Deep Wood Fun Gun / Load

[K22]

About two years ago I got a steal of a deal on a Tikka T3 hunter in 308. I couldn't resist the price and the beautiful wood stock. I needed another 308 like a need a hole in my head but I weakened and brought it anyway. What the hell, life is short and mine is getting shorter by the day at 70.

This is a light rifle, under 7 pounds and kick the s*** out this skinny old man's shoulder so I set about trying to develop a mild recoil / accurate load for fun shooting.

After trying several combos I settle on 40.0 grain of H4895 with a 125 Nosler BT and Federal 210 primers. This load shoots well under an inch (5 shots) at 100 yards and it is very mild. The Hornady 125 SST also gave good results but I settle on the Nosler. I'm happy.

I sight in for 100 yards figuring to use this as a deep woods deer / predator rifle where shots are relatively short. I need to justify buying a rifle I didn't really need.

Now it's time to field test. Two predator hunts at farms where I know there are coyotes yield nothing. I'm not happy. I have a couple of Maker's Mark after the hunts, I feel better.

The third visit I luck out. Let me say that I'm not expert predator hunter, far from it. I use an old Primo's electronic caller which only has a few calls. Anyway, after calling for about 10 minutes on my second stand I see movement about 75 yards to my right in some dense brush. Too dense to make out what's there so I wait but stop calling afraid I'll spoke the critter.

I see the critter poke it's head out. It's either a fox or coyote, this I know for sure. Another 5 to 10 minutes go by nothing happening and I'm trying to decide if I should try a head shot but reject the idea. The critter moves out a little further. Now I have a clear body shot. It's a yote, albeit as small one.

I slowly move the Tikka into position on the sticks and take aim behind the shoulder and squeeze off a round. The yote goes down immediately. The 125 Nosler BT is a big game bullet and it punches a neat hole through the yote without too much fur damage. It's small male about twenty five lbs. I'm happy and so is the farmer. I'm even happierthat night as I have another couple of Maker's Marks to celebrate my successful hunt.

 

[2506]

I shoot the 125 BT with 46 grs IMR 4895 in my 308 Win it does 3000 fps and it shoots bug holes and it drops deer DRT out to a little over 300 yards so far. I use this bullet in my 30x47 rifle at 2850 fps and it kills deer the same out to a touch over 200 yards so far. I use this bullet in my T/C Contender pistol with 14" barrel in 30-30AI and it averages 2670 fps and has SMOKED over 2 dozen deer out to 125 yards so far. I have never had a deer go more than three jumps when shot in the shoulders or entering or exiting a shoulder is the shots I use. Most drop in their tracks. Just keep the impact velocity under 3000 fps and it is a stone killer on deer.

 

[dolek]

About two years ago I got a steal of a deal on a Tikka T3 hunter in 308. I couldn't resist the price and the beautiful wood stock. I needed another 308 like a need a hole in my head but I weakened and brought it anyway. What the hell, life is short and mine is getting shorter by the day at 70.

This is a light rifle, under 7 pounds and kick the s*** out this skinny old man's shoulder so I set about trying to develop a mild recoil / accurate load for fun shooting.

After trying several combos I settle on 40.0 grain of H4895 with a 125 Nosler BT and Federal 210 primers. This load shoots well under an inch (5 shots) at 100 yards and it is very mild. The Hornady 125 SST also gave good results but I settle on the Nosler. I'm happy.

I sight in for 100 yards figuring to use this as a deep woods deer / predator rifle where shots are relatively short. I need to justify buying a rifle I didn't really need.

Now it's time to field test. Two predator hunts at farms where I know there are coyotes yield nothing. I'm not happy. I have a couple of Maker's Mark after the hunts, I feel better.

The third visit I luck out. Let me say that I'm not expert predator hunter, far from it. I use an old Primo's electronic caller which only has a few calls. Anyway, after calling for about 10 minutes on my second stand I see movement about 75 yards to my right in some dense brush. Too dense to make out what's there so I wait but stop calling afraid I'll spoke the critter.

I see the critter poke it's head out. It's either a fox or coyote, this I know for sure. Another 5 to 10 minutes go by nothing happening and I'm trying to decide if I should try a head shot but reject the idea. The critter moves out a little further. Now I have a clear body shot. It's a yote, albeit as small one.

I slowly move the Tikka into position on the sticks and take aim behind the shoulder and squeeze off a round. The yote goes down immediately. The 125 Nosler BT is a big game bullet and it punches a neat hole through the yote without too much fur damage. It's small male about twenty five lbs. I'm happy and so is the farmer. I'm even happierthat night as I have another couple of Maker's Marks to celebrate my successful hunt.

Great story,congrats on a successful hunt.

 

[snert]

The Makers Mark Rifle...I like it

 

[Beruisis]

That's a neat story K22. I'm a Knob Creek man myself but went a similar route. I wanted a short barreled woods rifle for East Tx & had a Ruger M77 tang safety Mannlicher style 308 in the safe. Despite some stock work it wouldn't hold zero from year to year. We have an excellent stock maker down here so I had him cut the stock down & put an ebony fore tip on it, free floated the barrel. So far so good. Hadn't hunted with it yet but it looks promising.
Happy Trails.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

K22, Thanks for sharing that load. I have some Speer 130 hp bullets that I was going to try with H4895. Was going to try a reduced load at 42.5 grains, but now I’ll try dropping it down to your 40 grain load for a startling point.

 

[ebb]

I have a mauser 30-06 with a 20 inchMontana rifleman barrel that I load 125 BTs in, I have been using 3031, but later did some research and found as you did H4895 is the ticket.

 

[Intheshop]

Good read K22.

My EDC rifle is a stainless,skinny brrl R700 in 7-08.Cast bullets only.Was carrying it last weekend when the landowner was eyeing it.He doesn't shoot a lot,but kills a deer or two.Handed him the 7,took a hold on the side of a big tree and put his first shot(cold bore,first shot of the day).....cut the dime sized sharpie mark I put on a pce of paper.75 yds.

Then I put the next three into a little over an inch group,offhand.The two cast rigs I carry are the above 7-08 and a X7 308.Easy on the wallet,easy on the shoulder,very quiet.Both are tack drivers in field conditions.The groups will hold together for 5 shots off the bench but,really come into focus once they hit the woods.The 7 carries a 1-4x20 Leupold,the 308 is a 3-9.

 

[Barlow]

K22, Great story, thanks for sharing. You sound like me as we are the same age with similar interests. I do a fair amount of coyote hunting (more hunting than killing) but enjoy the hell out of it. I snowshoed 2.5 mile on Friday in a fresh 6 inch coating of snow (it's knee deep) in new country looking for critters. My son in law gave himself a new Tikka Hunter in 308 for Christmas and it's a beautiful rifle. I've been tossing the idea of a Savage 16 Lightweight hunter around for awhile, because I have a lot of Lapua brass and a bunch of bullets I could use. Your story has convinced me to go for it. Thanks again. Barlow

 

[wholman]

What is a makers mark.

 

[maxscm]

What is a makers mark.

Ahhhhh Grasshopper
Kentucky Bourbon

 

[FryeGuy]

K22, thanks for sharing. I just acquired a finnlight in 308. Yikes. My regular accurate deer load shot great, but wow it thumps. I have started playing with loads using Sierra 135hp varminter bullets. Has anyone tried these yet? On deer at reduced loads???

 

[jds holler]

A friend of mine who was on his way out, brought me two 308 bolt guns, telling me to keep one and sell one and bring him the money. One was a Rem 788, and the other was a Western Field M780. I was gonna just keep the Remington, because we all know it's a great little rifle, but I decided to go shoot them both and see just what happened.

Well, the 788 shot a couple groups just under 2", and the Monkey Wards gun shot a couple just under an inch. This was with a box of factory ammo, and after shooting both I just liked the Western Field better. I know plenty of ya will call me crazy but --

It's now my wife's elk rifle, and a great addition to our hunting guns. 308 in a bolt gun is just what the doctor might order for almost anything. jd

 

[rebel]

Ahhhhh Grasshopper
Kentucky Bourbon

Fine Kentucky Bourbon

 

[wholman]

IM a beer guy did not no.
I may try some.

 

[CharlieNC]

Another good combo is 125 Sierra Pro Hunter + Scotch, damned near any brand will do. Worked well on hog hunt for me.

 

[Mark W]

Fine Kentucky Bourbon

Well, it’s not Woodford or Jefferson’s but it’s not bad either.

 

[CT10ring]

About two years ago I got a steal of a deal on a Tikka T3 hunter in 308. I couldn't resist the price and the beautiful wood stock. I needed another 308 like a need a hole in my head but I weakened and brought it anyway. What the hell, life is short and mine is getting shorter by the day at 70.

This is a light rifle, under 7 pounds and kick the s*** out this skinny old man's shoulder so I set about trying to develop a mild recoil / accurate load for fun shooting.

After trying several combos I settle on 40.0 grain of H4895 with a 125 Nosler BT and Federal 210 primers. This load shoots well under an inch (5 shots) at 100 yards and it is very mild. The Hornady 125 SST also gave good results but I settle on the Nosler. I'm happy.

I sight in for 100 yards figuring to use this as a deep woods deer / predator rifle where shots are relatively short. I need to justify buying a rifle I didn't really need.

Now it's time to field test. Two predator hunts at farms where I know there are coyotes yield nothing. I'm not happy. I have a couple of Maker's Mark after the hunts, I feel better.

The third visit I luck out. Let me say that I'm not expert predator hunter, far from it. I use an old Primo's electronic caller which only has a few calls. Anyway, after calling for about 10 minutes on my second stand I see movement about 75 yards to my right in some dense brush. Too dense to make out what's there so I wait but stop calling afraid I'll spoke the critter.

I see the critter poke it's head out. It's either a fox or coyote, this I know for sure. Another 5 to 10 minutes go by nothing happening and I'm trying to decide if I should try a head shot but reject the idea. The critter moves out a little further. Now I have a clear body shot. It's a yote, albeit as small one.

I slowly move the Tikka into position on the sticks and take aim behind the shoulder and squeeze off a round. The yote goes down immediately. The 125 Nosler BT is a big game bullet and it punches a neat hole through the yote without too much fur damage. It's small male about twenty five lbs. I'm happy and so is the farmer. I'm even happierthat night as I have another couple of Maker's Marks to celebrate my successful hunt.

I'd say you successfully justified your new .308. but you are preaching to the choir here enjoy the MM and thanks for your report.

 

[snert]

My kid likes to shoot groundhogs with the 308 and 110 grain HP Sierra. It tends to make a sloppy mess of a groundhog and she likes the 308, so I let her have at it. Not as accurate as the 222, but darn cool terminal effects.

 

[rebel]

Well, it’s not Woodford or Jefferson’s but it’s not bad either.

And they ain't 4 roses IMO. Of course, I can get the finest spring water made anywhere where I live - it's just not aged