(Continued from Part 2.)
Two .30 Caliber Big Game Hunting Loads
My bolt action rifles are in two separate groups, precision rifles, and hunting rifles. All of my 6.5mm rifles are precision rifles capable of extreme long-range shooting. They will be handled with care and not bumped around while hunting. They are too valuable because of what they can do. Of course, the ammunition they use can also be used on deer out to 300 yards, and elk in a pinch with well-placed shots inside of 200 yards, yet they are not suitable for bear and elk when the angle is not just right. If they pass into the field of fire inside our perimeter and they are within the 300-yard limit then deer and black bear could be taken if a broadside shot is available. The .30 caliber cartridge rifles are much better for hunting in general and for mixed bag hunts since they are reliably able to take most of the various North American game.
300 Savage: Considerations for An Antique Rifle
The rifle in the photo at left is an antique Mauser rifle re-barreled in ,300 Savage and represents this category well. What works in this rifle would also work and be safe to use in other .308 to .312 cartridges when load to no higher pressure than 46,000 CUP (51,000 psi). The softer bullets used are a good fit or of suitable construction for many antique rifles that can fire brass-case ammunition using smokeless powder. The super high ballistic coefficient bullets that they are more than good enough out to my self-imposed range limit of 300 yards. These can expand at velocities as low as 1,600 fps and are a good marriage for lower in velocities cartridges in general and can kill quickly, flatten trajectories and buck the wind well enough to extend their potential hunting range.Continue reading“Hunting in Desperate Times – Part 3, by Tunnel Rabbit”