Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles This season's rifle loads....

.30-30 and .303 Savage: 190gr. flat nosed cast bullet, soft and splattery, 28gr. 3031.
.30-06: 165 Sierra BTHP, 47gr. Varget
.300 Savage: 150 Sierra spitzer, 38gr. 4064
.22 Savage High Power: 70gr. Sisk, 25gr. H-4895
.223: 50gr. TSX, 26.8gr. CFE-223

I'll make the final decision as to which to take as I'm getting dressed to go hunting that morning, but those are the main go-to deer shillelaghs.

I hunt Pennsylvania and Maryland thick woods, so no need for a long range super Creedmoor-like killer diller whiz bang here.

Next week the load will be:
Thompson Triumph
.50 cal
cast 273 gr .40 cal bullet inside a blue MMP sabot
91 gr (by weight) BH209

Ready to go:

9.32X62
Varget
250 Accubond

7X57 Mauser
Hunter
120 Ballistic Tip

6.5X55
H4350
125 Nosler Partition

8X57 Mauser
R15
170 Hornady Round Nose

.308
CFE 223
168 Ballistic Tip

Plan on using this year:

.308 didn't get used last year so it needs to be shot this year
7X57, new - needs to get bloodied
9.3X62, just too much fun to flatten hogs with this puppy.

Anyone have good recipes for 130gr bullets out of a 270wsm?? I’ve tried a few different loads but cant get any to shoot like my 110gr TTSX’s do. The gun is a Tikka T3 Stainless Synthetic. I’ve got AB’s, TTSX’S, E-tip’s and GMX’s i can try. And i currently have IMR4350, 7828SSC, RL-15, RL-17, RL-22 and IMR4831 i can try. I’m not opposed to trying different powders. I have got them to shoot the 130’s decent (.80-1.0”) with 58gr of IMR4350 but the muzzle velocity isn’t very impressive (2950-3000fps). I feel like i should be able to get 3250-3300fps from the 130’s. The 110gr TTSX’s will shoot one ragged whole at 100yds. Thanks in advance.

Randall

Often I use something odd, but this year it will be a .30-'06 bolt action with a 3-9x40 scope. That's about as ordinary as it gets.

The rifle is a push fed model 70 with the Tupperware stock. It has a VX-II with a #1 reticle. I bought it (lightly) used and have put 2405 rounds through it over the years. Two days ago I went to check the zero with this years hunting load: 150 gr. Sierra SBT/59.0 gr. IMR4350/LC69 cases/WLR primers at 2902 fps. The first three-shot group at 200 yards was 2", .4" low and .4" left. I shot a second three-shot group at 100 yds. that was 23/32" 1.5" high and 1" left. I called this good enough and didn't adjust anything. The wind was gusty about 10 to 20, so I didn't make any windage adjustment.

Deer: 45-70 Marlin. 300gr Nosler Ballistic Tip Seconds/Starline Brass/CCI200/48gr H4198 @ ~1800fps. (Iowa only allows straight-walled cartridges in rifles).
44Mag S&W 629 5". 245gr Cast(RCBS)/Win Brass/WLP/23gr W296 @~1250fps.
Antelope: 270 Win Kimber Montana. 140gr Nosler Accubond/Hornady Brass/CCI200/58.5gr H4831SC @ ~2950fps. Took a buck at 262 yards.
338 Fed Kimber 84M Classic. Federal Factory Loads with 185gr Barnes TSX @ ~2650fps. Took a doe at 71 yards.

6.5 saum 143 eld x @ 3076 60.5g h1000. Heading out the door to test this at 600.

223 ackley 69g tmk @ 3250 benchmark

243 win 95 vld @ 3180 H4350. Sako L579 with 26” brux 8 twist. Main rifle.

6-06 70g varmegeddon @ 3600 H380. Dinged a coyote at about 250 yards running this morning with this one.

6-06 70g ballistic tip @ 3900 H414

For this year:

120 gr. Ballistic Tip
48.0 gr. Big Game
CCI 250
3080 fps.
Groups 5 shots in .74”

Or

139 gr. Hornady Interlock SP
45.5 gr. Big Game
CCI 250
2875 fps.
Groups 5 shots in .82”

Both in a semi custom Remington 700 BDL 7mm-08 using Lapua brass. At least that is my plan for today. After all, I am a bit of a rifle loony......

I am going old school, Marlin 30-30 for the opener
Plain old Winchester 150's

Nice, I'm going to do it all this year with a very special old Marlin 35 Remington a man I consider to be a father figure for the last 30+ years gave me out of the blue the other day, it fires the 220 gr Speer hot-cors at 2175 fps via 42 grs leverloution powder, it wears a 1.5-5 Leupold in Weaver rings and bases, baring heavy rains, that'll be the rifle I'm packing in the woods.

Gee so far....

I've only been toting an ADL in 243, with a load of a 90 gr Sierra Gamechanger bullet, in front of 30 grains of IMR 4198.....a kid's load but it still will do the job on a blacktail....

but I've only seen does while out hunting and the neighbors will freak out, if I drop one of the 7 or 8 bucks that have been hanging out part of the day around the house...regardless of how rural it is around here..

Sounds like a good excuse for a suppressor!!

I may use a factory round this season. I got a good deal on some 308 Winchester ammo from Norma, loaded with their 165 grain Oryx bonded bullet. My baseline rifle is a Rem 700 LVSF in a McMillan 700 Classic stock. Leupold M8 6x42 on top.

All I have ready:

Shilen DGR /Criterion/Timney/Grayboe (Good vibes here!)
7mm Remington Magnum, Hornady brass and 180 ELD-M, 76.0 RL26, CCI250. Got dope to 535 so far.

Kimber Montana (finally functionally feeding).
6.5 Creedmoor, Hornady 140 BTSP American Gunner. Dope to 535.

Rem 700/Timney/Bansner
243 with Remington brass, IMR 4451, WLR, 95 Nosler Ballistic Tips. Doped too far.


Just for giggles. That Hornady 180 ELD-M load drifts something like 17" less in 10 mph at just 350 yards than the 95 BT load. Skookum!

North Carolina hunt was done using a 50 caliber TC Renegade pushing a round ball with 100 grs. of FFFG. I was pleased with the blood trail though it only lasted 20 feet.

Oklahoma will be the first time I take my TC Contender carbine out with a 30-30AI barrel on it, load will be 36.5 grains of AA2520 under a Speer 150 gr. Hotcor flat nose.

My 257 Roberts will be using 115 gr. Partitions powered by 46.5 grains of Reloder 22. This will be my main Texas hunting rifle this year.

Backup rifle will be my old custom Springfield 30-06 using 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips powdered with a very slow lot of WC852. Won't list charge but it's enough to get me 2700 fps.

Late season doe hunts will be done with either the Renegade listed or my 50 caliber TC Firehawk loaded with saboted 300 gr. .429 Nosler HP's on top of 80 grains of 3F.

Night hog hunting will be done mostly with an AR in 6.5 Grendel using 129 gr. Hornady Spire points powered by AR Comp.

Opening day, 11.15 X 60R in a German double rifle from the 1870's.

As the season progresses;

8 X 56 M/S in a 1908 Mannlicher/Schoenauer

6.5 X 54 M/S in a 1903

8 X 57 with .318 bore in a 98 Mauser from about 1919

9 X 57 in a Sauer & Sohn 98 Mauser, pre WWI

10.5 X 47R in a Jost & Diehl combination from the 1880's

What I've come to call a "9 X 30US" in an unmarked, non-nitro proofed drilling

9.3 X 75R Nimrod in a Thieme & Schlegelmilch drilling

Maybe my 8 X 58RD, Husky roller

No order to it other than opening day. My mind might get changed as the season progresses and I might go more days or less. Sorta depends on how cooperative the deer are.