Bullet design for modest hunting distance on all game

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

That sounds almost like heaven....

I hunt deer in the thick because the food is on private or is not necessarily a traditional field food source

My crew punches our tags most every year, but its never a gimme, especially if somebody is looking for a buck over 125 or so.

My buddies big bean plots are shooting galleries where if they put in enough time they most often kill bucks most would consider trophies= 150+

 

[Erussell01]

Rifles mess things up. Damaged meat is going to happen.




Read the 223 thread.





What is your rifle setup then? Rifle? Scope, mounts?

I'm not used to that yet. I'm still tryna preserve my shoulder meat lol

I actually have been. It's a lot to filter through, but I pop in there and take a chunk at a time. I haven't gotten into the good stuff in it yet, I don't think.

Savage axis 308, had it since I was a kid. Leupold rings. Right now a burris 4.5-14 droptine scope (their base option, and a gift from my wife so it's likely not going anywhere unless I swap it for the fullfield 3-9 I have coming this week)

 

[Erussell01]

My crew punches our tags most every year, but its never a gimme, especially if somebody is looking for a buck over 125 or so.

My buddies big bean plots are shooting galleries where if they put in enough time they most often kill bucks most would consider trophies= 150+

Haha that is awesome for them though. If they can afford to own the land and put in the resources time and effort, Good for them. Im heavily invested in doe patrol, but find a decent buck most years. My best is a 150 10 point from heavily hunted public ground. I won't ever pass a fat doe early in the season. Can't do it lol

 

[Erussell01]

That’s why I’m getting the .308, until a few months ago, I would have put it as one of the least likely for me to own… I was sure my next rifle would be a custom 257wby, but that’s on the back burner now… when I get the rifle itch again I will probably have one built and stock up on reloading components while waiting for the build to get finished

No joke. 308 was available everywhere throughout. Really made me glad my dad pushed me into a 308 when I was a kid. I wanted a 270 or 7 mag like grandpa but he leaned on me to go with a cheap axis in 308 and dang if I don't kinda love that gun. It's killed plenty to not owe me anything even if I haven't been on the trigger for most of the big. Cleaned house on coyotes with it as a kid too.

 

[Studd muffin]

I like the accubonds. Have had great luck from 15yds to 300yds on deer. But like most have said it really depends on shot placement.

 

[Erussell01]

I like the accubonds. Have had great luck from 15yds to 300yds on deer. But like most have said it really depends on shot placement.

It sure seems like accubonds come highly recommended. Ever try the 150s?

 

[Formidilosus]

Savage axis 308, had it since I was a kid. Leupold rings. Right now a burris 4.5-14 droptine scope (their base option, and a gift from my wife so it's likely not going anywhere unless I swap it for the fullfield 3-9 I have coming this week)

Because you said that you over analyze, and take things serious- your rifle and scope are your biggest points of weakness, not bullets.

 

[Erussell01]

I knew you were going to say that lol, and yes I know you are right.

My savage has been my one rifle for years until recently. My dad bought it for me when I was just a boy. It's cheap. But it's been reliable and it's special to me. Some day he won't be here and it still will be. Every time I see that rifle, I'll remember our first coyote trip with it where we doubled on the first sit.

Now I have a 223 and my grandpas 30-06 but for the time being the 308 is my only practical option. It has better trigger dropped in by a gunsmith because it was pre-accutrigger. It shoots right at moa groups with the right ammunition. Bullet selection is one of the easiest things that I can see an immediate performance improvement in the efficacy of that rifle. Could I have a better optic? Could I have a better rifle? Yes. Do I need a better optic? Do I need a better rifle?
At this point, no. So Bullet selection (getting two holes) is the easiest way for me to get more blood on the ground to recover deer in the thick timber where I generally take my wife and father in law rifle hunting.

My wife gave me that scope as a gift when we got married. I'm not going to insult her by taking it off. She takes pride in the fact that she picked it out herself based on reviews that she read online. Some day that rifle will be handed off to one of our future kids and I'll probably have something nicer.

I'm not a long range hunter. I get to go west on antelop trip when we get tags, and next year will be my first of probably not many rifle elk hunts. I'm a bow hunter. I'm just gonna tiptoe my way into the world of rifle hunting.

Totally get what you are saying. And I'm sure one day I'll be neck deep into rifles and scopes. I already am in archery, so i'm sure it will come too. I already know I want a 7 mag in a Tikka t3 for my next rifle so I'm ahead of the curve on that I guess.

Because you said that you over analyze, and take things serious- your rifle and scope are your biggest points of weakness, not bullets.

 

[Mule3006Elk]

Since I have nothing to hunt right now, I'm chasing walleyes, training dogs and preparing for fall.

I'm still building my western gear list. That is new to me. Haven't changed a thing in my archery whitetail set up in years. Still dialing in my personal gear set up for elk. Don't have enough reps to know what's going to fail and what's going to stay for years.

Rifles for big game are new to me. Hence the desire to learn and find as much information to shorten my learning curve as possible.

When time comes to pull the trigger, I will have thought about, studied, planned, prepared, tested, evaluated, and retested my setup enough to feel 100% confident in my ability to kill that animal Cleanly and effectively. I hate going to the woods feeling unprepared. I am there to take a life and I believe I need to honor that by preparing.

I shoot my bow twice daily. I train hard 5-6 days a week all year. I shoot my rifle weekly. I shoot my Shotgun weekly. I practice calling daily. I e scout the areas I have tags for and review and revise my pins. I study access locations and find food and water sources. I stay current in the skills and things that I need to ensure my success. I camp in the summer for practice come elk season I know how to start fires, tie knots, stop the bleed etc.

I totally agree with what you are saying, but I'm by no means paralyzed. Just hungry to learn. I'm also a nutcase for this stuff. I can't stop thinking about hunting. It keeps me awake thinking about elk hunting. I can hear that first bugle.

I love forums like this because it gives me access to people like you with more experience in different areas than I have. It helps me feel like I can learn more faster with less hardship and failure. I'd love to pick your brain more about all kinds of things. Any information I can gather that was built on your experience makes it easier for me to be successful.

Maybe I'm a fruitloop. But hey, at least I'm not an Elmer Fudd hitting the woods not knowing how far their rifle is zeroed.

All good. Sorry if that came off too direct. There is more than one pathway to the same goal. Nothing wrong with being overly prepared. I was VERY similar when I started. Looking back, I over analyzed everything and made it more complicated than it needed to be.

 

[Erussell01]

All good. Sorry if that came off too direct. There is more than one pathway to the same goal. Nothing wrong with being overly prepared. I was VERY similar when I started. Looking back, I over analyzed everything and made it more complicated than it needed to be.

Your experience has allowed you to relax a little bit. I can't wait to be there. When I'm not longer wet behind the ears I'll look back and laugh at myself I'm sure. The cool thing about a forum like this is it allows me access to guys like you who have lived through it and who can help me temper my expectations and plan accordingly. That's the best thing about this community.

 

[Studd muffin]

It sure seems like accubonds come highly recommended. Ever try the 150s?

No. I use the 7mm 160gr bullets. We have also shot several elk with them. Work great on elk too.