Federal Premium Vital-Shok Trophy Copper ammunition .... outstanding!

[MCMXI]

Deer & Elk season starts up here in MT this coming Saturday and due to poor planning and some bad luck on my part I don't have my favorite hunting rifle available this weekend (Kimber Talkeetna in .375 H&H). Since we can now use suppressors for big game hunting up here I decided to try some factory loads in my AI AW chambered for .308 Win. I shot a 5-round group at 100 yards using Black Hills 155gr A-MAX ammuniton and the accuracy was outstanding. The scope is zeroed at 100 yards for 165 to 168gr ammunition so the group was 5" higher than the POA.



I don't want to use an A-MAX bullet for hunting so I figured I'd try some Federal Premium Vital-Shok Trophy Copper 165gr which was also outstanding. I shot a 6-round group last week without cleaning after the Black Hills load and then shot this 5-round group last night in under a minute prone off a bipod and no rear bag (hunting scenario). The 6-round group last week was good but the first couple of shots opened the group up a bit. The target below indicates that the bore has settled down since I haven't cleaned the barrel for a while. I was very impressed with the accuracy of this factory load and the numbers from the chronograph show good quality control. Federal lists MV at 2,700 fps and the average of five rounds was just a few fps slower from my 26" barrel.



I recovered two bullets from the sand backstop and they look great. Weight retention was right at 99.4% with > 2X expansion.



Here's the rifle ...




When

 

[Corn-Picker]

Nice shooting, nice rifle, and the bullet expansion looks great too. I don't have anything I can shoot that accurately, which is OK because 150 yards is about the furthest shot I could imagine in my neck of the woods.

How much does that rig weigh, it looks beefy.

 

[bikemutt]

That's like minute of squirrel nose, nice shooting, nice rifle!

 

[Walkalong]

Great shooting. The bullets look they they will do the job.

 

[MCMXI]

Thanks guys, and with no false modesty let me say that this one of the easiest rifles to shoot well. It performs good to outstanding with just about every type of ammunition I've ever tried which is surprising for a 1:11.25 twist barrel. A number of others have shot it and had similar success, with more than a few stating that they've just shot their best group ever.

How much does that rig weigh, it looks beefy.

The rifle is around 15lb but it's no problem packing it with the excellent AI sling. It carries well since nothing digs in my back due to the offside attachment points for the sling.

 

[Orcon]

Ah yes, the .375 H&H... for all those Bob Marshall elephants and Kootenai River hippopotamus.



As an aside, those Trophy Coppers and Bonded Tips provide amazing accuracy.

 

[Walkalong]

for all those Bob Marshall elephants and Kootenai River hippopotamus.

You can never be too prepared.

 

[MCMXI]

Ah yes, the .375 H&H... for all those Bob Marshall elephants and Kootenai River hippopotamus.

Perhaps you need to educate yourself on the merits of the .375 H&H ... it's a great all-around cartridge that is suitable for whitetail, mule deer, elk and bigger. It's not the "overkill" beast that many of the less informed believe it to be.

 

[Orcon]

Perhaps you need to educate yourself on the merits of the .375 H&H ... it's a great all-around cartridge that is suitable for whitetail, mule deer, elk and bigger. It's not the "overkill" beast that many of the less informed believe it to be.

Sure, you could load it for deer but you can't deny its history as an African game cartridge. My comment was in good fun, I used a 450 marlin to bag a mulie a few years back. Did I need that big a round? Of course not. Did I do it anyway? You bet.

 

[MCMXI]

Sure, you could load it for deer but you can't deny its history as an African game cartridge.

That's the amazing thing about the .375 H&H ... you don't have to "load it" for different game. It'll drop just about anything without much in the way of meat damage. I used mine last year on a nice mule deer buck in Belt, MT and shot him through the heart at 203 yards. There was a small entry wound, small exit wound and no meat damage. This is typical of that cartridge.

 

[Orcon]

That's the amazing thing about the .375 H&H ... you don't have to "load it" for different game.

So the benefit is bore size, stout bullet construction and hitting like Mjolnir 300 yards?

 

[MCMXI]

So the benefit is bore size, stout bullet construction and hitting like Mjolnir 300 yards?

Yep, along with accuracy. But like I mentioned, with the right bullet such as a Barnes TTSX you can expect great results all around with a relatively flat shooting cartridge out to 500 yards.

 

[MCMXI]

I'll be using the AI rifle and Federal load above for mule and elk this coming long weekend so figured I'd check everything out this morning. It was 18°F at my house with no wind whatsoever. Considering that it'll probably be as cold in central Montana in a day or two it seemed like a good idea to check no wind zeros at 100 and 400 yards with the amazing Federal Trophy Copper load. I cleaned the barrel last night with foaming bore cleaner and ran a few patches through until they came out clean. I then shot three rounds at 100 yards with no suppressor attached and I was very pleased to see no cold/clean bore shift. I corrected my 100 yard zero then dialed in +2.1 mils of elevation and put two shots on a steel target at 400 yards with center of mass hits. All is good and this rifle never ceases to impress me. If a mule deer or cow elk wander out in front of me inside 400 yards they'd better be wearing Kevlar.

 

[200Apples]

.
Question about copper hollerpoint boolits:

Will they "slug up" to a slightly oversize bore? like a jacketed round nose, say, like in a .44 magnum Browning 92? or the infamous Marlin microgroove barrels?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[Nature Boy]

Nice shooting MCMXI, and dang you for making me look at that sweet rig of yours again.

One of my LGS has a used AI in .308 that looks like a cousin to yours and I want it.

 

[MCMXI]

Great shooting. The bullets look they they will do the job.

They did the job just fine this past Friday on a nice mule deer at 341 yards. The bullet passed right through with no meat damage and took a good sized chunk out of the heart. Accurate and deadly!

 

[Walkalong]

Nice shooting.

 

[MCMXI]

Thanks Walkalong. I shoot out to 400 yards regularly with a number of rifles and these AI rifles make anyone look good ... seriously!

 

[Walkalong]

Good equipment is always a plus, but you still have to make the shot.

 

[Frostbite]

Congratulations, nice shot!

 

[Gtscotty]

Very nice buck, congrats!

 

[Corn-Picker]

Your rifle is that accurate and you managed to blow up the second best piece of meat on the deer -- at least the liver is still in good shape.

That's a nice big bodied deer, congrats.

 

[MCMXI]

Thanks for the kind words.

Your rifle is that accurate and you managed to blow up the second best piece of meat on the deer -- at least the liver is still in good shape.

I don't really care for heart or liver so if you want them I can PM you the coordinates for the gut pile. The coyotes might have chewed on them a little but they should still be good. Seriously though, I should have saved some of the organs for my dogs ... next time for sure!