Well....decided To Go Ahead And Post My Excitement...

[aksheephuntress]

...I was waiting for weeks to mention this as a post...I wanted to finally get my digital camera fixed or traded for another, and then be able to take pictures of the rifle, and post it for you all......but, in the Anchorage trip yesterday I found out the warranty is expired......so, have to send it somewhere...

...ANYWAY....

-The rings came in for the scope I ordered...and shot some pretty nice groups with that gun I had mentioned before...the Winchester mod. 70 Featherweight - .30-06...

-I was pretty happy with the feel of the rifle; my groupings at 50, then 100 yards...(initially used the bore sighter ,before heading to the range)-has just as much kick as my .338, but that's ok...i'll just keep wrapping the sling in my hand-

-The scope I ended up ordering is that Nikkon Primos BDC 3x9x40...there was a deal last month where you get a package deal with the scope, and a nice 6-oz rangefinder with it...it has a pretty short eye relief-took a little getting used to- otherwise, I was happy with where it was situated on my gun, with the high rings...(why I chose high rings:I want to be able to have the option to slip my hand under the scope& carry, at times, if need be...)

-...Took off the existing Millet mount that was on the rifle when I found it at that gun show, and put a 2-pc qck release Leupold mount I already had stashed, and ordered leupold 30 mm rings (high)

-I like that scope so much..and am excited to play around with it and the range finder up in the high country when the snow melts, before Aug sheep season-....I accidently forgot to cancell my initial order of those rings that were on back order from one company....-so, I have another pr. coming this week....

-I think I'll just get another one of these Nikkon Primos scopes, too...so, I'll have an extra scope and rings on the hunt....

-This is a special sheep hunt this year...far from home, this time....can't run home for something and get back up in sheep country the next day...so-

-God willing, I'll be prepared....

-Picture to post in a few weeks, I hope...

....Sorry if it seems silly to be making a big deal about this scope....but, I am preparing hard and thorough for this hunt...and a lot will be riding on my scope situation, I feel....

[Strut10]

Sounds like you've got a nice and very well thought out rig slapped together for your sheep hunt.

What are you gonna feed it?? Factory or reload?? A 150 gr. Game King or AccuBond may just be the ticket for reaching out and touching your ram.

[aksheephuntress]

Sounds like you've got a nice and very well thought out rig slapped together for your sheep hunt.

What are you gonna feed it?? Factory or reload?? A 150 gr. Game King or AccuBond may just be the ticket for reaching out and touching your ram.

...yeah, I haven't narrowed that down, yet- I want to shoot a lot of different bullet varieties, diff. grain, over the next few months...what you posted (the Accubond) is what I will probably lean toward...I have never used the Nosler partition rounds in particular, but I am seeing so many articles about them lately....especially good success stories from the field in the Sheep Foundation articles(FNAWS)-

-On the range in my previous post,I was putting 150 gr Winchester Super X power-points through it-

-guess I should have mentioned that....but, I wanted to post pics of

my target results, with the ammo info-

-I am open to all suggestions...I'm excited just to shoot the rifle as much as I can get a chance, right now- and especially out of the range situation , up into the high country, and in conjunction with my new range finder...

-I hope to find something that proves accurate and consistent out to 450 yards (I won't want to attempt a shot farther than 400 yds..).-and I especially want to get set on a round, early on, and just shoot and shoot.

-This will be my first time experiencing a scope with the BDC feature,as well.....it will be nice to practice in the field, and in the mountains around here this summer, and shoot some elevations, as well...maybe even a nice spring bear...

-Anyway....this is exciting for me,and also tedious decision making, since I am doing this on my own, right now-

-kind of proud of myself-

-Thank you, Strut....I will be checking out those rounds...

[bluelund79]

If you are playing with factory rounds for your 06, you might want to look at the Balistic Silvertips from Winchester. I found them to be plenty accurate, and dropped my deer from 2 yrs ago in its tracks with a full frontal shot....No exit, but found against the skin in the rear ham. 185lbs dressed, so it was no small deer either....Good luck, have fun and be safe.

[Leo]

-I hope to find something that proves accurate and consistent out to 450 yards (I won't want to attempt a shot farther than 400 yds..).-and I especially want to get set on a round, early on, and just shoot and shoot.

-This will be my first time experiencing a scope with the BDC feature,as well.....it will be nice to practice in the field, and in the mountains around here this summer, and shoot some elevations, as well...maybe even a nice spring bear...

The partitions are fabulous hunting bullets but for long range accuracy they honestly are not the best. The partitions essentially have three parts: Front lead, back lead and jacket. This construction is difficult to pull off with a great deal of consistency. They haven't been the most accurate bullet for me. Fantastic terminal performance, but don't expect them to be the best grouping bullet for you.

Sierra Gamekings are seriously good long range bullets. I haven't shot the Accubonds but supposedly they shoot as good as Ballistic Tips without the "POP" factor.

In 30-06 the 165grn and 180grn bullets weights will group the tightest for long range shooting. Yes the 150s are faster but the wind pushes them around a whole lot easier. Trajectory is repeatable. Wind is unpredictable.

[Strut10]

If you're going to possibly be legging an '06 out to 400 yards, you're going to want a bullet with a high B.C. The Partition is a flat base, I believe, which will lose you some ground "out there". Take a serious look at the Game Kings. You're not shooting Cape buff, here. I don't suppose a sheep has any more need of a controlled expansion bullet than does a whitetail. A 165 gr. Game King might be the best of both worlds........speed and wind-worthy. It's helpful if you've got a chrono and a ballistics program. You can dope out all your drops and drifts at home and be darned close to those figures when you hit the range to practice.

[aksheephuntress]

...Thank you, Strut, and Leo...and bluelund79....I really appreciate all this-

-I will shoot my heart out (hopefully not shoulder:o:rolleyes:)-and go for that consistent pattern- Thanks, too, leo for the info on the Game King rounds-and the thoughts on the 165 and 180 grain to help compensate for windage- that makes sense-and will be crucial out at that range...

...Yes, Strut- I might be inclined on the 165 gr Game Kings...Dall sheep are are not as big as a lot of Whitetail...much less hardy than goats.-You get about 75 lbs of deboned meat (ave.)off of one..(I pack out the ribs, too-not everyone does...)

-Yeah, I am open to any advice you all have- and if you think of more, later, too.

-Oh...what about those Barnes bullets?

[Leo]

In 30-06 I'd be willing to stick my neck out and say either the 165grain or 180grain Sierra Gameking will be the most accurate bullet for you at 300yds. Sierra has a stellar long range accuracy reputation and they flat make bullets that go where you aim them a long ways off. The reason I don't automatically gravitate to the flatter trajectory of the 165 gr is some 30-06 rifles really prefer the 180gr bullets. In my experience I've seen more that do than don't. It's a twist and barrel length thing. I'd first determine what grain WEIGHT the gun likes the most at 100yds and go from there. The wind is the bogeyman at 300yds+, I like guns that prefer the heavier bullets to shoot long range for that reason.

If you load your own. That helps a lot. If not, or to save time, consider some factory loads. The best factory loaded option I know of for the 165grn Sierra GameKings is loaded in Federals Vital shock. In general this is an amazingly accurate out of the box load. I've had it actually equal the accuracy I have attained on carefully worked up reloads. Factory loads aren't all the same "ca-ca" they used to be. The Sierra's are really good for medium sized game.

Another "Factory" loading you may want to consider is Hornady's Light Mag 180gr BTSP load. My 30-06 Tikka absolutely loves that load and it's trajectory is actually better than 165grn stuff. It pushes that 180grn bullet at 2900fps which is essentially 300win mag performance from a 30-06! It will also shoot flatter than standard 165grn loads in 30-06, so if your gun likes 180grn pills this is an awesome factory loading. You will have a very tough time beating this cartridge by careful reloading. If your gun likes it, use it with confidence. 30 cal Hornady interlocks at 2900+fps are absolutely spectacular medium size game killers. Trust me on this. If your gun shoots them well, you will LOVE THEM!

Here's an example of what I've done with the Hornady Light Mag stuff. Each square is 1/4".

In general, I believe the Sierra GameKing is the safest bet, but if your rifle likes the Hornady Light Mag stuff, you just stepped up to 300 Win Mag performance and only have to carry a 30-06.

Some guys love the Barnes stuff. Frankly, my experience with their stuff hasn't impressed me, at all. They keep changing and improving the bullet, that's for sure. There is legitimate reasons for that too. I'll wait a little longer before I try them again. In my opinion there are currently better solid copper bullets coming out of South Africa than this country.

[aksheephuntress]

...Thank you so, much, Leo....I appreciate the target pictures....!- they are very clear-

-I can't wait to get some of that ammo and shoot!

[PotashRLS]

Very interesting thread folks.

Here's one I stumbled upon.......loading up the Hornady 190gr. Interlock BT in my .300 WSM. I was very impressed with the published ballistics I found. My buddy (He's the reloading guru) was so impressed, he is going to try it in some .308s and .30-06s.

The heavier bullet will lead you down Leo's path of aiding you in your windage downrange. The BT Interlock design will be accurate and dependable.

I've never seen them factory loaded though. Herein lies the problem. Just a thought! Carry on.

[Leo]

Very interesting thread folks.

Here's one I stumbled upon.......loading up the Hornady 190gr. Interlock BT in my .300 WSM. I was very impressed with the published ballistics I found. My buddy (He's the reloading guru) was so impressed, he is going to try it in some .308s and .30-06s.

The heavier bullet will lead you down Leo's path of aiding you in your windage downrange. The BT Interlock design will be accurate and dependable.

I've never seen them factory loaded though. Herein lies the problem. Just a thought! Carry on.

You are absolutely correct the 190gr Hornady Interlock has an outstanding Ballistic Coefficient for a 30 caliber bullet. You can also with careful reloading get it to launch at speeds very close to the max 180gr load you like. Because it's BC is 10% better if you match the speed of the 180gr the 190gr bullet will actually drop less than the 180gr counterpart. Yep, a heavier bullet that actually shoots flatter. So it seems, on the surface, a no-brainer to go for the 190gr Hornady BTSP interlock bullet every time. The issue is some barrels (in fact many factory barrels) simply do not stabilize the 190s worth a darn. If the 190s have a disadvantage in accuracy, with your gun, it will be evident at 100yds. This disadvantage only gets worse at farther ranges.

If you have time to work up reloads and can afford possibly re-barreling your rifle with a more appropriate twist rate, the 190s will undoubtedly perform. Some stock rifles will indeed like them but many do not. And what you say is true. No factory loading is out there.

[aksheephuntress]

...Hmmmm...some really valuable info and interesting thoughts....Thank you!

-and, I wonder about this barrel -being the Featherweight rifle, and all....and it is glass-inbeded....

...also, I won't hesitate to do reloads for this caliber ;-that just might be the ticket, in this case,like you all have mentioned...

[PotashRLS]

So it seems, on the surface, a no-brainer to go for the 190gr Hornady BTSP interlock bullet every time. The issue is some barrels (in fact many factory barrels) simply do not stabilize the 190s worth a darn. If the 190s have a disadvantage in accuracy, with your gun, it will be evident at 100yds. This disadvantage only gets worse at farther ranges.

If you have time to work up reloads and can afford possibly re-barreling your rifle with a more appropriate twist rate, the 190s will undoubtedly perform. Some stock rifles will indeed like them but many do not.

Wasn't aware of that little diddy Leo. Thanks. I hope its a non issue. I have a Browning A-bolt Hunter in the .300 WSM but am not sure of the twist rate in the barrel. I'll have to check it out. I know it has been a big issue with my planning stages for reloading the new .223 wssm I bought. Holy Crap there are mixed reviews on that one.

Faster twist for a heavier, longer bullet, right?

Kathleen, didn't mean to hijack, just great info here:D

[aksheephuntress]

Wasn't aware of that little diddy Leo. Thanks. I hope its a non issue. I have a Browning A-bolt Hunter in the .300 WSM but am not sure of the twist rate in the barrel. I'll have to check it out. I know it has been a big issue with my planning stages for reloading the new .223 wssm I bought. Holy Crap there are mixed reviews on that one.

Faster twist for a heavier, longer bullet, right?

Kathleen, didn't mean to hijack, just great info here:D

...-Don't worry at all, Potash...you were'nt hijacking...I am getting a lot from all of this;

-hey....have you noticed how women talk??....-we don't necessarily stay on the exact same subject, anyway!

- no, really...it all relates, here, - so many variables affecting long-range accuracy...keep the thoughts coming...

[Leo]

For 30cal rifles a twist of 1 in 10" or 1 in 11" is recommended for bullets heavier than 170grns.

Your Browning A-bolt should have a 1 in 10" which should stabilize bullets up to 220grns just fine. The A-bolt has a pretty solid reputation shooting heavier bullets at the longer ranges accurately. However, that short neck on the 300WSM might not like the heavier bullets. It might do just fine. But in general short neck cartridges have a harder time holding the longer bullets straight in the bore. There is simply less neck there to do the job.

I brought this up because, there are some 1 in 12 twist barrels out there. I don't know what Huntress's Win 70 has in it. If it's a stock 30-06 the odds are good it's a 1 in 10". The 1 in 12" barrels usually shoot 165 or 150grn bullets the best.

Barrel length and the tightness of the bore make a difference too. I wouldn't go shorter than 22" on barrel length. So you might have the right twist and a good long barrel but because your rifle doesn't give the bullet enough twist (bullet jumps lands in a loose bore) it still doesn't shoot that bullet well.

The Barnes are solid copper which is less dense than lead. For this reason Barnes are usually longer than the same weight copper/lead bullets. If your rifle likes 180gr lead/copper bullets usually it will like 165grn Barnes better than one that weighs 180. Personally, I'm not sold on the Barnes yet.

Potash, you got your work cut out for you on that 223wssm. 223s bores can be real finicky. It might like only one weight bullet period. Hope you find what it likes without too much trouble.

[aksheephuntress]

...OK.....My rifle barrel is REALLY clean, now...:DI must have swabbed over 8 times, with a wooden dowel and a bunch of patches to fit snug,slowly plunging down it carefully to try to watch and mark to determine the twist....-I either kept losing the patches, or I had one too many on the end of the dowel to fit in it....(and I didn't have any cleaning attatchment on the end of it...)

-I don't know....so- you say, probably 1 in 9"...? or 1 in 10"?...I do remember reading somewhere that most 1 in 12" twist barrels were primarily military??

-Well...I wish I was better at this....like I said...at least my gun is real clean, now...:rolleyes:

-Any suggestions?

[Leo]

It sounds pretty certain you have at least a 1 in 10" twist in that barrel.

The 180s or 190 grn loads should do quite well.

If your gun shoots them well, and it sounds like it probably will. That Hornady light mag 180gr load for 30-06 is really awesome. I wouldn't have any reservation launching one at a ram. Those bullets are like a death ray on whitetails. Weatherby still sells the 180 Hornady on top of their very potent 300wby cartridge. The reason they do is in spite of supposedly "better" bullets for high velocity cartridges being available today the Hornady's flat out WORK!

I'll wait for your report from a trip to the range trying them out. I have a feeling you are gonna like them

[aksheephuntress]

...Thank you!...yes, you're right, I should just get a box or two of those (they sound awesome)- and run a bunch of groups through at the range, to see how the gun likes them....

-I can't wait..

-I think I can get those brand of rounds here in town without going to Anchorage...-I'll call right now...