Texas Colt
Member
Well, I finally got to shoot some game with my Weatherby Vanguard Sporter that I bought last year. It has a beautiful walnut stock and is chambered for 308 Winchester. I mounted a Leupold VX-I 3-9x40 scope on it using one piece Weatherby mounts.
Last weekend I was invited to hunt for exotic does at a ranch in South Texas. Time to see what the gun could do.
I shoot my own reloads using match brass and 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets for a muzzle velocity of 2725 fps. The scope is set to shoot 1 inch high at 100 yards.
The first deer to drop was a beautiful axis doe. It was an instant kill with the bullet going straight through the heart. The shot was later measured at 215 yards (my longest hunting shot ever).
The next evening, at the very last minutes of daylight, a fallow doe came out of the mesquite brush about 180 yards away. She walked straight up the sendero. At about 165 yards, she turned her head and exposed the base of her neck. That was all I needed. The second Nosler went down range. Another perfect shot and instant kill. I was dark enough that when I looked up over the scope, I could not see the deer with the naked eye. The Leupold did a great job of gathering light so I could make the shot.
I say all this to praise the rifle and the scope. I couldn't have made those shots without the accuracy of the rifle or the clarity of the scope.
With a total investment of just over $700 for the whole package, I've got a very accurate rifle that has now earned it's keep and put some very good meat in the freezer. I look forward to more adventures with this rifle.
Last weekend I was invited to hunt for exotic does at a ranch in South Texas. Time to see what the gun could do.
I shoot my own reloads using match brass and 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets for a muzzle velocity of 2725 fps. The scope is set to shoot 1 inch high at 100 yards.
The first deer to drop was a beautiful axis doe. It was an instant kill with the bullet going straight through the heart. The shot was later measured at 215 yards (my longest hunting shot ever).
The next evening, at the very last minutes of daylight, a fallow doe came out of the mesquite brush about 180 yards away. She walked straight up the sendero. At about 165 yards, she turned her head and exposed the base of her neck. That was all I needed. The second Nosler went down range. Another perfect shot and instant kill. I was dark enough that when I looked up over the scope, I could not see the deer with the naked eye. The Leupold did a great job of gathering light so I could make the shot.
I say all this to praise the rifle and the scope. I couldn't have made those shots without the accuracy of the rifle or the clarity of the scope.
With a total investment of just over $700 for the whole package, I've got a very accurate rifle that has now earned it's keep and put some very good meat in the freezer. I look forward to more adventures with this rifle.
