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It’s good to be lucky !

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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I think your 7mm08 missed you, and really wanted to shine for you.
My dad lives in Appling Ga.
He tells me y'all get to take 6 or 8 deer on
On government land.
Do y'all really got it that good down there?
And if so can you harvest does or just bucks?
 
I think your 7mm08 missed you, and really wanted to shine for you.
My dad lives in Appling Ga.
He tells me y'all get to take 6 or 8 deer on
On government land.
Do y'all really got it that good down there?
And if so can you harvest does or just bucks?
Ten does and two bucks are legal if you want. My friends and I have agreed on a limit of three does and two mature bucks on the land we lease. I spend a lot of time watching deer. It’s not hard to fill the limit if you hunt much.
 
Ten does and two bucks are legal if you want. My friends and I have agreed on a limit of three does and two mature bucks on the land we lease. I spend a lot of time watching deer. It’s not hard to fill the limit if you hunt much.
you must have a good sized freezer
 
you must have a good sized freezer
The bucks run 160lbs-180lbs and does 110lbs-135lbs mostly. Not all that much meat really. I’ll go through three deer a year and it’s just me at the house. I’ll fill my 7 cubic foot freezer usually and give some to friends that don’t hunt.
 
I’m going to put the Magnetospeed on it and see what it is moving at but it doesn’t really matter. There’s a 3-9x50 with a German #4 reticle scope on it. 1.5” high at 92 and 1.5” low at 225 means everything from the muzzle to 225 is dead hold to 225. Shade a little high or low if there’s time to think about it but it’s all minute of deer vitals.
 

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