have you looked at getting a different barrel? they are super easy to swap and often can be picked up for 50 bucks or so.
but to answer your question, yes I have had good luck with the 85's
37 grains of varget.
Yeah remember when I talked to you about your 25-06 barrel
? This rifle started life as a 270 (that is to say it was made to be a donor
) then it was a 338-06 then I decided to sell that barrel as seed for
the rifle it is now . It was my intention to loan it to my boys as a first centerfire but it frustrates me! Fortunately only the action is bedded up to the lug & Northland Supply sells Stevens take-offs brand new for $85 so that is likely in its future, at least if Midway's shipment of SS Shaws doesn't come in first. Right now I just want to get it up and running for a friend's deer hunt this fall.
How's that for the unabridged version?
Matt- thanks for the offer on the 85 gr HPBT Sierras. I have several hundred & tested them from my 6-250 into water-filled laundry soap containers a month or so ago. Don't know how old they are (that is, if the design has changed) as I got em from a guy in the classifieds here, but dang... It stopped in the second jug and all that was left was lead dust and jacket shards! This was with a start velocity of approx 3300 fps & impact at 100 yds. I am sure my batch would work fine on quartering away shots (my preferred shot) on deer, but crazy frangible for shoulders or where penetration is necessary. Like I say I am loaning out the rifle so I am going to leave what I have left of them for yotes!
In that sense I'm like hunt4646 I guess; especially when I am not the one using the rifle and can't coach the shooter on proper placement.
I am glad to hear the Speer 85 gr BTSP is ok on deer. I had a lb of RL17 around from back when it was the latest thing. It didn't do anything better than other powders in any of my rifles till now. I don't know if I'll get to chrono or jug test em and don't want to set up a friend who is new to hunting for failure & sour him forever!
Thanks again all!