Velo Dog... Thanks. My rifle easily shoots MOA, that's not a concern. I tried 175 Corelokt bullets years ago and I had some of them keyhole through the target. I stepped back to 160s and have had no misses or terminal failures in the years since. I may try 175s again - maybe Swifts.
I can shoot this rifle very well, but have never shot from (or even seen) shooting sticks. I'll see if I can locate a pair and see how that goes. If I don't like them I'll just tell my PH. "Please don't give me anything more to think about while I am shooting!"
Bruce... that would be 160 gr. Nosler Partitions, I have used them for years.
Many thanks to all for your advice.
Hi again Mike,
Regarding your rifle keyholing / wobbling, maybe even tumbling those Remington 175 grain bullets, my best guess is that the rifling twist rate is too slow for heavy bullets.
This is pretty much unheard of in the 7mm magnum since the higher velocity would normally make up for a slightly slower than standard twist rate.
Furthermore, unless your barrel has been made with some custom, very much slower twist rate than factory standard (the Remington recommended standard, as they designed this cartridge), I’d guess some other internal rifling irregularity / damage / flaw is present.
However since yours shoots 160 grainers so well, I would bet a large pizza that there is no damage or flaw in there but that, the twist rate was probably made slow, specifically for light bullets.
Nonetheless, all is well with the remedy that you have already applied - using the 160 grainers instead.
The Nosler Partition is a very fine bullet for so called “plains game” IMO, as well as by reputation from other hunter’s accounts.
They can, like any lead core bullet, be driven fast enough to shatter against heavy bone, such as the shoulder or hip of eland, zebra, waterbuck, moose, bear and so forth.
One of my friends here in Alaska was finally cured of that famous and infamous American disease “Velocity Madness” when, he shot a moose at very close range, resulting in his light for caliber, fast moving bullet shattering against the brisket bones and failing to penetrate.
He was using a custom barreled Sako, .375 with a so called “improved” chamber and Nosler Partition, 260 grain, at about 3 trillion feet per second.
He eventually did catch up to the poor thing and finish it off but, lesson learned.
He soon sold the rifle and bought a .35 Whelen, that he has strictly dedicated for 250 grain bullets.
Anyway, the load you are already using for elk and such will likely work well enough in Namibia as it is.
But for the chance that you suddenly encounter a very stoutly built animal (zebra, etc) at close range, the A-Frame is much tougher than the Nosler.
You’re going to turn a double back flip when you see Africa.
Best regards,
Paul.
