I haven’t hunted deer around home for the last five years. I’ve been going out west to hunt elk. All my local deer stuff had become scattered and all the hunting rifles I had kept up with were more suitable for Montana not South Georgia. Last weekend was the first time I’d hunted deer in five years and I realized my 6.5 SAUM was way too long for here. I have a close to ideal 7-08 but it hadn’t been shot in years and the scope had been off and put back on so wasn’t sighted and the reticle was ever so slightly canted. I got home Sunday night late and looked at what I had. No ammo built and only three 140 Berger VLD’s. Digging around I found a box of 140 Nosler BT’s , a tray of 47 cleaned brass , and a sealed bottle of H4350. Monday was a long day at work but after some searching without luck for that combo load data I just guessed using my long experience with H4350 and different 140gr bullets on a load of 48gr and 2.30” to the ogive. Missed the length with the seater so made them all 2.266” . Built five for safety testing and getting the rifle close after fixing the scope mounting. Ran out to my friends house where I shoot after work and caught the last light. The loads were pretty mild judging by the primers. I ran home and built the rest because I was going back hunting today. The rifle is a factory Remington and has always been an 1” to 1.5” at a 100yrds rifle. A really long shot is 250 yards where I hunt and most are 70-100 yards so it wasn’t a big deal. Anyway , I went out to finish sighting in this morning and boy did I get lucky ! Got the scope on at 1.5” high at 92 yards (friends odd yardage range ). Then shot a three shot group and it’s one big hole ! Next went to the 225 yard target and shot three. I walk down to see since my spotting scope is loaned out for a western hunt and what do I find ? The shots in a cloverleaf straddling the centerline. I walk back and get a tape measure and it’s @ 7/8th inch outside edge to outside edge ! That’s ridiculously better than the rifle has ever shot ! I let the rifle cool to cold bore while I loaded up my friend’s golf cart and some supplies. Go back to the rifle and send one more. It’s dead center of the group ! I’ve struggled for years to make this rifle shoot and in a bind for time I throw together a guess load and it spits out a .388 MOA 4 shot group at 225 yards ! I doubt it will hold that accuracy when I shoot it a little more but that’s by far the best group it has ever shot. Sure is nice to get lucky ! As I wrote most of this I’m in my climber and there were four does feeding under me. It a good day
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