2020 Deer Hunting Load

troy fairweather said:

Mine is 6.5prc, 140 Speer hotcor, 57.0 h-1000 2.850" hdy brass wlr primer fl sized to just close on easy bolt. Should be 2900 ish fps from my 24" m18 mauser . Sub 1/4 moa 3 shots.

Good luck nature boy.

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I almost went with the 6.5 prc when I bought my M18, but since I have a Bergara set up for long range work I stayed with the Creedmoor. Been working with the 130 gr Sierra Game Changer. It is pretty nasty on whitetails Stay off of the shoulder if you want a shoulder roast.

South Prairie Jim said:

Curious as to why such a heavy Bullet in a 30-30

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Unknowingly to many of the younger hunters, the 170 grain lead boolit was the original mainstay of the early 30-30 ammo-at least back in my day and in my neck of the woods. In later years as the woods hunting gave way to larger crop fields, the 150 jacketed gained a foothold as a flatter shooting cartridge.
Good Luck today even finding a box of 170 on a gun store shelf although the they are still being made.
I’ve always personally felt the 170 was the best choice for the 30-30 lever actions especially in the woods.
The extra 9 grains just came with that particular boolit design.
I like that particular design over many others because I can crimp in the crimp groove while staying out of the rifling.
Jmho

Thanks
Now I know
J

Hi, my name is ________, and I used factory ammo in deer season this year. I recently moved and although I loaded some ‘06 before we did, digging it out of storage was going to be more trouble than using the WW PP 150gr. But I did have a real nice load with Nosler 150 BTs.
We had a lucky opening day, my son got an 8pt with a 45-70 and I got a 9pt. I have a friend with a Christmas tree farm and will be helping him fill some nuisance permits. Good luck to everyone who’s going out.

Catpop said:

Unknowingly to many of the younger hunters, the 170 grain lead boolit was the original mainstay of the early 30-30 ammo-at least back in my day and in my neck of the woods. In later years as the woods hunting gave way to larger crop fields, the 150 jacketed gained a foothold as a flatter shooting cartridge.
Good Luck today even finding a box of 170 on a gun store shelf although the they are still being made.
I’ve always personally felt the 170 was the best choice for the 30-30 lever actions especially in the woods.
The extra 9 grains just came with that particular boolit design.
I like that particular design over many others because I can crimp in the crimp groove while staying out of the rifling.
Jmho

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Well done! I’ve just started casting for rifles and I’ve started with the 30-30. Casting the lee 170gn flat point and it ends up about 177.5 which my alloy when lubed and gas checked. I’m hoping to hunt with this load next year. Currently have a number of different loading s to test using h335, unique and 2400. High hopes. Good luck out there.

My load this year is a 100gn Montec stainless G5 broadhead. I should have gotten a rifle tag..... I’d be eating venison right now. Instead I’m just bumping deer with a pointy stick in my hand.

Catpop said:

Unknowingly to many of the younger hunters, the 170 grain lead boolit was the original mainstay of the early 30-30 ammo-at least back in my day and in my neck of the woods.

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We may be in the same woods.

Nature Boy said:

I’ll be in the woods next week so I did my annual hunting load work up.

This time I’m going with the 165 SGK and VV N140, .308 win.

View attachment 958817

Results were great. Load is 44.0g N140, Nosler brass, Fed 210 primers, 2.810” OAL, 2,725 fps

View attachment 958818

Now I just need a good one to step out in front of me

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Yeah that should be plenty good!
Nice one!

Nice

@Nature Boy
Nice Buck ‘

We should have had a virtual big buck contest on THR. Nice buck @Nature Boy , BTW.

Nature Boy said:

This time I’m going with the 165 SGK and VV N140, .308 win.

Results were great. Load is 44.0g N140, Nosler brass, Fed 210 primers, 2.810” OAL, 2,725 fps

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Thanks for posting your hunting load work-ups.
For your results, what barrel length and temperature?

My cheap 6.5 prc load payed off this morning, for a little 6 point. First deer I've seen all season.

630 yards. Hornady BTHP 140 gr. 6.5 creedmoor. H4350.

Creedmoor for Elk hunting ?

Y'all stop talking Crazy !!

Yes, pass through heart shot.
Neighbor got one too with a 6.5 creedmoor.

Nature Boy said:

20” Proof carbon barrel.

If you’re asking about temp during load testing it was in the 50s. If you’re talking about the morning I shot the deer it was in the high 20s

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@Nature Boy, what a great buck, and that's one of my favorite rifles on this forum, custom or production! I've never handloaded any Sierra GameKings but I did shoot two 10-shot groups of Buffalo Cartridge Company ammunition loaded with the 140gr GK. I used my AWM with the 6.5 CM barrel screwed on and that bullet does shoot well with 10 shots going into .647 and .762 moa. Each group had one outlier which doubled the group size.

My .308 Win hunting load is the 175gr LRX from Barnes, pushed along at a little over 2,600 fps with Varget.

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-load-from-buffalo-cartridge-company.827352/

Nature Boy said:

Thank you sir. Short Action Customs really brought out the best in this FN SPR. Well balanced, a very slick action and easy to find an accurate load. It's a pleasure to shoot. The only bullet I've not found a good load for was Sierra's new Gamechanger, and I tried hard to find it. I admit, however, that my pursuit for accuracy in a hunting rifle is excessive.

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@Nature Boy, your pursuit for accuracy in all of your rifles is excessive ... and it's very much appreciated.

lordpaxman said:

View attachment 959339
We may be in the same woods.

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I've only ever used 170 grainers in my Marlin 336. I have upgraded from the green box Remington Core Lokt to Speer Deep Curls. Below is a one shot cold bore round before hunting season.
2020-12-14_12-57-45 by poofy27, on Flickr
2020-12-14_12-18-22 by poofy27, on Flickr

I did get a doe in Pa's 3 day "old man and young kids " rifle doe season.
I used a parts gun. A National Ordnance 1903A3.
Here is also a one shot cold bore round before that hunt.
2020-12-14_12-34-01 by poofy27, on Flickr

I also load for my Remington 760 pump in 30.06
2020-12-14_12-17-58 by poofy27, on Flickr

I also managed to shoot a cow elk with my gun bash win Savage 111 FNS in .300 winmag.

2020-12-14_12-17-45 by poofy27, on Flickr

I used to shoot a Rem 760 in 30-06 back in the 80s. Great combination that 30-06 and pump Remington! A lot deer hated it!
I can’t remember load I was using then with a150 grain but powder was IMR 4350.

I sold it when I got my 300 HH Remington 721. I was using IMR 4350 there also but with 180 grain.

Target I shot yesterday with factory ammo at 100 yards with my Marlin 336 to check scope. The 150 is Remington and the 170 is Federal.
I was working on my 177 boolit load with 15 grains of 2400 but wasn’t having much luck there. It seems I’ve still got a bunch of work left on that combination before I’m finished

For years I tried working up a 150 gr load for my 760 pump using IMR4350. Best I ever got was 1 1/4" by downloading to 57.5 grains ( max was 59.0).
This year, a guy said to try 180 grain due to rifle having 1:10 twist. I went to Barnes 180 TTSX and Imr 4064. All is right with the world. Pics in my last post.

Tonight, in anticipation of the Pa. Game Commission eventually allowing semi auto rifles to hunt deer, I loaded some .308s for my PA10.
I'm using a Sierra tipped Gamechanger bullet 4680 over IMR4064 from 40.8gr through 42.3gr.

I should see tomorrow if any of those loads group decently enough.
More later.

Catpop said:

I used to shoot a Rem 760 in 30-06 back in the 80s. Great combination that 30-06 and pump Remington! A lot deer hated it!
I can’t remember load I was using then with a150 grain but powder was IMR 4350.

I sold it when I got my 300 HH Remington 721. I was using IMR 4350 there also but with 180 grain.

Target I shot yesterday with factory ammo at 100 yards with my Marlin 336 to check scope. The 150 is Remington and the 170 is Federal.
I was working on my 177 boolit load with 15 grains of 2400 but wasn’t having much luck there. It seems I’ve still got a bunch of work left on that combination before I’m finishedView attachment 962640

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.45 Raptor - 250 gr Hornady FTX, 47gr Hodgdon Lil'Gun.

Best target to-date, 5 rnds @ 200 yds:

Didn't get a chance to use it on a deer this season.

Nature Boy said:

The 165 SGK load got the job done this morning

View attachment 960513

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That's a beautiful buck!!!!