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

So far, here are a few loads and rifles that most likely will get a chance this coming deer season:

Pac Nor barreled Ruger 77 MK/II, McMillan stock
280 Remington
Nolser 140 Accubond
55.7 H-4350 (Max load)
2900+ FPS
Excellent accuracy, no pressure signs
Better accuracy, though not quite as fast as RL-19

Pac Nor barreled Ruger 77 MK/II, McMillan stock
7mm-08
Nosler 140 Accubond
43.5 Varget
2830 FPS
Excellent accuracy, no pressure signs
To be honest, based on my experience at the bench, long actions aren't necessary for most deer hunting situations.

Tikka T3X stainless
270 Winchester
Barnes 130 TSX
58.0 RL-22 (Max load)
3100 FPs
I may reduce this load to 57.5 or so after the season.
If I could only have one factory rifle, make mine a Tikka. I love them!

Tikka T3
6.5x55
Nosler 130 Accubond
44.5 H-4350 (very mild load, will likely work upward)
2650 FPS
Extremely accurate, but a little slow. Though not necessary, I may work with the Swede a little more before the season.

You’ve been busy! I need to go “knock the dust off” of a box of cartridges.....and check my zero! memtb

Why 2 custom Rugers in 2 very similar chamberings? Certainly nothing wrong with that, just curious. Great gun lineup, by the way.

I have 8 or 9 I’ve bought new scopes for. I need to take a day off, go to lease, spend the day shooting. I need to load some 300 Weatherby’s

I know they're not the most glamorous or popular, but for me, I just love the features of the older Ruger 77 MK/IIs. I have several in various short and long actions. Most are in McMillan stocks (love those as well).

Today, if I buy a rifle, I buy a Tikka T3X since the Ruger MK/IIs are no longer made. The ones I've owned or shot have been excellent!

Like I said, not a lot of difference in the short action 7mm-08 versus the long action 280. Just something a little different for me to "justify" another rifle. LOL

Truth be told, I also have a Kreiger barreled Ruger, also in 280 Remington. It has a 24" #4 contour barrel and is in an H.S. Precision stock. I've never shot this particular rifle, but I may do so soon. I do have a couple other brands....Winchester (70s), Remington (700), LaRue, White Oak Armory (SPRs), Smith & Wesson (SPORT II MAGPUL/MOE)

How many deer are you planning on killing?



P

Between chasing muley bucks, I will be busy culling whitetail does....my buddy gave me 30 tags (Hunters for the Hungry will be very happy).

McWhorter 7-08
140 AB
41.5 Varget
2820 fps

120 ballistic tip
45g Varget
3000 fps

120 ballistic tip
42g RL 15
2800 fps

Tikka T3X 6.5 CM

139 Scenar
43.5 RL 17
2760 fps

130 AB
42.3 H4350
2804 fps

I just loaded 50 for the 300 win mag. WW brass, CCI250, 71gr H4350, 180gr Speer Hotcore. And 50 for the 308, LC brass, Fed210, 42.5gr of IMR4064, 180gr Speer Hotcore. Bought 500 of the Speer 180's So they will get some use for a few years. Gives me plenty for practice and hunting.

.270 160NP over 56gr W780

.308. 165 NAB over 42gr RL15

.243 100SPH over 45gr RL 26

6 CM ??? maybe factory(!)

Hopefully, 8. Which is my average each year hunting two states.

I have a large family and we use the venison more than beef for hamburgers, chili, tacos, spaghetti and more.

6.5 creed
139 Scenar - 2850 FPS
43.5 H4350
CCI BR2 Primer
Norma Brass

Deer Elk Antelope Bear...

Backup Rifle
300 RUM
180 Nos Accubond - 3250 FPS
90.0 Retumbo
Fed 215
Norma Brass

Probably wont even come out of the case...lol

Sako A7-S ST Stock Fluted Barrel Courtesy of Sako76. Only ever seen 1 other one like it.
.300wsm
150 TTSX
60gr RL-15
Nosler Brass
3150fps
1/2 MOA @100yds

Tikka T3X Super Lite
7mm Rem Mag
140 TTSX
63.5gr 7828SSC
Nosler Brass
3000fps
1/2 MOA @100yds

Tikka T3 Lite
.270wsm
130gr GMX
58gr IMR-4350
Nosler Brass
3000fps
.80” @ 100yds
Haven’t shot an animal with this load yet.

110gr TTSX
57gr IMR-4350
Nosler Brass
Approx. 3300fps
5 shots same hole @ 100yds
Didn’t like the performance on game so looking for new loads for this gun

All rifles using WLRM primers

What did you see that you didn't like with the 110 TTSX out of the 270?

8x57is

200gr Hot Cor
53.1gr CFE223
Win LR primer
PRVI brass


Thinking about trying 180gr Nosler BT's and Reloader 17...

For my elk hunt this year:

Semi-custom pre-64 Model 70 .30-06

168-grain Berger Hunting VLD, 57.5 grains IMR 4451


Custom Interarms Mark X .338 Howell

185-grain TTSX, 56.0 grains RL-15


For deer:

Custom Mexican Mauser .257 AI

115-grain Partition, 46.0 grains H4831sc

Barret Fieldcraft 6.5X55
130 gr. Scirocco
45 gr. H4831
Rem. 9-1/2
I'm still working on this load with different powder/primer combos, but this is probably the load. Once I find the load that gets me under 1 MOA I'll stick with it.

Remington 700 CDL 7/08
140 gr. Accubond
Max charge Vargeet
CCI200
Very accurate combination

Winchester 70 Fwt. .257 Roberts
90 gr. Barnes X bullet
45.0 gr. IMR 4350
CCI 200
Super accurate combination but I need a new scope for this one

CZ 527 .223
55 gr. HP Hornady Steel case or
50 gr. Nosler BT handload
One hole gun when I do my part. My go to coon and mouflon rig

Bushmaster AR .223
70 grain Speer Gold Dot ammo
Shoots this ammo very well and I'm looking to test it out on some axis deer soon.

Blaser K95
.270WCF

140 Berger Classic
60.0 H4831SC
CCI BR2
2,985 fps

Excellent Accuracy!

Well leading up to the hunting season before last I had only ever lost 1 deer that I could confirm a hit on in the 19 previous years of deer hunting. That season I shot 7 deer and lost 2 of the 7. Of the other 5 they all ran upon the shot. 3 of those 5 I found absolutely zero blood between where they were shot and where they were found dead. 1 left a "decent" blood trail (good enough to follow without crawling on hands and knees to follow to the dead animal) and the other left a blood trail of small droplets about the size of pencil erasers for about 100yds until I found the animal. When cleaning the animals the chest cavities are full of blood and often the lungs were mush. After seeing what I saw by the end of the season I have to imagine the other 2 animals died as well but I just couldn't find them. After talking with my buddy (a much older gentleman who has been handloading for over 30 years) the only conclusion we could come up with is that maybe the petals are breaking off and only the shank of the bullet is passing through the animal leaving a smaller than pencil sized hole on both the entrance and exit sides therefore the animals are leaving little to no blood on the ground at all. That was the first and only year I shot those loads for hunting season. May try same exact load but change the projectile from TTSX to Accubond and see how that shoots.

Randall

Remington 700, Shilen barrel
264 Win
142 gr Nosler ABLR
62 gr R26
Winchester brass
3100fps, ES 11 fps
<.5 MOA at 100 yards