bruce moulds
AH legend
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2018
- Messages
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over the years I have tried many cartridges and rifles for different jobs.
in the end I became torn between the 30/06 and the 270 as a rifle for game from goats up to all deer but sambar deer.
the obvious compromise was a 280.
easy to shoot many shots in a row, with the trajectory of a 270 and a bit more of the whallop of a 30/06.
study showed that factory loads were loaded to relatively low pressure, so being a handloader had more advantage than just saving money and using a bullet of choice.
for smaller game up to fallow, the 140 gn nosler partition was chosen for its ability to blow the nose off like a varmint bullet with side on chest shots, while still being able to handle angled shots.
it proved to be less of a bullet than swift aframe, but for culling is a lot cheaper.
yesterday I was doing some brain work with the rangefinder trying to keep a picture of different distances for use in the field.
it is amazing how different terrain registers range differently in the mind.
in this instance I was looking across a valley previously unseen, guessing distances, and then ranging them to correct.
I was having a particularly hard time with the valley being clear and a pine forrest partly on the other side at the top.
my first range was 185 yds, and I thought it somewhat further.
then I looked at a shed around to the left thinking it to be 300, but it was 260.
need more practice, but when you go to flat land it is different again.
just have to do it as much as possible.
then it came to me just how good that 280 load is at right on 3000 fps.
it is zeroed 2.5" high at 100, going 3" high at 150, dead in about 250, and roughly 4" low at 300.
it was close to dead on at the shed, a little high at the 1st range, and 50 yds past the shed (what I would call a really long shot) just aim up a little bit.
this trajectory is adequate for a 9" deep chested animal with margin for error.
in that valley, just aim dead on and forget the range.
for donkeys and bigger a 160 gn bullet is better at 2800 fps.
wont shoot as flat as the 140, but you can hedge it a little by sighting 3" high at 100.
still flat shooting enough.
the rifle was a dream rifle, put together on a Dakota 76 action with a shilen no3 profile barrel by a benchrest gunsmith.
it is now on its second barrel.
I remember killing the first one with a swansong of 120 rounds straight when culling goats.
it has a jewell trigger bought before 9/11 direct from arnie jewell himself, and is bedded in a brown precision stock , made when pete brown was still alive.
scope is a 2.5 - 8 leupold which is mounted as low as possible.
this rifle never changes zero, even if not used for a couple of years.
I have recently been asked to cull some fallow, and it was just like meeting an old friend using it again.
bruce.
in the end I became torn between the 30/06 and the 270 as a rifle for game from goats up to all deer but sambar deer.
the obvious compromise was a 280.
easy to shoot many shots in a row, with the trajectory of a 270 and a bit more of the whallop of a 30/06.
study showed that factory loads were loaded to relatively low pressure, so being a handloader had more advantage than just saving money and using a bullet of choice.
for smaller game up to fallow, the 140 gn nosler partition was chosen for its ability to blow the nose off like a varmint bullet with side on chest shots, while still being able to handle angled shots.
it proved to be less of a bullet than swift aframe, but for culling is a lot cheaper.
yesterday I was doing some brain work with the rangefinder trying to keep a picture of different distances for use in the field.
it is amazing how different terrain registers range differently in the mind.
in this instance I was looking across a valley previously unseen, guessing distances, and then ranging them to correct.
I was having a particularly hard time with the valley being clear and a pine forrest partly on the other side at the top.
my first range was 185 yds, and I thought it somewhat further.
then I looked at a shed around to the left thinking it to be 300, but it was 260.
need more practice, but when you go to flat land it is different again.
just have to do it as much as possible.
then it came to me just how good that 280 load is at right on 3000 fps.
it is zeroed 2.5" high at 100, going 3" high at 150, dead in about 250, and roughly 4" low at 300.
it was close to dead on at the shed, a little high at the 1st range, and 50 yds past the shed (what I would call a really long shot) just aim up a little bit.
this trajectory is adequate for a 9" deep chested animal with margin for error.
in that valley, just aim dead on and forget the range.
for donkeys and bigger a 160 gn bullet is better at 2800 fps.
wont shoot as flat as the 140, but you can hedge it a little by sighting 3" high at 100.
still flat shooting enough.
the rifle was a dream rifle, put together on a Dakota 76 action with a shilen no3 profile barrel by a benchrest gunsmith.
it is now on its second barrel.
I remember killing the first one with a swansong of 120 rounds straight when culling goats.
it has a jewell trigger bought before 9/11 direct from arnie jewell himself, and is bedded in a brown precision stock , made when pete brown was still alive.
scope is a 2.5 - 8 leupold which is mounted as low as possible.
this rifle never changes zero, even if not used for a couple of years.
I have recently been asked to cull some fallow, and it was just like meeting an old friend using it again.
bruce.
