Yea, the rifle was built many years ago around the 180 gr. Partition in Norma brass @ 2750 fps MV, depending on the particular lot of H4350.
It's taken many critters large and not so large.
It's a bad day when groups are larger than 3/4"... in those cases, more coffee is obviously called for...
Laser beam indeed! What are the specs on your rifle and who built it? (Extra credit for a picture) I suspect a case of OCD in a guy who keeps working up loads once the Partition shot that well.😁 I think I’d have just smiled and stopped right there. Good luck on your hunt. I’m also planning a Canadian moose hunt this year.
OCD? oh, yea, and with dash of anal-retentiveness thrown in for good measure.
Worked with a gunsmith who was an avid Africa hunter and high power across-the-course competitor. We started at the bullet. It had to be a bullet for everything and everywhere. 22+ years ago the easy button was the 180 grain Partition. Well known, and well understood. Then we went round and round over the pro's and con's of various cartridges and agreed on .30-06.
Then off I went to acquire a complete M70 donor action (whole 'nother story in itself) and handed it off to Rick. Then he declared we gotta settle on the brass for the rifle. I asked him why and initially all he would say was "it's important". So we go through them all and arrived at Norma. Now with a couple boxes of Partitions and brass Rick gets to work on the complete action.
It's barrel time. OMG. I'm going through rifle after rifle comparing balance vs weight vs contour. We're deep in the weeds comparing chamber reamer specs. We decide on the type of muzzle it will wear. Like MD has said here around the CF, 2700-ish is the sweet spot for the 180 gr. We decide to settle on 2750-ish, H4350, and a 24 inch barrel. Lilja, stainless. Fluted just for grins. Rick trusts Lilja.
We're wrapping up. Barreled action goes into a Bansner stock before it was called Bansner. Decelerator. Talleys. Gold Ring. 3lb trigger. All the metal is cerakoted OD green. Just a hair over 8lbs, but feels lighter in my hands. Rick does the initial load development and I tweak. -0.020 from the rifling and 57 grains H4350. 1/2 inch groups all day.
As I mentioned, it's been 22+ years since then, and the rifle and I have been to some interesting places. The stock has some wear if you know where to look, and it doesn't do 1/2 inch groups all day anymore, but it's doing just fine. Rick has retired (as much as any gunsmith ever retires) and if the rifle needs a good going over before a big trip Rick is always happy to oblige.
