FNG from Illinois

[Saluki91]

Greetings from the Land of Tall Corn! I have been a long-time lurker, and recently began posting.

I'm really looking forward to a .280AI custom build being completed in a few months, and continuing to refine loads for my .308 and 400 Legend.

Also looking forward to my first western hunt - maybe as soon as October 2026, but most likely October 2027. It will coincide with my retirement, and be my gift to myself. Meanwhile, I'll continue chasing waterfowl, turkey, and whitetail close to home.

Looking forward to learning a lot here... Thanks!

 

[Lou (Louis)]

Welcome to the Rok!
Congratulations on your pending retirement.

 

[Bigboone1988]

What load are you using in your 400 legend? I have a 450 bushmaster and have been debating on making a switch to 400 legend.

 

[Saluki91]

165gr Bear Creek Ballistics over H110. It surpasses every expectation! Accurate, fast (we see velocities well north of their published data), and performance on game was SUPERB! I took two deer with it last season... a buck that ran in a 15 yard circle and fell over, and a doe that collapsed like a Jenga game and never moved again - the epitome of DRT.

They now have a 185gr version of the same bullet, and we will be testing it at my club soon. On paper, it looks even better. It will retain enough energy to cleanly kill a whitetail at 275 yards... maybe even 300 if it surpasses published velocities like the 165gr did. We don't necessarily need that shot in our part of the world, but it is nice to know we have it. Hunting over harvested fields or CRP makes it a viable option.

I also tested the 170gr Hammer. It was crazy fast, and certainly accurate enough. However, my rifle printed laughably small groups with the Bear Creek, so I ran with it.

 

[Elkman17]

Welcome!

 

[eddielasvegas]

As the self-appointed chairman of the welcoming committee, it is my privilege to extend a laurel, and hearty handshake (virtual, of course) to our new IL member.


Eddie

 

[TheGreek]

Welcome from NW CO. I spent 15 years in chi-raq before escaping back to NW CO a few years ago. I miss all of the hunting opportunities in parts of IL but I don’t miss city life.