Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles .308 Copper Raptor 135 gr.

This morning I shot the 135 gr. Copper Raptor in my .308 Kimber Classic with 23" Broughton 5C barrel.

The best group (three shots) was .322" at a hundred over 47 gr. Varget, clocked at 2,910 fps with 17 ES and 9.6 SD.

That load may have promise this fall on WT's and hogs.

DF

Gun now wears a 3-9x50 Conquest.

Still wondering if anyone has killed WT's or hogs with a Raptor.

DF

No experience with them but interested in what your results will be this fall.

I believe the above load with the bullets would work fine on for you this fall on deer/hogs.

I know for the price of a box of those I would be looking for a different bullet in short order regardless of the results.

I know they're expensive, but for hunting, I won't use that many.

IIRC, JB wrote about small bore Raptors on Pronghorns. They did the job.

Gunner, who gave me the .257R TTSX load, said he didn't have much use for fragmenting bullets, especially for bigger critters. That makes sense, but one never knows until they're tried.

Here's that .257R link.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10327688/Re:_257_Roberts_project#Post10327688

DF

Thanks. I will have to read up on that thread.

Here are a couple of photos of the Kimber/Broughton with Conquest 3-9x50. I'm not much on 50mm scopes, but ended up with this one and put it on the Kimber. It works pretty well.

DF

That's a great rig! I wouldn't mind putting a Bartlein 2B on one and giving it a whirl!! I had a montana for a short time but it was too light for my taste. I think a woodstocked version with a slightly heavier barrel would be awesome?

That's exactly what you see here. The 23" Broughton is slightly heavier than the factory tube, improving balance and handling.

I replaced the OEM barrel because it would only shoot 1 1/2"; barrel had issues I could see thru the Hawkeye and could feel with a tight cleaning patch. There was a constriction 2" from the muzzle.

Discussions with Kimber went no where; they said 1 1/2" was w/i their specs. Well, not mine, especially with a .308. I had traded for this gun and was in it such that even with the new barrel, I'm not underwater regarding value. It's pillared and of course, I glassed, free floated and torqued it.

This gun shoots 1/2" regularly, occasionally even tighter.

DF

Very nice! How much does it weigh now?

7 pounds 9 oz.

Balances at the front action screw.

With Talley LW's and a smaller scope I could trim several ounces, maybe close to 7 pounds.

But, it dosn't feel heavy, handles like a lighter gun and I'm starting to like this scope.

DF

Nicely done. I need to get one put together myself!

My gunsmith complained about the job, said it was harder than usual, took a lot of on and off fitting to get the extractor slot right. You may want to check with your smith and make sure he's on board with a Kimber.

I'm not a smith, never fitted or chambered a barrel. To me, I don't see how a Kimber would be technically harder to fit a barrel than a Mauser or other CRF action with extractor slot.

DF

If you can afford it, getting what you want the way you want it is always worth it - regardless of perceived market value.

Nice rifle!

David

Thanks,

I would think, looking back, one needs to find a Mauser gunsmith for this project. So many smiths are familiar with 700's and clones, fitting a CRF extractor and making that cut is a skill set all it's own.

DF

DF - Mausers (at least the 98 large ring that most sporterize) don't use an extractor cut in the barrel. Fitting is very easy.

Thanks for that info.

I'm not sure what the technical problem was with that action; I was speculating. He did mention it took a lot more time getting it fitted. He did a great job and it really shoots.

Bottom line, I'd check with the smith to make sure he was OK with this action.

DF

Good to know DF, I will need to find a competent one. I don't have a local smith anymore, part of the reason I don't have a Kimber? I will do some checking. Thanks.

I shot a few more Copper Raptor 135 gr. loads with 47 gr. Varget this morning. I could not reproduce the .3+" group, but shot several pretty tight, sub inch.

I will try this bullet on WT's this Fall.

DF

That's disappointing not able to replicate the previous groups, but still more than good!

Look forward to the results. Hopefully you will get to test them on hogs?

Yep, if I see a hog and he gives me a second or two, we'll see what a Raptor will do to him. I will kill a number of does this Fall. A good friend has a thousand acre high fence and need to cull a bunch of does. He has another thousand out side along the Red River with a couple miles of levee. More hogs out than in, they love to root along the levee. We've worked over the inside hogs, outside ones come and go.

It's hard to shoot a super three shot group and conclude that's gonna happen over and over. That why JB and others talk about 5 shot groups and some even go 10 shots for a better idea of what a gun will do. This combo is a solid sub inch, probably closer to half inch. The gun is pretty light and bench technique is more critical than with a heavy bench gun. And, I'm shooting off a tailgate, not a real bench. The bench is actually more comfortable and would be better for consistency. The tailgate is a lot easier to set up and gets the job done.

DF