
7x30 Waters 120 gr BT
44 Rem Mag 240 gr JHP

I need to zero my scope on the T/C Omega muzzle loader and then focus on my bow.

Its disappointing that you will have to go into the season needing to zero your scope ! Going to be a tuff season if you don't get going !!! :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[SJB358]

Well I have done more load work this past Summer than I care to admit. It was alot of fun, but I am pretty glad to be done

270WSM - 150gr PT 65.5gr RL22 / 150gr BT 66gr's RL22 - 3125FPS
7WSM - 160gr AB 67gr RL22 / 3130FPS
338WM - 250gr PT 70.5gr RL19 / 2725FPS
35 Whelen - 250gr PT 60gr RL15 / 2625FPS
264WM - 130gr AB 71gr Retumbo 3350FPS / 70.5gr Retumbo 140gr PT 3200FPS
45-70 - 300gr BST H4198 2325FPS / 300gr PT H4198 2325FPS / 350gr Hornady FN H4198 2150FPS
35 Rem - 200gr CLRN H LVR 2300FPS
30-30 - 170gr Sierra FP H LVR 2300FPS
243 Win 100gr PT 44gr's RL19 2920FPS

Still haven't really worked with the 358 Winchester much this year, so it may come out tomorrow to see what it is made of. I have some 225gr PTs loaded up for it with W748, so I would like to see what it does. It has been a busy Summer for rifles, but I should be good for awhile. Scotty

 

[SJB358]

I just loaded up some 160 gr Accubonds for my 7mm Rem Mag. I have been using 160 gr Partitions in this particular 7mm Mag rifle for over 35 years. First time that I have tried AccuBond bullets in this rifle though. Using my standard 66 gr of IMR 7828 load with Fed 215 Mag Match primers. We will see how this bullet does over the next few days.

Charlie, it seems as if IMR7828 tracks pretty close to RL22 and that being the case, I would bet some money you will get 3K out of them pretty easily and my 7RM's and 7WSM both do really well right around 66-67grs of RL22. I think you will like the AB if it shoots. It certainly holds up pretty well. Scotty