Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting Pictures of Tom Sarver at Thunder Valley Range in Ohio

Here are some pictures I took of Tom Sarver less than 24 hours after Tom set the new 1000 yard world record. Pictured are Tom and his .300 Hulk, the range, (600 yard, 1000 yard, and mile target. Note clay targets against the dark bank at the 600 yard targets. If you look real close you can see them at 1000 yards too. Picture is zoomed in too. rget.[img]http://i11.pho[IMG]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_1308-1.jpg[/img]tobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_0059.jpg[/IMG][img]http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a173/rafter01/_MG_1324.jpg[/img][IMG]

great pictures, what is the 300 HULK?

Guess Tom looks a little different from most of the fat old match shooters eh? Must be more time doing pushups and less time sitting at the computer...

Great shooting on his part by the way. I'm itching to learn more about his cartridge & rifle as well.

Regards, Guy

The Hulk is a .338 Lapua shortened and necked down to a .308 caliber. He shoots a 240 gr. Sierra bullet at around 2800 fps and above. He has shot some 210 gr. too. I shot his Hulk. At 17 pounds, it doesn't hammer you any more than a stiff 30-06 load. Tom is an X-Marine sniper. How fitting, eh! He's really a nice guy and always willing to help you out and answer any questions you may have. You'll notice the mile target. It is a 48" round steel plate, and two 4X8 sheets of plywood. He has a U. S. Optic scope, and using that $4500, 42 power scope, I could actually see the roofing nails in the board at the mile target. Tom rings the mile target with ease using his Hulk. The Hulk round is THE best thing going for 1000 yard long range shooting.
Tom can build you a Hulk if you'd like. Go to the Thunder Valley web site and get info on contacting him.

hunter01,
I would not go as far to say that the .300 Hulk is the best thing going in 1KBR. Any cartridge from 6mmBR on up to a .338 Wildcat can be competitive with the best equipment, loading techniques and a skilled shooter behind the trigger. I am not trying to take anything away from Tom. Tom is a great guy and can really shoot! He did his homework on his case design and is getting exceptional case life with this chambering. He used only the best components and the best 1000 yard Smith in the country (Leonard Baity, My opinion). But the hottest thing going in 1K, not hardly. At the 2007 1000 yard BR Nationals in Virginia, I know of two 6Dashers in the Top 10 Light Gun Group Standings w/ one in third place (Lori King). Lori was also 3rd in LG Overall w/ her Dasher.
Tom & his .300 Hulk @ the nationals:
LG Group 49th out of 114- 10.091" 6.123" 9.051" w/ 8.422" Agg.
LG Score 50th out of 114- 41 pts. 47 pts. 44 pts. w/ 44.0 Agg.
Overall 46th out of 114
Tom did well and I congratulate him on his shooting at the nationals and will again congratulate him on his record target.

ps. Tom's scope (in the picture you attached) is not a $4,500.00 US Optics. It is a Nightforce BR model either a 8x32x56mm or a 12x42x56mm. If its a 12x42 the average purchase price is $1,275.00 delivered & no you cannot see .30 Cal. bullet holes in a target at 1000 yards (3000') on the best of days. I personally shoot the Nightforce 12x42x56mm NXS Hybrid w/ DD reticle (Approx. $1,700.00 now) on my .300Ackley 1K Light Gun. The next one I buy will be the BR 12x42 for the 1/8 MOA Clicks.

Is the powder capacity of the 300 Hulk more or less than a 300 WSM?

StrayDog,
I don't know what the case capacity of the .300Hulk is, but it is considerably more than the .300WSM. On 6mmbr.com's blog it is stated Tom uses 85gr. H1000. http://www.6mmbr.com/6brBlog.html The Hulk is pushing 240gr. SMKs right at 3,000 fps. You can contact Tom and ask and he might tell you. He has been very secretive about the specs on this cartridge since he broke the record. As stated above it has became a buisness venture and I wish Tom the best of luck on that.

The scope on Tom's .300 Hulk IS a Nightforce. Correct, anyone can see that. Note: My post said: "Tom HAS a U.S. Optics scope." Didn't say his Hulk wore one, or that he used one to set his record. Tom has done a tremendous amount of good to the sport of 1000 yard shooting. As you said: He's a good guy and you congratulated him yes!!! But to point out negatives about how he did at the National shoot is like pointing out that Brett Favre threw an incomplete pass just after he set the all time TD record last week. Tom was in 1st place before the Nationals. He didn't do that by being a poor shooter, he did it by being a great shooter. Lots of other top shooters didn't do well at the Nationals either, but I'll take nothing away from any of them. I'll also not point out how bad they may of shot. That is bench rest shooting for you. Not everyone shoots great all the time. His groups have been getting smaller and smaller over the past years if you'll notice. And yes, the 6mm's and others can do good at 1000 yards too. The Hulk is a great round, and many others are having them made up for 1000 yard shooting. A friend of mine, who had never shot 1000 yard bench rest before, shot Tom's Hulk for the first time. He shot a 3"+ group at 1000 yards the first time he'd ever shot 1000 yards. He ordered a new Hulk the next day. Also, Tom would never make excuses for anything, but I know he tore a pectoral muscle two days before the National shoot. That would have to be tough shooting a Hulk with an injury like that. I won't argue with you as to what is the "best" 1000 yard round, as ask 25 people and you'll get 25 different answers. I do know the Hulk is as good as any others out there, in my opinion. And, yes, again, I did hear you congratulate Tom as a good guy and good shooter. I just thought it was a little uncalled for to be negative about a guy who just set a new world record at 1000 yard with all 5 shots in the X ring. That is a record that quite possibly may never be broken. But I never say never. Note: Included in this post is a picture of Tom's U.S. Optics scope I said he "had." And bullet holes at 1000 yards aren't very big, even 30 cal. but myself and 4 others DID see roofing nails in the 1 mile target, and that's a fact. I never said we could see bullet holes in the 1000 yard targets.