Bench-Talk

 I too have been playing at the range!!  A couple of years ago I acquired a McMillan M-40A stock in traditional woodland camo, with some old good fashioned horse trading I also acquired a Remington 700 5R 308 (11.25 twist).  After having Stan The Man do his bedding magic and then adding optics, it was out to the range for a barrel break in/sight in session.  Here's are a couple 3 shot groups with barrel cleaning and sight adjustment between groups.  The load was some old factory 168 Gr SMK ammo that has been floating around in my desk for 9 years or so (Black Hills Ammo samples I think).  She looks promising and the next session we'll try some 175 gr bullets.

 And here is the launch platform.

Todd, it looks like it, "could work", but, yer a tad short and killin' power, laddy! ;) Seriously, as I recall, amazingly, a couple of seasons back, you DID manage to kill a very nice buck using your .308 . . . I'm still trying to understand how THAT worked!  BIG MIKE was supposed to have conducted a FULL INVESTIGATION of your debacle, but seems to have died - again, or, has been hiding out at THE RANCH, hanging around Bill Spivens, and trying to pattern a BIG muley buck . . . and hoping that I'll 'loan' HIM a rifle . . . ;)

I gave the BIG BOOMER (.257 IdiotMag) to my son-in-law, Matt. Now, that one boast serious velocity - it runs the 110 Gr. BTs over the old Oehlers at an honest 3540 FPS! Hopefully, he'll be letting the air out of both a pronghorn and a mule deer buck . . . out to a LONG way off, it's , "no hold-over required" ! ;)Just a few weeks away now . . . RG

Very Nice Todd!

Thanks for shar'in the pictures. Good Luck this hunting season and remember to take a camera!...;>) ......Randy, what case is the .257 I.M. based on?  110's @ 3540!....man that has GOT to be as you said: "no hold-over required"..:>)

-H 

 Randy, Don't worry...Big Mike showed up last night about 0230 at my door step.  I greeted him and invited him inside for a hot brandy and big piece of lasagna.  He'd been traveling hard and his clothes were shredded from staying away from the roads and going "as the crow flies".  As usual his conversation was brief, punctuated with a few grunts between mouthfuls of steaming pasta.  One thing I did note was he kept repeating "need to find Bill, need to get to ranch..big Muleys".  After outfitting him with some new clothes and splashing some "doe in heat urine" on his head...he was off at good pace heading west!  Good travels my friend!!!

 Your right Randy, a puny 308 will never kill a deer...as a result I'm stepping things up....results to follow!  Big Mike approved of my venture and left with one of my reloads grasped in his scar/blood covered hand.

"Your right Randy, a puny 308 will never kill a deer" .... Man-o-Man, I guess a guy shooting a .30BR  does not stand a chance! ;>)  ....Now,within reason, I have found to be correct what a "wise old man" told me..."son, it aint WHAT you shoot 'em with...it's where Ya place the bullet".. or arrow..:>)...

"as a result I'm stepping things up....results to follow!" ....Can't wait to see what 'cha got going on Todd!....and still wondering about Randy's .257 IM..:>) ...AND being this is a "hunting" thread I'll have to add a pic for Ya.....#2  w/ the old Bear Kodiak Hunter..:>)....

"Good travels my friend!!!...".......Amen Todd.....and a "safe and fruitful hunt to Y'all!!

-H

Randy,....check out those flecthings now...more like it should be... don't ya think?..:>)

GREAT comments, Hope! :) And I can't wait to hear the 'rest of the story' regarding your latest stick-bow adventure . . . it appears that you have the 'shot-placement' thing pretty well figured out! ;) Yer makin' me jealous.

The .257 I-Mag is simply a necked-down WSM case  - it's every bit of what a .257 Weatherby does . . . although, it burns up healthy doses of Win. Supreme 780 do get there. At our last chronograph session, Mike's Oehler (35P) verified the results of my old Mod. 33 - Mr. Bigelow's chrono produced average readings of 3533 and 3528 (the Ps - have two "off" screens, thus the P, for proof). As calculated at JBM Ballistics, the 110 Gr. BT, at 3500 FPS, has a G1 BC of .611 - in the real world, probably more like .59 . . . still, not too shabby! ;) RG

Thanks Randy for the "info" on the .257 I-Mag...no wonder you were talk'in about a "point-n-shoot",laser flat, killer cartridge....got to love those "quarter bores"..:>)

Now, the "deer hunt'in story"....well there ain't really no "story" to it.As I have always said: "The Lord blessed me with my good health,the fact I live in "deer country", my ability (which I have to work hard at!) and a wife that understands my desire to hunt...:>)....This time I was in the "right place" at the "right time" and I was able to "execute" the shot..BUT what makes this a "story" is that I had already used my "one" buck tag allowed in Kentucky and the FIRST deer that I saw of this evenings hunt, and I may add came within 15 yards of me!, was a VERY nice 10 point that I estimated had about 150" of bone on his "nogg'in"....Man!...I knew it would/could happen....and it did!... I always knew that with a "used" buck tag in yer pocket a person is a "buck magnet"!!!..:>)

Randy, I cannot describe the "fun" I am hav'in with this old "refurbished" recurve.....My Pal Joe asked me today if I was going to "pack" the recuve with me on our annual Fort Knox "drawn" hunt and I replied YES!...that 'Ol bow has got the " GOOD MOJO" on it...and add those "natrual barred" feathers "ground and chopped" from turkey that Ruth or I harvested and I don't think it can miss!..:>)

-H

Randy, notice those "different" fletch'in....;>)

Hope, yes, I did notice the REAL fletch . . but, go so wound up tryin' to keep Todd under control, that I plumb forgot to make mention of the IMPROVED appearance! ;) Very Nice! RG

 Hey Hope,

 A puny 30BR will never slay a deer, what the heck are you thinking...EVERYONE knows it will bounce right off a 12 pound fawn and cause mama doe to kick the snot out of you ;)!!  You are correct my friend, it is all in the placement..something allot of people forget.  I always consider my Dad to be one of the greatest shotgun/rifle shots I've ever seen, his caliber of choice, a 7x57 in a 98 mauser (12 bucks a gun at K-Mart in the late 60's) that he sporterized himself or his ever present 30-30 lever action.  He never failed to put a deer "on the pole" every season and laughed at the new fangled "super magnums".  My SGR built 308 has been with me now 6 yrs and will continue to be my favorite deer rifle.

 Great picture of your latest harvest with your recurve...I can just about taste those steaks, yum yum!!

GREAT memories Todd!,

"I always consider my Dad to be one of the greatest shotgun/rifle shots I've ever seen, his caliber of choice, a 7x57 in a 98 mauser (12 bucks a gun at K-Mart in the late 60's) that he sporterized himself" .... I remember and enjoy the mention of your Dad's "$12 Mauser 98"....remembering the story of this rifle in a previous exchange with you or Al on this forum as well as your father's ability.....I really enjoyed hearing about that combination....those are GREAT memories...:>)

"A puny 30BR will never slay a deer, what the heck are you thinking...EVERYONE knows it will bounce right off a 12 pound fawn and cause mama doe to kick the snot out of you ;)!!" Dang, I hope nobody tells these Kentucky Whitetail that bit of "info"....they presently seem to "tip over" to the SGR built.30BR and while only on the "proving ground" for the first time last season, I think it will serve well this coming one also..:>) ...

 "cause mama doe to kick the snot out of you" I can remember that happening to me a time or two in the past (not delivered by "mama doe!) and can recall it was not a good experience....I must be more careful...;>) 

-H 

 Hey Hope,

 All kidding aside I think the 30BR would be a sweet Whitetail round..keep us posted!!  Great picture too!!

When one thinks of all the deer that have killed with the 38-40, 44-40, 32-20 etc, etc, one wonders how any of us can imagine any of the CF cases we have today would be too small to kill deer. My Paternal Gran ran a "Sporting Camp' for deer hunting during the late 30's and all the 40's and all he ever used was a 92 model 44-40. My dad, who guided for him said he seldom lost one and shot most of the deer that the "Sports" took home with them. Buckhorn sights and had a great wad of Bulldog tape on the grip because the stock was broken. He took the loading gated door off so that he could quickly unload it. The rifle has been refurbished and still exists in the family.

Pete, Hope ans Todd, good posts! :) I almost hate to admit it, but, each fall, my pal, Joe, seems to kill his game with aplomb:as he states, "ya see RG my deer is just as dead as yers" . . . so, I kick the crtiiter and damned, if it just doesn't lay there - How do I argue with THAT! ;)

Now, Hope, ya'd better file some points on yer bullets - we don't want any bounce-back injuries from that 30BR! ;) RG