Cast boolit Contender kills

[Crawdaddy]

Just got back from the lease in the Panhandle of Texas. After a very slow start, an inch of snow the first day followed by six inches the next day, things started heating up. Not the weather of course the hunting.

The first two days I saw nothing but some does. The third day I did get a small pig. I was really feeling down because I have never not gotten my deer at the lease on opening day

I started prepping my wife for the fact I may not be home for thanksgiving. That went over well...

On day four the sun came out, warmed up to a little above freezing and things started to happen. I got a pig and two deer on day four.

The county I hunt in has a one mulie limit, although on rare occasions you see a whitetail. This was one of the occasions. Man was he big compared to the whitetails I hunted in the southeast.

In the interest of full disclosure the mulie wasn't shot with a cast boolit out of the Contender. It was a 202 yard shot and I am not that good. I used the 300 WM
for that.

It was a great hunt but I am glad to be home.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/11090532224_1fbefb91e8_b.jpg
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http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/11090497676_4480e89277_b.jpg
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Link to all the pics

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cjhollic/sets/72157638125607423

[Larry Gibson]

Very well done! Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Larry Gibson

[whelenshooter]

Congrats. That pig would make some good eating tomorrow.

[missionary5155]

Greetings and Congradulations !
That is a fine looking whitetail. Must have been chomping alot of corn or beans. Perserverance and determination generally pay off. Thanks for the wrte up and photos !
The Contender... What caliber is that ?
Mike in Peru

[Crawdaddy]

The barrel I used was a 30/30 AI. I couldn't decide on 45/70 or 30/30. Turned out well.

Whelen- I thought the same thing. My son has 4 of his fraternity brothers here for thanksgiving, two are from Saudi Arabia. The best laid plans of mice and men!

My son made me promise to be on my best behavior, since it is Thnksgiving I suppose I should.

They really are nice kids.

[whelenshooter]

The barrel I used was a 30/30 AI. I couldn't decide on 45/70 or 30/30. Turned out well.

Whelen- I thought the same thing. My son has 4 of his fraternity brothers here for thanksgiving, two are from Saudi Arabia.

Yep that might mess up the whole pork thing. I bet it'll be good later too.

Happy Thanksgiving.

[Ramjet-SS]

Fine job and sounds like a hunt gone well lots of good table fare to butcher up.

[Crawdaddy]

Faisal and Sultan helped me skin out all the animals today. They had the skills of a surgeon. They did such a good job on the whitetail I am taking it to the taxidermist to tan.

They had absolutely no problem handling the pigs, just don't eat them. Both skinned sheep regularly back home. They are two of the hardest working polite kids I have met in a long time.

They obviously have great parents.

[marshall623]

Great shootn and that is a dandy whitetail

[wvmedic]

congratulations, looks like you had a good time.

[300 TC]

What a meat haul congrats. Should grind some of that pork and venison up and make breakfast sausage. Dang making myself hungry now.

[Crawdaddy]

All of it is going to the processor in Abq today. My wife won't cook it unless it looks like it came from a store. Saves me the trouble of doing the work myself.

There will definitely be sausage. One of the bad things about wild hog is there is seldom any bacon. Oh well.

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

[4719dave]

Now the fun starts lol ..... nice harvest ..

[30hrrtt]

Nice job. What was bullet, alloy, and load?

[Crawdaddy]

Dave, you couldn't be more right, finally got them to the processor today.

30- the load was 16 grs of 4198. The alloy was HOK. (heaven only knows). The boolit was 170 gr from a Lee mold. I need to get more scientific with the hardness, I get zero expansion out of any of my boolits regardless of velocity or caliber.

All are typically pass throughs although I did recover a boolit from one of these pigs that traversed diagonally. I could use it again, it was in perfect shape except rifling marks.

I guess it isn't critical because I only lost one pig and that was my fault. They usually only go a few yards.

[TXGunNut]

Good job! I can show you how to package it so it looks store-bought but with four nice critters to process I can't blame you.

[Crawdaddy]

I used to do it myself but she complained about blood all over the kitchen. Didn't look quite as nice as the butcher or yours I'm sure. I even bought a grinder and sausage stuffer. As long as she doesn't mind spending the money I won't complain.

Can't wait to see what you bring back. Where do you hunt?

[brasshog]

Medical issues have kept me from hunting with my new contender this year so I'm very envious. Great job !

[CastingFool]

That whitetail buck is awesome! Congrats on a great hunt!

[white eagle]

thats a nice buck in anyones book (well almost anyone's)
sounds like you had a great time
glad to see you could bring home some fresh meat

[OnHoPr]

All of it is going to the processor in Abq today. My wife won't cook it unless it looks like it came from a store. Saves me the trouble of doing the work myself.


Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Hope you don't mind a little chuckle from the your wife and store bought look comment.lol
I hope you had a good Thanksgiving also.
Congrats on the meat haul and a Good whitetail buck.
Hey it looks like you used something smaller than that big ole 45-70 this time. Those heads have bodies attached.:kidding::bigsmyl2:

[Crawdaddy]

Yeah, I laugh too, but she is from Long Island so the fact that she cooks and eats it is major progress for me. Shoot I even got her out of the city and live in the mountains.

She met me more than half way so I will accommodate her. Less work for me too.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

30- the load was 16 grs of 4198. The alloy was HOK. (heaven only knows). The boolit was 170 gr from a Lee mold. I need to get more scientific with the hardness, I get zero expansion out of any of my boolits regardless of velocity or caliber.

All are typically pass throughs although I did recover a boolit from one of these pigs that traversed diagonally. I could use it again, it was in perfect shape except rifling marks.

I guess it isn't critical because I only lost one pig and that was my fault. They usually only go a few yards.

I am not sure how much the AI effects 30-30 or how much the shorter barrel would affect it , but Lee's chart puts 16gr 4198 in a 30-30 under a 170gr cast boolit at 1450fps maybe you gain a bit with the AI but probably loose it with the short barrel like you said HOK but it sure makes me want to get out and try my 30-30 cast load with same bullet going about the same speed on some deer.

thanks

[Smoke4320]

That's one fine looking buck there .. congrads on the meat haul

[Crawdaddy]

GCP, I think you pretty much nailed the velocity. I had it calculated right in that range.

On paper it is anemic at best. I was somewhat worried at first, not anymore. I didnt have much time to work up loads as I recently bought the barrel. I am going to experiment with a little more velocity and a little softer lead. I have some pure stuff a friend gave me.

Deer season is over for me so plenty of time. I won't be going pig hunting until spring.