With Deer Season Approaching: Rifle/Chambering/Load/Optic
- Thread starter Gun-Reck
- Start date
mcb
Member
Haven't decided yet. I have a 44 Mag M92 carbine and a 44 Mag M29 revolver that both need to take a deer. Part of me wants to try my 300 BO subsonic and I have three different 300 BO AR's I could use but that load would be a demandingly careful shot. My AR-15's in 450 Bushmaster and 30 Remington AR have served me very well the past few years. I have an old 1891 Mauser (from a departed friend) in 7.65x53 Argentine that I have ammo for that I might try.
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md7
Member
Bergara Ridge SP. 308 Win. Leupold 3-9 firedot. Suppressed.
Suppressor just got approved. This rifle shoots 1” groups with inexpensive Win XP 150 gr and 3/4” groups with Federal Gold Medal match 168 gr from prone, shooting off a hunting pack. Would probably be better off a bench and sand bags.
Will test out various other 160 class hunting rounds and move forward with whatever it runs the best. (Fed Fusion, Nosler AB, Nosler BT, Barnes VorTx, etc in 165-168 grains will be tested)
Suppressor just got approved. This rifle shoots 1” groups with inexpensive Win XP 150 gr and 3/4” groups with Federal Gold Medal match 168 gr from prone, shooting off a hunting pack. Would probably be better off a bench and sand bags.
Will test out various other 160 class hunting rounds and move forward with whatever it runs the best. (Fed Fusion, Nosler AB, Nosler BT, Barnes VorTx, etc in 165-168 grains will be tested)
Gordon
Member
Winchester Model 70 Ultimate Classic Stainless bedded in Mcmillan Hunter Rifle stock with a Harris tall bipod in .270 Winchester short magnum . Leupold VX-3HD 3.5-10x40 CDS-zl Fire Dot scope in Dead Nutz Reaper one piece mount/rings .
For this hunt I use Federal Premium Barnes 130 gr. TSX copper ammo . I will be hunting in southern coastal Oregon range in Illinois River Valley out from Cave junction up towards Dillard . I also have an Elk tag and a bear tag and will use this combo if I see one, but am going later on an exclusive Elk hunt with a .375 H&H Remington 700 Stainless Alaskan with Gentry quiet Brake with a 2.5-8x33ZL Leupold VX3 once again in the never move and super strong Dead Nutz Game Reaper one piece Mount/rings , and 260 grain Amax hand loads at 2700 FPS . This year I will be carrying my Sig X-Ten with a Holosun 507 C in a Gunfighters Inc. Kenai chest rig .
For this hunt I use Federal Premium Barnes 130 gr. TSX copper ammo . I will be hunting in southern coastal Oregon range in Illinois River Valley out from Cave junction up towards Dillard . I also have an Elk tag and a bear tag and will use this combo if I see one, but am going later on an exclusive Elk hunt with a .375 H&H Remington 700 Stainless Alaskan with Gentry quiet Brake with a 2.5-8x33ZL Leupold VX3 once again in the never move and super strong Dead Nutz Game Reaper one piece Mount/rings , and 260 grain Amax hand loads at 2700 FPS . This year I will be carrying my Sig X-Ten with a Holosun 507 C in a Gunfighters Inc. Kenai chest rig .
https://www.scheels.com/p/leupold-v...iredot-twilight-hunter-scope/03031702850.html I up graded the leupold to this last year here is an older picture :
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My new PSA 18" AR10 .308 with a Burris E1 4.5-14X42 scope and Dead Air Nomad Titanium Suppressor. Load is 45.5g Varget with 150g Nosler BT going around 2700 fps printing sub MOA. Entire package weighs 9 lbs. 11 oz. My hunting is primarily 150-320 yards over an open alfalfa field. Deer numbers are way down this year but hopefully I'll get a chance to use it.
Litetrigger
Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2023
- Messages
- 191
Steyr 1906 Mannlicher-Schonaur 6.5X54, with Lyman 2.5X All Weather scope with post reticle. Mounted in G&H lever release mounts for quick access to open sights.
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My favorite big game rifle: Rem 700 SS, 270 Win. It has bagged deer every year since I got it...and a nice bull moose. It's extremely accurate (.5 MOA) with handloads. Stock is after-market, laminated, just in the center 1/4", glass-bedded and barrel floated by me (I don't remember who made it, but could be Fajen).
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Think ill take the Savage 99 in .243 i got from @NIGHTLORD40K when i go home next week. I shot it yesterday and it does fine with my generic 100gr sbts and 4831
Sweet rifle in .243. Got one in .300 Savage I used in my younger days. Never scoped it, used it with the irons...
jertex
Member
I plan on using my 444 Marlin this year. I haven't ever hunted with it and I want to see how hard it hits with a high shoulder shot with 44gr of IMR4198 and the 265gr flat point interlock at an average of 2110 FPS. I have a Bushnell AK 1-4X scope on it. The ballistics are very similar and the BDC reticle is actual useful on the 444.
NIGHTLORD40K
Member
Get some!
Glad that old gun will get to see some action again.
Keeping the vintage Weaver on it or new glass?
It depends on how much time I have to spare: little time, I'll probably use my .308 Winchester XPR . I have ammo in 150 and 168 grain, and I think I have a 2-7X scope mounted.
If I have a little more time, maybe I'll sight in my R92. Still debating optic, partially to add some weight to the little rifle when I touch off a .454.
If I have even more time, I have a Mauser M18 in 7mm Rem Mag I need to set up. I have an Athlon 3-12x40 scope. I think I have 178-gr S&B to get "on paper", but I'd hunt with 150 Grain Power Max Bonded Hollow Point.
I really have a bunch more rifles I "should" sight in or check zero, but I only have these two hands.
If I have time to hunt, but no time to sight in, I'd use a @FM PRODUCTS AR that I shot last time at the range, with 77-grain Mk 262. 14" of penetration is going to be plenty for any of the shots I will take.
John
If I have a little more time, maybe I'll sight in my R92. Still debating optic, partially to add some weight to the little rifle when I touch off a .454.
If I have even more time, I have a Mauser M18 in 7mm Rem Mag I need to set up. I have an Athlon 3-12x40 scope. I think I have 178-gr S&B to get "on paper", but I'd hunt with 150 Grain Power Max Bonded Hollow Point.
I really have a bunch more rifles I "should" sight in or check zero, but I only have these two hands.
If I have time to hunt, but no time to sight in, I'd use a @FM PRODUCTS AR that I shot last time at the range, with 77-grain Mk 262. 14" of penetration is going to be plenty for any of the shots I will take.
John
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Random 8
Member
Nothing too crazy. The Rem 760 in .300 Savage with an 80's Red field 2x7 on Weaver Pivot mount will do most of the service for me again. A classic 150 Hornady SP over 41gr IMR 4064 will do the job to 200 yards. It should be in the 2600fps ballpark. This will likely be the last year for the Hornady. I bought them in 2021 when I couldn't find more Speers. I prefer the Speer, and this rifle doesn't care. The Speers feed much more reliably through my M99 that occasionally comes out to play on a sunny day, but presently needs a little work.
IF I get the opportunity to hunt some longer vistas, The Death Ray will be ready to go. It's a K98 rebarreled to .280 Rem, recently glass bedded (significant improvement in accuracy from previous), topped with a Burris 3x9 FF2. It wears a RM microfit dual grip thumbhole stock which I find to be a fine aid to field position shooting. Present load is some 140 NPs I got in a trade. Pushed by IMR 4350 in Peterson brass, this is the most accurate load I've ever fired in this rifle, and perhaps not coincidentally, the only load I've tested since the glass bed. I'm near max of Nosler data, so it's a right snappy load through the vintage 24" shilen. I made these up for a muley/antelope hunt that fell through in 2020, and hope to at least put one into a whitetail and see what they do.
As always, the camp rifle, a pawn shop sporterized M1917 with a generic 4x scope will be ready for bad weather, a gentleman's bet on shooting at a neighboring hunting camp, or to fill in for a rifle with issues. Same load as always, a 150 Speer Hot Core, presently over 47 gr AA4064. This rifle just shoots everything I've ever tried very well, from 1942FA ball to 180 GR bear loads on the warm side. The same load I shoot in the M1 Garand works well, so I just stick with that, partially in deference to the younger future hunters who drop by the camp and want to try the legendary 100+ year old rifle on the wall. We've named it "old brown." It's still basically a .300 Savage which will thump deer just fine. I usually find a couple of suckers at neighbor's camps who've never seen a beer can drilled offhand at 75 yards with a rifle from 1918.
IF I get the opportunity to hunt some longer vistas, The Death Ray will be ready to go. It's a K98 rebarreled to .280 Rem, recently glass bedded (significant improvement in accuracy from previous), topped with a Burris 3x9 FF2. It wears a RM microfit dual grip thumbhole stock which I find to be a fine aid to field position shooting. Present load is some 140 NPs I got in a trade. Pushed by IMR 4350 in Peterson brass, this is the most accurate load I've ever fired in this rifle, and perhaps not coincidentally, the only load I've tested since the glass bed. I'm near max of Nosler data, so it's a right snappy load through the vintage 24" shilen. I made these up for a muley/antelope hunt that fell through in 2020, and hope to at least put one into a whitetail and see what they do.
As always, the camp rifle, a pawn shop sporterized M1917 with a generic 4x scope will be ready for bad weather, a gentleman's bet on shooting at a neighboring hunting camp, or to fill in for a rifle with issues. Same load as always, a 150 Speer Hot Core, presently over 47 gr AA4064. This rifle just shoots everything I've ever tried very well, from 1942FA ball to 180 GR bear loads on the warm side. The same load I shoot in the M1 Garand works well, so I just stick with that, partially in deference to the younger future hunters who drop by the camp and want to try the legendary 100+ year old rifle on the wall. We've named it "old brown." It's still basically a .300 Savage which will thump deer just fine. I usually find a couple of suckers at neighbor's camps who've never seen a beer can drilled offhand at 75 yards with a rifle from 1918.
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WestKentucky
Member
Mainly my kids new smokepole. It’s a Buckstalker youth model and so far it’s doing extremely well with 2 777 starfire pellets and a saboted bullet. I need to try a different bullet because I have a whole bunch of a totally different setup, I was just using some junk laying around to get the gun close to sighted in but lo and behold it’s doing very well with the junk bullets. Luckily the junk bullets are pretty common so I can get more if needed.
After that, a couple ARs and a lever 30-30. I know the contenders are good. I also need to shoot the crossbow a bit but I have shot it a bit and know it’s sighted in, I just need to build muscle memory.
After that, a couple ARs and a lever 30-30. I know the contenders are good. I also need to shoot the crossbow a bit but I have shot it a bit and know it’s sighted in, I just need to build muscle memory.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
TC Venture 7mm-08 Leupold Vx-r 3-9 Firedot 4 reticle,same as last 15 years.
Gerd33
Member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2021
- Messages
- 212
I may have made a dumb decision on what I'm going to hunt with this year,but I'm going to be using my Remington M7 in 308 for my main rifle.It's a very fine little deer rifle.A few days ago I was looking at half a dozen or so nice lever guns on the wall of the LGS.They had Rossi,,Henry and a beautiful little Marlin 1894.They had enough rifles and assorted calibers to really make me think about picking one out.But I got to thinking about a sweet Winchester 94 Theodore Roosevelt commemorative carbine in 30-30 that's been in my brother's safe for a good number of years.Dad won a set of them in 1969 and he gave my brother the long barrel rifle and me the carbine.Neither of has ever shot them.I got to looking at the prices they bring online and it doesn't seem to matter if they've been fired or not.My brother has a totally different outlook as far as gun care goes,and neither gun has had anything much done to it in 20 or more years.Mine has a small rusty place on the octagon barrel,and both have safe dings and other very small marks on them.I picked up a pound of Leverevolution powder and some 150 grain bullets to load for my rifle and I also have some 170 grain Sierra flat point bullets to try in it.
I'm also trying to finish a M700 build I've been working on for a year or so.It's a very light 338-06,but I don't think I'll have enough time to complete it.It's more of a light,short,handy and powerful elk hunting setup for what will probably be my last elk hunt.It'll happen in the next two or three years.For this year,I'm looking forward to doing a little of my deer hunting with that 69 model 94.
I'm also trying to finish a M700 build I've been working on for a year or so.It's a very light 338-06,but I don't think I'll have enough time to complete it.It's more of a light,short,handy and powerful elk hunting setup for what will probably be my last elk hunt.It'll happen in the next two or three years.For this year,I'm looking forward to doing a little of my deer hunting with that 69 model 94.
God bless a 1917. I have a badly Bubba'd one, plus a P14 Cenurion 7mm Rem Mag.
bigpower491
Member
My mainstay will be with me if I can get a dog sitter. 338-06, with my standard 225 Interlock/N150 load. It's always right on the money, usually just 3 rounds to check the zero and foul the barrel. 300 'Chester , same deal but it will probably stay home. I just bought another straight wall rifle, wasn't in the market really but I think I got a pretty good deal on a 350 Legend I didn't know I needed yesterday. I'll be dialing that in when the rest of the goodies show up, probably with some Hornady interlock or Winchester power points.
Seen a few good bucks in the yard the last few weeks, as it rained apples this yr...almost better just to work with the front loader or revolver from the living room blind....
Seen a few good bucks in the yard the last few weeks, as it rained apples this yr...almost better just to work with the front loader or revolver from the living room blind....
I have many more hunting rifles than I need- counting just the ARs- but the 350 Legend just really popped up on my radar this week. I had just assumed it was a .30-30 necked up to .357- a factory.357 Herrett. I didn't realize it was an AR cartridge. I was reading about the .357 Maximum again, and saw a comparison to 350 Legend.
Would love to hear your impressions after you take her out!
John
bigpower491
Member
I'm in that boat also, not to get off topic too far here. Quite a few choices. I've heard good things about the 350 for a while, and you don't walk away from a Weatherby Vangaurd, irregardless if one is in the market or not, when it's that cheap OTD. I'll post up a thread in a few days with it and my observations but I am looking forward to giving it a whirl.
Least this trip im sticking with the k4-1Get some!
Glad that old gun will get to see some action again.
Keeping the vintage Weaver on it or new glass?
IF i can find an older glossy scope i like ill prob switch it out, as i like more than 4x's in my scopes.
I shot it yesterday and it produced 1.5" groups with both the 100s and 85s, which is plenty good enough for anything ill use the little gun on.
Hugger-4641
Member
This year's line up is pretty much sighted in and ready.
Muzzle loader season: New Optima VR2 LR, vintage Bushnell Lite Site 4-9x40, 295gr Bore Driver, 120gr Pryodex RS. Backed by my CVA Wolf with a Sig Buckmaster.
A-bolt .270 with a Vortex Hog Hunter. 130gr Interlocks
X-Bolt Long Range Pro 300wm, Veracity 3-15x50,
200ELDX and 180TTSX.
Model 94ae 30-30, vintage Bushnell Lite Site 3-9x40. 160Ftx.
Savage 110 Tactical 6.5cm, Sig Sierra , 143eldx.
Should opportunity allow more than five deer this year, the 700cdl sf 30-06 and 178eldx will come out and finish up.
Muzzle loader season: New Optima VR2 LR, vintage Bushnell Lite Site 4-9x40, 295gr Bore Driver, 120gr Pryodex RS. Backed by my CVA Wolf with a Sig Buckmaster.
A-bolt .270 with a Vortex Hog Hunter. 130gr Interlocks
X-Bolt Long Range Pro 300wm, Veracity 3-15x50,
200ELDX and 180TTSX.
Model 94ae 30-30, vintage Bushnell Lite Site 3-9x40. 160Ftx.
Savage 110 Tactical 6.5cm, Sig Sierra , 143eldx.
Should opportunity allow more than five deer this year, the 700cdl sf 30-06 and 178eldx will come out and finish up.
