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Thread: This year's hunting bullets & Elk Success

  1. #1
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    This year's hunting bullets & Elk Success

    This year's elk hunting season was a success. Lots of work, three new bullets, new location, new tent, snow, wind, rain, sun, everything one would want in a fulfilling season.

    Like any successful hunting outcome there is a good story to go with it and mine started back in the middle of June when I unexpectedly drew a tag for an Eastern Oregon any bull tag in a unit right next to where I grew up yet never hunted.

    I have a lot of details to share and good stories to go along with it yet it's late and I'm a bit short on time so I'll post some pics and a few tid-bits of info on this years bullets and success with a more detailed version soon to follow.

    Needless to say I got very little work done for BTSniper customers in the last three weeks as I was very busy making and testing new bullets, packing, preparing and unpacking for and from this adventure, drawing a big bull tag in NE Oregon only comes around once every 4-8 years depending on unit and even longer in most. Now everything is put away with meat soon to be in the freezer and I can get back to work.

    Last elk I took was a nice 5 point from 530 yrds using a .338 Sierra 300 grain Match King from a 338 Edge. This time I wanted to take an elk with a bullet I made myself. I figured I would take the 338 Edge and the proven 300 grain Sierras just in case I needed them but I still wanted to use bullets I made myself. I figured for close range dark timber hunting I would put together a light weight 375H&H. I have a Savage with a short 20" barrel, nice and light at only 7.5lbs scoped out and everything. Well I made some awesome 315 grain bullets using scrap 223rem brass and a cast 240 grain core from the Lee 30 cal mold for the core. I didn't bother to core swage or weight sort these jackets and cores, just made them up as is.

    Now I needed a medium range offering, figuring the 375H&H was good out to about 300 yrds and the 338 edge was good out a LOT farther yet the edge with it's 30" bull barrel is not one you want to carry very far so I needed a packable rifle that would do the job on an elk out to 600-800 yrds or so, I figure if I needed to shoot further then that I would have time to grab the edge if need be. Well...... I purchased a 26" McGowen 300WM barrel in a heavy sporter contour that I hadn't shot yet and I figured this would fit the bill nicely. I had also purchased a few thousand RCE 1.30" 30 cal jackets a while back as well. It was time to make some bullets. I looked over my 30 die offerings and grabbed a 15S secant ogive die that matched the Berger VLD profile pretty close. Doing some research hunters where having good success with bergers in the 215 grain range from the 300WM on elk so I set up the dies to see what the 1.3" jacket could make. Anything over 200 grains wasn't going to work with this jacket and nose profile so I settled on a nice 190 grain VLD bullet. A weekend later and I had 500 of these beautiful 190 grain 30 cal VLD pills, that where nearly an exact match to the Berger 190s, ready to go, just needed to find a load. Well..... after three days of range work with three different powders and every possible OAL and primmer combo it was determined this barrel just did not prefer the 190 grain offerings.

    A little disappointed and time winding down till the season begins I started doing some more research on the latest 30 cal offerings that where popular with the elk hunting crowd. I had known about the heavy offering from Berger with their 230 grain Hybrid and began to research the success shooters where having with this heavy pill. A couple days worth of research and I decided to try my luck making a heavy 30 cal bullet with the 1.30" jacket and this time a 10s tangent point form die. I needed to determine just how heavy of bullet I could make using this jacket and set out with my different core weights to see what I could do. I worked my way up with 200, 215 and 230 grain attempts. At about 220 grains IIRC the jacket was pretty much full, It looked like with a bit of a lead tip I could make a nice 230 grain spitzer. I have always had good luck with my dies and them making a nice lead tip using a manual press, but using the RCE hydro press there is no control over the speed and force of the ejection stroke so where I could get a nice lead tip using a manual press and "feel," the hydraulic press was a little more abusive on the soft lead tips. I was able to make very good looking 230 grain pills but had a bit of a mashed lead tip to them so.... a lead tipping die I set out to make.

    A couple attempts later and I had a ......... adequate lead tipping solution, not quite perfect but good enough.

    Now it was off to the range (woods). I used RL-33 powder with the 230 grain bullets in my 300 WM. First day was hopfully determining a good powder load. Luckily it did show promise and a preference for 82 grains worth. Second day was OAL testing and found it shot well with a .010" jam into the lands with groups in the 1/2 moa range at 200 yrds. This was considerably better then the results I had with the 190s. I had a large steel target set up at 600 yrds with a few extra rounds. I was able to get on target with a rather impressive group, I had a rough idea as to BC figures and drops for this 230 grain pill launched at 2850FPS but verifying this on target at 600 really helped to determine the most accurate figures in determining a proper drop chart.

    With this data in hand I loaded up a hundred or so rounds. I printed out the data all the way to 1K yrds. I grabbed a few extra steel targets and on day three I went to a new location to stretch the legs of these bullets a bit and verify my BC data. I set targets up at 350, 475 and 650 yrds roughly and sent five rounds at each target. Shooting prone off the ground as I would in the field I was rewarded with the sound of lead on steel with each shot. Then I moved back 150 yrds and shoot all three targets again with five rounds each. This put the far target at 800 yrds. I was very happy with the results and at the end of the shooting session I was confident in myself, the gun and the bullet's abilities to make hits out to at least 800 yrds in favorable conditions.

    I now had a mid range to long rang gun to compliment the 375H&H for shots anywhere from a few feet to 800 yrds or possibly a bit more if need be. I spent plenty of time shooting both the 300WM and 375H&H both free hand and prone. I got to where I was making consistent hits on a paper plate size target at 100 yrds free hand standing up and obviously a lot further with a rest. I felt ready and with this new 300 WM and an awesome 230 grain bullet I did not feel the need to bring the big 338 edge as I was confident in the 300wm and my home made bullets potential.

    As for the lad development with the 375 H&H and the 315 grain pills made from 223rem brass the load development was much easier (yet a LOT harder on ht shoulder!). I had come across data that recommended H414 with the 300 grain bullet offerings in the 375H&H so I loaded up some test rounds starting at 75 grains and working up to 78 grains. I had shot some of my "factory seconds" in this 375 H&H to get on target and a feel for the gun, needless to say it kicked the heck out of my shoulder! But on to load development I went. The first load of 75 grains put three bullets all touching at 100 yrds, this with a thick cross haired retical simple 3-9 power scope (not exactly set up for long range precision). With that first load I was more then happy and didn't bother testing any of the rest. I loaded up 20 rounds with the 75 grain load and my 315 grain bullets and I felt ready for anything the season would through at me.

    Now for some pics......


    315 grain .375, 230 grain 30 cal 10s and a 190 grain 15S vld bullets




    A Berger 190 grain VLD on the left and my 190 grain VLD on the right!




    My 230 grain 30 cal 10s ogive made from a RCE 1.30" jacket




    A Sierra 300 grain .338 match king on the left and my 230 grain 30 cal on the right for compare




    three shots touching at 100 yrds with the 315 grain pills out of the 375 H&H




    A look at the 800 yrd results with the 230 grain 30 cals marked with the orange ear plugs. Shot 3 was a called pull, shot 6 was not the best of holds but all the rest landed right where I wanted them. The orange center steel target is 10" and looks mighty small at 800 yrds. I adjusted my vertical slightly as you can see shots 1 and 5 as well as those that hit the orange center made for a group I was rather impressed with. I actually took video footage of shooting these steel targets with the 230 grain bullets. I'll have to upload them to youtube and will provide links soon.





    A look at the 300 WM I put together.
    Savage action, 26" McGowen barrel, I forget the stock brand?, Sightron STAC 3-16x scope


    That is just a brief recap of making bullets, and load development. Still got the entire hunting trip to talk about and finally the success with meat hanging in camp!

    Here is a pick of camp and a bit of scenery to start with......




    We actually had to shovel threw a foot of snow before setting up camp, by the end of the season the snow had all melted.




    A look at come of the country I got to spend a week in chasing elk. Camp was at 6200'elevation and there was plenty of country above that elevation. The town I live in is at an elevation of less then 500' so it took a little while to get used to the thin air, especially for my large butt (a little thinner now as I was able to drop 30+ lbs in time and exercise spent getting ready for season, still a lot to go but a good start).


    Well this is a good start for now. Enjoy the pics, I'll have more pics and story to follow soon.

    To those few on my work order list and the few that have contacted me in the last few weeks, thank you for your patience, I'll have your orders and replies to you just as soon as I can.

    Swage on!

    Brian
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    Those of you that have checked out my FB page may recognize this guy from this spring's ground squirrel shooting trip. This is Bart, my wife has had this guy since I met her 20 years ago, my wife and my girls get quite a kick out of the pics I send them of the adventures Bart and I partake in. This is the 375H&H he is next to. Good scenery pics in the back ground too.



    To be continued ......
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    Continuing on.......

    Season started on a Wednesday. The weekend before weather called for snow as it dropped more then a foot between Friday and Saturday. This pushed back my original plan to set up camp on Saturday by one day. My dad and I spent all day Sunday in a rain storm setting up camp. We where rewarded with sunny skies and warmer temps in the 40s to 50s for the rest of the season.

    Preseason scouting on Monday evening (two days before season opened) put us on one side of a canyon, on the other side (the sunny side where snow had melted off) we found a small heard of a about 40 elk out feeding in the open. In this heard there where 4 bulls all nice but one was a monster 6 point with long ivory tips to his antlers that we could darn near see with the naked eye from more then 1k yards away. I did get some video footage of this big guy, though it is not the greatest I'll see If I can upload a bit of it too. My dad and I watched them feed till dark as we where amazed at the size of this guy, we both agreed this may have been the largest live elk we had ever seen in NE Oregon, needless to say we went to bed that night excited with images of the bull in our dreams.

    Tuesday morning we found him again on same ridge but a bit further back. That night we came back to viewing area again but only saw two cows. We certainly had not spooked them and there was certainly no other hunters around, we figure it was the snow fall over the weekend that brought them down from the high country and now that the snow was melting they where slowly working their way back up.

    So Tuesday evening (night before opening morning we make a plan to go after this big guy. My dad on one side of the canyon and me in position on the open hillside at first light. No more then an hour after first light my dad contacts me, he had spotted the large bull a ways behind me. I slowly moved towards the location and when I got there, sure enough the ground was tore up with evidence of the large bull having just been there. I slowly and quietly tracked this guy for the next three hours and nearly 2-3 miles until the tracks lead down into some very steep and dark forested timber, by this time I was getting pretty tired and my legs where cramping up from the additional couple thousand feet of elevation I had climbed. It was now nearly 11:00am and I never caught a glimpse, but I figured he was not spooked and might get another look at him before season ended.

    Rest of opening day was spent recovering lying in bed.

    As the season moved on (season was only from Wednesday to that Sunday, 5 days!) the temps stayed warm at about 50 during the day and no less then 40 at night. Each day the snow melted a bit more and the fewer and fewer animals we saw. Matter of fact....... I hadn't seen any more elk from the ones I had seen before the season started. But with all the snow and the preseason scouting we had done shown a LOT of elk tracks all over so I had a good idea they where in the area, just needed to find them again.

    The particular unit we where hunting has a known wolf pack from the reintroduced Canadian wolves that had found their way into Oregon. We heard them along with the coyotes nearly every night as well as some howling in the middle of the afternoon. In our adventures we had found several of the wolf tracks not more then 1/2 mile from camp. These dogs where probably the only pressure the elk where getting as we barely saw more then 4 or 5 hunters each day and less as the season went on.

    Days where spent exploring new areas looking for elk, glassing from high points with the 300 WM next to me or walking the edge of the thick timber with the 375H&H. No one particular day would I favor one rifle over the other simply chose which one I would carry for the possible given shooting conditions, thick cover and close range, obviously the 375, anytime there is potential for a longer range shot, the 300WM was in hand.

    By mid day Saturday I had just about exhausted all the hunting plans and ideas I had come up with during preseason scouting (also spent a week in this unit during bow season to get more familiar). It is tough not to let the ideas of an unsecsfull season with no meat in camp creep into the dark corners of your mind but somehow I managed to stay positive and up beet even though we hadn't seen any elk in days.

    The only plan left that we hadn't tried was to walk and hunt straight out of camp. Every other hunt was focused on areas driven to about 1.5 to 2 miles away from camp, so at an earily 2:30 in the afternoon on Saturday, the day before the last day of the season, we took off on a walk/hunt from camp. We walked down an old overgrown closed road that lead down the small canyon from camp. Not more then 500 yrds we broke out of the timber to a great looking over look with a view of the confluence of several small canyon drainages all coming together in front of us. We where now basically on the back side of the hills we had see all the elk disappear into durn the preseason and the area looked good. Just 400 additional yards on the other side of the this little draw was a great vantage point to sit and watch over the entire area with the wind just right for an evening hunt, it even had an old closed road leading to this point. We figured surly the road/trail we where on would certainly connect with the road we saw on the opposite side. We continued to walk our trail getting no closer to the other side and after a half mile the trail had circled us back to the main camp road. I had a GPS with me and could see camp was only 3 tenths of a mile back up the road. My dad was a bit worn out so he went back to camp. I told him I was going to continue on to the other side and sit out the evening on the point on the other side of the draw.

    From the location we where at on the main road we where at the top of the draw. Dad walked back to camp and all I had to do was skirt around the top of this draw and would no doubt find the closed road on the other side. Between me and the other side was a few hundred yards of dark, fairly thick timber. I found a game trail and made my threw the heavy timber with the 300WM in hand. I had progressed maybe 200-300 yrds or so and began to see the forest opening up to the other side, I was still at the top of the draw but could certainly make my way from here to the nice opening I had seen. While I was walking threw this heavy timber I was marking the trail every hundred yrds or so with marking tape so if need be I could find my way back or if need be my dad could find his way in to me.

    I had just tied off the second or third piece of bright orange tape and came to within 10 or 20 yrds of the edge and the end of the thick timber when it happened! I must have had my gun in hand and not strung over my shoulder with the strap because it all happened so fast that when I attempted to reenact the events it felt wrong and slow when I had to bring the gun up from it first being strung over my shoulder vs. bringing it up already in hands.

    When hunting dark timber everything is slow and deliberate, slow steps, carful not to make any sounds yet I suppose if anything is going to happen it would be close and your opportunity would be only a split second or two. I had already made sure the scope's power was turned down to 3x anticipating a possible close encounter and like I said, standing there just about to break into the open I heard crashing noises, not the light footed "thump, thump, thump" of a typical deer but full on rumble and crash of elk moving and close! I catch a glance at three bodies bolting threw the trees heading from my left to right making their way back towards the heavy timber. I had a lot of trees and brush between me and them but with the split second first glance I could see the lead animal had horns, small but definitely horns! Here it was the evening before the last day of the season, it was not the time to be choosy especially since this was the first and possibly only legal bull I had seen since the season started. The three of them where no more then 75 yrds in front of me when I first saw them, not quite at a full run but certainly on the move, even though they where only 75 yrds in front of me they where not more then 20 yrds from the cover of the dark thick timber, things where happening fast, time did not stand still for me, there was no time to focus or concentrate, no thought of proper trigger pull. I had time for all that with my last bull standing 530 yrds away, I remember focusing on my breathing, trigger control, aim small, focus on cross hairs, everything!

    As they broke for cover not 75 yrds in front of me, I can not recall how I was able to bring the gun up so quickly and make such a quick shot, I do clearly remember as the gun came up my thumb was already on the safety switching it off before the gun was at my shoulder. As the sight picture became clear the first animal was not but feet away from safety of the thick trees, I knew this first animal was the bull and can only remember the gun coming to my shoulder, safety was off cross hair was just in front of his shoulder and the trigger broke. It couldn't have been more then 2.0 seconds from the time I heard them, saw them and made the fatal shot. I was surprised and how quick it had taken place, how quick I was able to make the shot, I certainly didn't have much longer then that because another couple steps and the elk would have been gone as you will see in up coming pic.

    As with all shots at game the hunter rarely ever feels the recoil of the gun shot, this is true on this shot for me as well, I recall coming out of recoil, the thunder of the boom echoing threw the trees, already another round is cycled into the chamber incase an additional shot is possible or necessary. When I am back on target I already see hooves in the air!

    I dash the few feet out of the timber to get a better look in case he gets back up or needs a finishing shot. By the time I get in position to even see him from the obstruction of the slight mounds of dirt in front of me he is lying there not 30 yrds in front of me. His neck was twisted in such a way opposite to his body, his head was still facing the direction he was last traveling but his body had completely flipped over him and was now resting facing the direction for which he had just came from.

    At first observation I was viewing the exit side of his neck and there was a good flow of blood exiting from it. I assumed I had hit him in the neck to drop him so fast. Latter examination showed I actually hit just in front of the front knuckle of the shoulder by not more then an 1" and had exited the other side just ahead of the shoulder at the base of the neck. I did not hit or break the neck, not even the shoulder bone but looking at all the online images of elk anatomy 101 I must have severed the main arteries in the neck. The bull expired quickly without nearly a movement or struggle.

    How could I not be pleased with the performance of my bullet taking a nice elk. All that practice at distance up to 800 yrds only to take him within 100. Just the way it works out I guess, I am certain the free hand standing practice I did a lot of at 100yrds certainly helped and possibly the muscle memory is what made all the difference in the short time I had to make the shot. As for the bullets results, there was very little blood shot, a dime size entrance hole with a quarter size exit hole and from all accounts hit just were I was aiming. I was very pleased with the performance. No lead particles, or jacket pieces where found or recovered. The lead core I had used for the bullet was a 50/50 mix of pure lead and wheel weight so maybe it was not too soft and not too hard but as they say "just right."

    Now the work begins! When I had left my dad at the main camp road he had only a short distance to walk back to camp, it was about the same distance I had walked to put me in position with the elk. Talking to my dad he had not been back in camp more then a couple minutes when he heard the shot. As I walked up to the bull I wanted to make sure my dad was on the way with the truck as I had no way to contact him, I thought about touching off another couple rounds but instead gave out a load WOO HOO! A moment later I actually heard him start the truck as he drove the short distance to find me.

    As it turned out my bull fell within 100 yrds or less of the bermed end of a drivable road. We where able to load the elk into the back of the truck whole (with help from block and tackle pulley) and finished the evening back at camp taking care of the animal.

    Later GPS coordinates showed the location of the fallen bull to be .45 miles or 4.5 tenths of a mile from camp

    There is probably more I could talk about with the animals seen durning preseason, like the several large mule deer bucks, or the awesome mountain goat high up in the granite peaks, or the efforts of putting up and taking down camp, the evenings spent by the camp fire or sweating inside the tent while cooking on the wood fire camp stove. Simply put it was a grand adventure in which I got to see a very large trophy bull elk and shoot a small tasty one instead with a bullet I made myself, well heck for that matter in a die I made myself......wait....... and in a gun I put together myself!!!! It was a great trip!





    You can see the dark timber behind me that he was heading for. I had already turned his head around for the picture at this time.






    Looking behind the elk from this angle and back into the timber about 75 yrds is probably just about where I was when I took the shot.





    didn't even have a meat pole made before I shot him. Had to quarter him up to make sure none of the wolves or coyotes where able to reach.





    Another look at the sexy bullet




    Good shooting, good hunting and swage on!

    Brian
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    Most excellent narrative!! Great pics. Adventure of a lifetime. Thanks BT.

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    You got drawn for a tag! All I'm doing is building points.........

    Great hunt and great story, Brian.

    Fred
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    Congrats, Brian!

    You have, once again, made us all proud.

    Swage on, my friend!


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    to those who wait all things come..... as long as they work like ---- while they wait lol!!!! congrats

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    Very nice
    8500' Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado

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    Thanks guys.

    Just finished video of the 230 grain long range testing. Will post a new thread with the video link.

    This is only the 3rd elk I have taken in my hunting career. A nice 6 point with a bow at 30 yrds many, many years ago, a decent 5 point at 530 yards with a long range hammer, aka. the 338 edge, and now this nice spike at 75 yrds with the 300wm. That covers a pretty wide range of hunting and shooting. Every year I read debates online as to what is and isn't "hunting" mostly from those that appose the long range taking of animals. Those that debate such distance where 530 yrds might not be very far at all for some and a country mile to others to the effectiveness of "flinging arrows." I can say that in each of my only three elk kills that each scenario and specifics to the hunt was ethical and in every aspect true to the nature of hunting as I saw it. Each presented it's own set of unique challenges and necessary skill to be successful. Each shot was a positive memory for me, they are all hunting to me and all my favorite.

    Didn't quite get my point ironed out there or know exactly where I was going with that but each experience was pretty incredible for me, first elk bugling and full of rage at only 30 yrds was intense. Then practicing all summer with the big 338 edge out to 1K yrds to establish a max limit for myself, I found that limit at the time to be about 600 yrds as anything beyond that range I wasn't confident to hit a milk jug on the first shot. Then to have that elk step out opening morning on the other side of the canyon at 530 yrds and have him drop at the shot, equally impressive and special. Now this year hunting a bit of dark timber and getting of an incredible quick shot with my own custom bullets, awesome!

    All good "time in the pine" I call it.

    Brian
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    great story.
    elk can be tough at any time in the heavy stuff they are tougher.

    now.... about this tip forming die.

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    Quote Originally Posted by runfiverun View Post

    now.... about this tip forming die.
    I'll be working on it and certainly let you know as soon as I perfect the design. It will take a little while as it is not yet a priority project and have several more projects in front of it but it is in the works.

    BT
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    Well done
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

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    Outstanding

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    Outstanding sir.Thanks for posting.Lots of "Good Eats"there.Enjoy.
    Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
    Leo
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    Boolit Master
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    Great narrative/photos and your knowledge is truly amazing I only wish I had another 50 yrs of learning

  16. #16
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    Congratulations! I did a similar thing this year. I made some 200 grain rebated boattails that shot really well in my 300 Win Mag and was glad I did. I got a nice bull on the second day of Montana's season with a quick shot at 30 yds when he jumped out of his bed in thick timber. He went about 50 yds and hung up in a tree stone dead. The bullet must have hit a branch because it went through both lungs sideways and stopped in the opposite shoulder. It might not have turned out as well if I'd used my usual 180 gr. bullet. I'll go even heavier next year!

  17. #17
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    That would be an interesting recovered bullet pic going sideways, would even be interested to see wound cavity, pm me pics if to gruesome for open forum, if you got some pics.

    I was certainly pleased with the heavy bullets.

    Swage on!

    BT
    BTX Star Crimp Die
    Back in stock with new low price!
    Click link below!
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Star-Crimp-Die


    also check in and say hello on my new face book page!
    https://www.facebook.com/BTSniper-153949954674572/

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Bozoland Mt.
    Posts
    1,698
    Brian, thanks for some new hunting stories on the swaging forum, great reading, and fun looking at the pictures.

    Matt, if you send pics to BT, please forward to me too.
    To lazy to chase arrows.
    Clodhopper

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy

    jroc's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    MI./FL.
    Posts
    283
    Nice Brian. A very enjoyable read.
    My Straight Shooters thread:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...raight-Shooter

    spstocksandgrips.com



    Texan Loadmaster Model T, Lyman All American Turret, Forster Co-Ax,

  20. #20
    Vendor Sponsor


    BT Sniper's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Oregon next to the river
    Posts
    5,650
    Thanks. Got a bit long winded for just the short 2.5 seconds of action

    I suppose it could have read...... walking threw dark timber, 3:30pm evening before last day of season, there in front of me not 75 yards I catch glimpse of elk, lead one has horns, gun comes to shoulder, safety comes off, cross hairs find target, BOOM, target goes down, meat hanging. Season done!

    But that just wouldn't have been as much fun

    Brian
    BTX Star Crimp Die
    Back in stock with new low price!
    Click link below!
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...Star-Crimp-Die


    also check in and say hello on my new face book page!
    https://www.facebook.com/BTSniper-153949954674572/

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check