I've settled on a hunting load

[Ben]

I think I've settled on a hunting load with my Tikka 30 - 06.
17.5 grs. of 2400 with the NOE 311284 HP. I shot it today
at 50 yards, but it shoots equally well at 100 yds also.

Most of my shots on white tails will be from 40 - 80 yards.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0174.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0175.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0176.jpg

[RobS]

Looks good Ben. What alloy are you planning on with those HP's and what's your velocity looking like with that load?

[Old Goat Keeper]

Should ought kill them armor plated deer we got to hunt today Ben. I like the group and the looks of that hollow point.

T-o-m

[Ben]

Looks good Ben. What alloy are you planning on with those HP's and what's your velocity looking like with that load?

These are ACWW's, I don't own a crony, someone else may be able to give us an estimate of the velocity ? They seem to be plenty potent for a white tail.

Ben

[atr]

Ben,,
what scope are you using on that rifle ?

[excess650]

I have no doubt the load/boolit will work, and the accuracy seems to be there.

How large are the whitetails in your neck o' the woods?

[Ben]

Ben,,
what scope are you using on that rifle ?

Micro Dot 2 X 7 variable

http://www.gunaccessories.com/UltraDot/MicroDot.asp

[Ben]

I have no doubt the load/boolit will work, and the accuracy seems to be there.

How large are the whitetails in your neck o' the woods?

Most 125 - 160 lbs. A few over 200 lbs.

[richhodg66]

I've found the 311284 to be a good shooter in any '06, and 7.62x54 as well. The lyman load of about 22 grains of SR4759 shoot as well in my Model 70 as any jacketed load I ever shot in it, and it's a pretty good shooter.

I want to cast some softnosed ones and try that load on deer one of these days.

[hicard]

Ben, you should be getting around 1578 fps out of a 24" barrel with that load.

[excess650]

Most 125 - 160 lbs. A few over 200 lbs.

Your deer are much like those where I've always hunted. I took my M700 30-06 (with my silhouette load) for deer in Pa last year. The load is/was 29gr AA5744 under the 200gr Saeco #301. I left the rifle in my Jeep over night and took it hunting in the morning. Did I mention that it was COLD? About 07:15 I saw a deer step out from behind some white pines about 100 yards away. It had no idea that I was there, and I could see that it had a very large, tall rack. To be honest, it was the largest buck that I had ever seen while hunting in 40 years! No problem, slip off the safety and squeeze the trigger...what the??? work the safety and try again...work the bolt and try again...and the deer had stepped into some brush and walked safely away never knowing that I was there!

The cold had stiffened the old oil in the trigger assembly and prevented the striker from searing up. I SHOULD have thoroughly cleaned the relatively new to me 1967 vintage M700, but did not. My shooting had always been done in much warmer weather, so never presented a problem. I walked back to my Jeep and retrieved my mid 1950s vintage Husqvarna 30-06 Lightweight loaded with RP factory stuff in hopes that the same deer might reappear. I passed up several other bucks during the season in the same area, but never saw "the big one" again, but I never heard of anyone else taking it either.....

Nov 28, 2011 I took the Husqvarna to the stand. The M700 had been thoroughly cleaned, but was left at home. My CZ-527 7.62x39 with cast loads (tackdriver) was in the Jeep along with my flintlock. The forecast was for rain, so that eliminated the flintlock, and the sheer comfort of the faithful Husqvarna took over, especially with the lingering memory of "the one that got away". About 07:30 I caught movement from over my right shoulder. Naturally, it was the worst angle for a right handed shooter, and there was brush and blowdowns all around. I managed to make out a single deer with my binoculars, and then saw enough light colored antler to know that it was a legal buck (3 points to a side minimum). The binoculars went down and I managed to squirm around so as to not be forced into a left handed shot. I found the shoulder (quartering towards me) through a smallish window in the brush, and squeezed......the deer turned and ran at the shot. I was dumbfounded that it didn't just collapse on the spot. I listened as it bounded down off the ridge, and across the small hollow from where it came. I watched for movement as I could see below me, but not above. I heard (3) deep "huffs" and then silence. There were a lot of pines in the area and the hardwood leaves were damp, so a walking deer could be silent. Did I hit a branch? Where was the deer when I shot? Where did it run to? I surveyed the area as best I could looking for landmarks, removed some clothes, and then got down out of the stand. It was NOT an open, clear shot, and the terrain looked differently from the ground. I worked towards where I thought that I had shot, looking ahead for movement, hair, and blood. It may have been further than I thought, but I never found hair. I looked for kicked up tracks in the moss, pine needles and leaves, and finally saw some sign. As I followed the direction of the tracks I found some blood, and more blood, and a bit more blood. I looked left and right into the bottom of the hollow scanning the small creek for the buck. They will often lay in water when shot IF they can get to it. Instead, the tracks and blood continued across the creek, up the bank, across the old logging road, and up into the pines. ****! They don't go uphill if they're hit hard. I followed down and across, and started into the pines....there he lay. It turns out that I had hit exactly where I aimed. While I knew that I was shooting at a legal buck, I had no idea.....

http://img855.imageshack.us/img855/6343/huntingdonbuck.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/huntingdonbuck.jpg/)

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8963/bigbuck.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/12/bigbuck.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)
I suspect that this was the same buck that I had seen a year earlier, and within 100 yards of the same spot. He was alone again, and without a doubt the largest whitetail buck I've ever seen in the wild. I've hunted this property for 41 years, and it has existed as hunting camp from more than 80 years. More than likely this is the largest buck ever taken there, and its not farm country. It weighed 150# dressed according to our scales.

How could I not have seen the antlers? I was looking through holes in the brush and never got more than a glimpse. HONEST! 22-3/4"-23" inside spread, 24-1/2" main beams, 9-1/2" and 10" brow tines, and a broken G2 on the right side.

sorry for the :hijack: Ben, but I had to share the story

[Larry Gibson]

These are ACWW's, I don't own a crony, someone else may be able to give us an estimate of the velocity ? They seem to be plenty potent for a white tail.

Ben

Ben at the velocity level of that load I would suggest a much softer alloy that will be more malleable, especially with that HP bullet. I suggest WW + 2" tin / lead at 50/50 or even 30/70. A 16-1 lead - tin alloy should also work very well with that HP bullet.

The straight WW alloy has little tin with the antimony. It will be somewhat harder and more brittle than you want with the expansion pettles, if it expands, breaking off. The addition of tin and more lead to the WW material will give a better ternary alloy which will be more malleable and will expand better with better weight retention. The 16-1 lead-tin alloy will be very malleable and will give very good expansion.

Larry Gibson

[Ben]

Thanks Larry

Ben

[Ickisrulz]

Ben,

I've noticed a lot of testing you do on loads is shot from 50 yards. Is there a reason for this or any benefits over shooting the traditional 100 yards?

[OBXPilgrim]

Most of my shots on white tails will be from 40 - 80 yards.



Sounds like most of his hunting area is just like mine & 50 yards works just fine.

[Char-Gar]

Ben... That load, at that velocity will blow off the HP cavity creating secondary missiles and the base will continue on through the deer, much like a Nosler Partition bullet. In other words, it will be very effective, but you might lose some meat if that matter.

[kbstenberg]

Ben is your Tikka the T3 lite?

[Ben]

Ickisrulz

I've noticed a lot of testing you do on loads is shot from 50 yards. Is there a reason for this or any benefits over shooting the traditional 100 yards?

What OBXPilgrim said.
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kbstenberg :

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_4414ee558abddc1b.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2953)
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Char-Gar :

I'm in agreement with you, ......loosing some meat isn't an issue with me,
I don't like tracking wounded deer. Based on a deer I killed a couple of yrs. ago with the 31141 HP, the bullet performed just as you described ( see damage photos in the link below ) .

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=44927

If I place the bullet correctly on the deer, this one should be very deadly. This bullet ( The NOE 311284 Hp ) weighs 207 grs without lube and a g/c. If the nose blows, I should still have 160 - 180 grs. to " plow on through " and make a nice exit hole.

Ben

[Ben]

I did a little bit of " fine tuning " with my TIKKA today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0182.jpg

[TCLouis]

Ben

Sorry to see only one bullet out of 5 shots hit the target with the new load

Dang that is nice!.

I think you have the accuracy thing pegged with that gun and boolit

[Ben]

TC :

Thanks for those nice words.

Many can't figure out why a person would want to shoot a group at 50 yards. Those people have never hunted with me here in Alabama.

Ben

[excess650]

TC :

Thanks for those nice words.

Many can't figure out why a person would want to shoot a group at 50 yards. Those people have never hunted with me here in Alabama.

Ben

Great group!

I do most of my initial (cast or MLer) load development at 55-58 yards (depends upon which bench I'm shooting from). When the better loads appear obvious, I'll stretch out the distance to sort 'em out.

[Char-Gar]

Historical note: Years ago on the old Shooters.com board we had an agreement among ourselves that we would do our initial testing and load development at 50 yards. This way, when we communicated and shared our findings we were all singing off the same page. 50 yards is far enough to gain a good insight on how a load is doing, but no so far as to deal with wind and shooter induced error to the same degree as longer distances.

Before WWII 50 yards was often used for cast bullet load development and we continued in the same vein.

Many of us old timers still do that. For those who don't understand "why 50", then perhaps this will give a little insight.

[Ickisrulz]

Historical note: Years ago on the old Shooters.com board we had an agreement among ourselves that we would do our initial testing and load development at 50 yards. This way, when we communicated and shared our findings we were all singing off the same page. 50 yards is far enough to gain a good insight on how a load is doing, but no so far as to deal with wind and shooter induced error to the same degree as longer distances.

Before WWII 50 yards was often used for cast bullet load development and we continued in the same vein.

Many of us old timers still do that. For those who don't understand "why 50", then perhaps this will give a little insight.

Those were some things I didn't consider. Thanks.

[Ben]

I do a lot of testing at 50 yards. That doesn't mean that I don't move on to
a 100 yards with the loads that " meet specs " at 50 yds.

Ben

[OBXPilgrim]

I did a little bit of " fine tuning " with my TIKKA today.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0182.jpg

Dang Ben, that is one "sick" group. Definetly something to 'aim' for.