Category Archives: Hunting thoughts

2018 Late October Texas Trophy Whitetail Hunt with Larry Weishuhn by Ed Hale

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My hunt began with an email this summer from Greg Simons, General Manager and Principal of Wildlife Systems, Inc. of Texas as an invitation. https://wildlifesystems.com/our-staff.html

The hunt was to be for a small group of hunters who were interested in a hunt with Larry Weishuhn otherwise known as “Mr. Whitetail” .  I have read some of Larry’s books and seen his many of his video’s for more than a decade. I jumped at the opportunity because if Larry – Mr. Whitetail likes it, then it must be good. Below he and I are in a rattle off. He won of course! What Fun!

The price was right for a low fence wild trophy hunt and it was on my bucket list for several reasons. The most important reason is that Texas has some of the largest racked deer in the world. I was already looking for a Texas Hunt! Yea, Saskatchewan and Alberta bucks are bigger bodied but not necessarily in antlers. Over the years I gleaned great respect for Larry because he was just as jeeped up about deer hunting as I was and shared that “spark of life” enthusiasm with his family and friends that hunting can bring. He is truly a hunters friend.

We only had 3 1/2 days to take a mature trophy animal of our choosing. I thought that the days to  hunt was a bit short but I was proved wrong as the hunt unfolded.

As in all hunts, we fired our rifles to check our 100 yard zero that afternoon before the hunt. Below, J. D. a retired College Professor and part of my hunt team, sighted his 7mm Rem Mag in.

 

My Weatherby Vanguard, with Nosler 129 grain AccuBond Long Range bullets, was dead on. My back up rifle was my TC Encore 50 Cal Muzzleloader and I shot that too with 100 grains Pyrodex and 300 grain Powerbelt bullets. The shot was off dead center by a whole inch. Nice! But as I shared a long shot of 150 yards would produce insufficient energy. Larry encouraged another shot with 150 grains of Pyrodex to see where it might hit. I agreed, and said with a smile; “Yea Larry you just want to see this cannon beat my shoulder up”. Yup,he replied with a Texas drawl, and with a big grin,something like “Should be real fun” as I recall.

Stoking the TC with three Pyrodex pellets and another 300 grain Powerbelt I let the TC Encore (smoke-pole) rip. Boom…! When the smoke cleared the 50 cal bullet took out the black 1 inch square we were supposed to aim at. “Guess we will need a new target”,  I offered. Dead silence for a moment among other hunters and Larry was a big thumbs up on the 150 grains of Pyrodex. They were impressed, I guessed. Me too!

I was encouraged to use that instead of the Weatherby 6.5 but I said only if it really becomes necessary. The 6.5 Creedmoor is one of the most accurate, high delivered energy, mild recoil hunting cartridges in the world. Nosler provides an excellent range of 6.5mm bullets to use.

My Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard was topped with a Leupold Gold Ring VX-6 3-18x44mm (not HD) zoom lens. One of the finest quality variable zoom scopes on planet earth.  I tested it and I love it.   https://www.leupold.com/scopes/compact-scopes/vx-6hd-3-18x44mm

Check out the dozen or so articles here in my magazine on the VX-6 (type in VX-6 in the SEARCH BOX). The Weatherby is a trusty rifle with synthetic stock. The Weatherguard coating is almost impervious to rain and rust. Priced in the $600 range it is a real bargain! The Leupold VX-6 is worth two rifles.

Pete my guide used 4 wheel/ 4 passenger ORV’s to go from stand to stand sometimes traveling up to 15 miles to get to a far away box blind (many were elevated) . We got lots of 4×4 passenger time! Lots, driving perhaps over 100 miles of Texas wilds in total.

I was seeing so many deer and 10 or so 8-point bucks on my first day but no mature 4.5 year old shooters yet. Day 2 morning stand I was dropped off solo, to shoot from my own blind while Pete spent the morning with JD my hunt partner for the trip. I was observing a nice typical  8 point with chocolate palmated antlers below. I guessed him at 3.5 years old. He needed another year, so I passed on him.

That afternoon I hunted with Pete. Pete was excellent to have as my guide, younger and full energy and muscle. When Pete spoke I listened closely.  We sat in a box blind that was slow to have animals show up to the feeder.  It throws corn out to 10 or 20 yards when it goes off only once. I am not a box blind sort of hunter per se, but in these circumstances it was essential because the deer were so spread out across the 40 square miles.  I acquiesced and later thanked these blinds for a measure of safety if I had to stay in one for overnight in Texas wilderness. I did not see any rattle snakes but some were seen by a family that lived nearby!

Back to the Hunt…An 8 point came in but we noticed he was always looking over his shoulder in an nervous sort of way. We guessed that there was a larger buck out there that he did not want to tangle with.  Later on near dusk, my jaw dropped when this high-long-tined 10 point came out. Holy mackerel, “I want that one” I said excitedly to Pete, reaching for the Weatherby. My heart was racing, and adrenaline was kicking me hard.  I got the rifle set up on a “Bogpod” and took the shot at 100 yards. A gimme shot from a bench but add in a adrenaline soaked shooter (me) that had never seen a rack like that in his entire life. I  missed! You what! Yep, I missed. Oh No! The buck of my lifetime and I missed! The buck nervously turned to look back where the shot had come from. He gave us the caboose and walked quickly off. His gait as he walked away showed no signs of injury. Still, we needed to be sure he was ok and went to look for blood and hair. Part of Pete’s job is to ensure a real miss, and that the animal was not wounded, so he got right down on his hands and knees and looked for hair or blood spatter. Finding none Pete declared a complete miss.

Well, I lamented, “if I am gonna miss, then miss clean, I said. Nothing worse than a wounding or losing a deer.  I was just kicking myself for not controlling the buckets of adrenaline washing over me. But that is what drives me to hunt, I love the excitement of the hunt. If I had no adrenaline, I’d just as soon stop hunting. Even the best of hunters miss now and again, that’s why they call it hunting and not getting!

As a result of the miss, I was concerned that we may have inadvertently banged the scope out of whack in the many miles we had it in the 4×4. Accordingly, I could not shoot it in the  morning as we were on the trail to the next hunt stand at 5 am before light. Larry agreed, “Take the 50 cal Ed”

I was forced by the circumstances  to take the TC Encore 50 Cal out as my backup. The TC sported a Gold Ring Leupold VX-3 2-8x36mm and, as I said earlier, it shoots well.

At dinner that night everyone said, “It happens” that’s why they call it hunting!

The Camp Cook, Richard and I hit it off well. He said these things happen for a reason. Ed, he said, “I have a good feeling about your hunt in the morning” !  I was undaunted as well, another shot will present itself, I thought firmly.

I said a prayer of thanksgiving just to be here on such a great hunt.

The morning, still dark save for Moonlight, was clear. Above my head I could see the constellation known as the Big Dipper (Ursa Major – Big Bear) to the right and “Orion the Hunter” directly above me.  A good sign! My father, a hunter too,  taught me about the American Indian where young braves who were challenged to look at the middle star in the arm of the Big Dipper as a test to see the double star we call Mizar that was with it. That second star was easily visible.

I sat in silence at 6 AM awaiting the dawn in the glow of the  “day old” full Moon. The local population of Mocking birds, like a barn yard roosters, began chatting and chirping about 7:15 AM announcing morning has broken. Light began to intensify with each passing second as the skyline went from purple orange to blue.  I used my Vortex 10x binoculars to see what was gathering at the feeder, they worked great. I could only see shadows for a while that were deer but never identify buck or doe. I waited till there was enough light near 8am to see antlers. There was one very large deer with its tail facing me. It was directly under the feeder. As other deer approached, the big deer would lurch at them. The other deer gave wide birth…. The light was sufficient to see it was a buck and antler tips but he was still feeding with his back side to me. Suddenly he lifted his head. Oh My God!  I saw so many points on just one side that said “Shoot em” to me. But I was skeptical, I needed more convincing as QDMA training teaches that it is the body that says age not the antlers necessarily, wanting to see his neck and body too. In a few moments he had turned to his right side. His body was large and dark, his neck was not at all slender and it had no curve but full and chunky.  Just a straight line from his jaw to his chest. And he was bossy to other deer.  That was all the convincing I needed, a real mature deer of 4 1/2 or older, I said to myself.

I had the TC Encore on the shooting sill and put my Leupold VX-3 crosshairs on him. I cranked up the power to see a symmetrical rack of at least 10 points with nice brow tines. In that moment I did not hesitate to pull the hammer back. My heart was thumping but I was much calmer as I put the crosshairs just behind his shoulder. This TC Encore had a trigger job by Mike Bellm (https://www.bellmtcs.com/) and set at 3 lbs pull. Very sweet!

As the Gold Ring Leupold VX-3 crosshairs settled just behind his shoulder, the rifle bucked rearward. I did not feel the recoil as I was so focused on the shot. White smoke belched out obscuring the deer for a several seconds. Even the ground was eerily oozing smoke among the flora. The buck was down, right there! See below.

I kept the scope on him and looked for movement, seeing none I still hesitated to take my eyes off him so I remained on him observing with the scope. I would normally reload but I wanted to stay in visual contact as the buck laid very still and wanted to keep it that way.

After a few minutes I was convinced he was hit very hard and at that point I reloaded and stayed in the blind with the rifle still on him. A Red Angus Cow and calf came over to see the buck lay ever so still. It was at that point that I shouted Yahoo! I eased out of the blind and toward the buck and the cow and calf took the cue to leave.

As I approached, the  antlers kept getting larger and the points more numerous. I counted 11 points in utter amazement. This buck was even bigger than the one I missed. Guides saw him smaller last year and in a different place on the ranch. So this was unexpected that he showed up here.

There is a red spot on his shoulder, that was the exit wound from the 300 grain Powerbelt. His feet are already up in the air ready for dressing. This guy was massive for a Texas deer. Pete came over in the 4×4 with JD to see what I shot at. Grinning a big grin I said to Pete, “Got a Crane?, Your gonna need it.”) He said, “Yea we can handle that”. They drove the 4×4  80 yards to the buck. Wow! Nice Buck! And so fat! JD came over and shook my hand. Congratulations Ed! I was thinking this was THE buck of my lifetime. I was just elated beyond words. The guides scored him at 144 3/8 Boone and Crockett Points. I am just speechless!

I had two doe tags to fill so I retested the Weatherby Vanguard and Leupold VX-6 and it was fine. It was my excitement that caused the original miss the other day. So the next morning after some great backslapping I headed to a stand for taking the two does. As luck would have it I saw two does that morning and took both with the 6.5 Creedmoor Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard getting full penetration with the  Nosler 129 grain ABLR. I tagged out!

In 3.5 days I saw at stands, in range, thirty 8-point bucks and five mature 8 and 10 point bucks including the one I took.

I was just lucky to shoot the best of them. Thirty five big bucks in 3.5 days. I am shipping meat back via ground transport. More soon when the meat arrives. I have Wildlife Systems handling the Trophy mount for me. I think I am going  again! Check out the Wildlife Systems website at the beginning of this article if you are interested in a hunt. Happy Trails…

Good Hunting!

© 2018

 

More on Larry Weishuhn

On and off camera he has a natural leadership style as a Whitetail aficionado that I look up to. On this hunt, Larry was the frosting on the cake as it were. His stories and  hunt experience extended beyond US and Canada to Africa, Europe, and Australia. The hunters we had in camp (just west of San Angelo, Texas on the Edwards Plateau) were veteran hunters and a few of those in camp were also fortunate to be able to hunt around the world. We were all eager to listen and become intertwined in his memories. Larry and I became great friends! Larry is writing another book so look for it. I am hoping to get a signed copy.

Camp Cook – Richard T. Berry

Also in camp was Richard T. Berry, of Broken Spoke Cattle Company. He is also an Auctioneer- Sales Consultant Professional Guide and Outfitter and the greatest Camp Cook I have ever had the privilege to meet and eat the food he created. Richard and I became great friends as well. He is easy going and very helpful. Richard has a massive Canadian buck to his credit that scored over 200 Boone and Crockett points. Richard is writing a venison cook book which I hope to purchase as well. I gave him my copy of a Venison Cook book “Buck Buck Moose” by Hank Shaw! It is a fine Venison Cookbook too.

https://www.amazon.com/Buck-Moose-Techniques-Antelope-Antlered/dp/099694480X

 

 

 

October 2017 – SOC Adopts 6.5 Creedmoor to Replace 7.62 x 51mm Nato in Semi Auto Sniper Rifles

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At New Hampshire Rifleman we have written over 30 articles since April of 2015, extolling the virtues of the 6.5 Creedmoor as both a world class hunting cartridge and a competitive long range target cartridge that is great on barrel life, less recoil, more accurate and delivers deep often full penetration on big game with Sectional Densities of .280 and .290 at long ranges of 600 yards and over. It crosses the CXP2 and CXP3 boundary for game classification it can handle. I am going to hunt Texas Whitetails (CXP2) with it next week in a Weatherby Vanguard topped with a Leupold VX-6 3x18x44mm with Nosler AB’s.

Guess the Military looked at the Creedmoor too!

Late this past year US Special Operations Command tested the 7.62 Nato Round against the 6.5 Creedmoor and the.260 Remington. Both the .260 Remington(6.5mm) and the 6.5 Creedmoor outshot the 7.62 Nato round. SoCOMM determined that the 6.5 Creedmoor shot the best according to Wikipedia below.

See Wikipedia article. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6.5mm_Creedmoor

“Military use[edit]

“In October 2017, U.S. Special Operations Command tested the performance of 7.62×51mm NATO, .260 Remington, and 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridges out of SR-25, M110A1, and Mk 20 sniper rifles. SOCOM determined that 6.5 Creedmoor performed the best, doubling hit probability at 1,000 m (1,094 yd), increasing effective range by nearly half, reducing wind drift by a third and having less recoil than 7.62×51mm NATO rounds. Tests showed the .260 Remington and 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridges were similarly accurate and reliable and the external ballistic behavior was also very similar. The prevailing attitude is that there was more room with the 6.5mm Creedmoor to further develop projectiles and loads.[27] Because the two cartridges have similar dimensions, the same magazines can be used and a rifle can be converted with a barrel change. This led to its adoption and fielding by special operations snipers to replace the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge in their semi-automatic sniper rifles, planned in early 2019. In response to SOCOM’s adoption, the Department of Homeland Security also decided to adopt the round.”

End Quote

But we hunters discovered that a while back.

Good Hunting!

 

Muzzleloader -Power Belt Copper Aero-Tip 295grain

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Power Belt® Bullets are the number one selling projectile for muzzleloader’s in the world. That said, I am a believer.

http://powerbeltbullets.com/Copper-Muzzleloading-Bullets.php

I have had good penetration, expansion,  and wound channels with Power Belt copper coated lead bullets at moderate hunt ranges of 50 yards. I shoot them because they are cost effective, accurate and very easy to load and reload. So I have a dozen of these already in my possibles bag. The Aerotip aids in holding kinetic energy at longer ranges. But what about 100 to 150 yards with 100 grains of Pyrodex? Good Question!

First off, with 100 grains of powder I am getting 2 inch groups at 100 yards with my 26 inch TC Encore Rifle. Nice! But the energy is only 1100 ft lbs. Not so Good for penetration as the bullet mushrooms quite wide! At 75 yards it is 1200 ft-lbs. Better! Power Belt provides bullet energy and drop tables below so you know what kind of penetration and knock down power you are delivering.

https://www.powerbeltbullets.com/PBB26inchballistics.pdf

At 150 yards with 100 grains Pyrodex this bullet energy is under 1000 ft-lbs. That is not acceptable at all to me. Research on the web tells me that long shots over 100 yards do not produce a consistent exit wound with 100 grains powder thus I will need more powder. Exit wounds provide an excellent blood trail necessary for a fast recovery. If I am using powder pellets, use three 50 grain pellets under your 295 grain head and be more confident of an exit wound with over 1200 ft-lbs at 150 yards. I should get a big exit wound. At 100 yards with 150 grains powder your talking 1500 ft-lbs. Great for elk!

Having said the word “elk” I would go to the Platinum 338 grain Aerotip on the table for a 26 inch barrel and shoot 150 grains Pyrodex out to 200 yards and still have nearly 1500 ft-lbs. Of course if I were to buy new heads, this looks better to me in hindsight but I am very happy with the 295 grain heads with 150 grains Pyrodex for this season at longer ranges.

Good Hunting!

© 2018

Where to shoot your deer…and with what cartridge? Update

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Shooting a deer broadside is a straightforward proposition; or is it? On Level ground shoot just behind (UPDATE) QDMA says directly above the front leg and centered). Try to pick a tuft of hair to aim at. Aim Small…Miss Small. This shot will clip the top of the heart/arteries and double lung hit the deer. See

https://www.the-whitetail-deer.com/Anatomy-of-a-Whitetail-Deer.html

whitetail deer anatomy

This deer often will fall dead on its feet as medical folks say the shock-wave to the heart will cause the blood like a pneumatic hammer to slam into the brain, lights out. The insurance of the double lung hit is the sure backup.

I would shoot for the center of the deer’s body mass behind (where many archers shoot) the front leg, and then slightly back an inch or two as bowhunters do. See the image below where the lungs are much larger above the heart. (UPDATE) QDMA says shoot above the front leg and center mass but does not differentiate gun or bow. Bow hunters often shoot a bit back to avoid leg bone and scapula but a bullet above the leg may drop them faster some say. ( Update) My recent buck was hit center mass vertically even with the front leg elbow using a 300 grain black powder bullet delivering 1600 ft-lbs. The buck never took a step.

See the red spot above the front elbow?

whitetail deer anatomy

Why? Because an off-hand shot is likely to be not as accurate given adrenaline and the gun sights wobbling around the chest of the deer. By aiming center body you are trying for a larger and longer lung target, a double lung hit known in medical jargon as a bi-lateral pneumothorax, it is deadly and will kill in seconds as well.

The lungs of a broadside deer are very large and long as compared to the heart. I tend to shoot center body behind the front leg, aiming for center lungs for a longer shot. Like this African Springbok where my bullet hole is just a tad higher centered in the lungs.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Shooting excitedly offhand at the lower third of the body may just break the front leg. I had that happen in my early 20’s and luckily the buck ran towards me and I was able to place shots in his center body as he reached 10 yards away from me and dropped him. Lesson learned.

I instructed students on bow-hunter education for the state of New Hampshire for a decade. Deer don’t always stand broadside and you may be shooting a rifle or bow from an elevated stand. Taking a bow-hunter education course will help you visualize the path of the arrow or bullet. On an animal slightly quartering away is ideal for bow and arrow or rifle as the animal is facing away and the projectile needs to be further back observing the path of the projectile in relation to lungs and behind the off side leg… to catch both lungs.

Calibers I recommend begin with the 243 Winchester/6mm in 90 or 100 grain heads, where the recoil is very low and limit shots to within 250 yards. Hit in the above scenario’s the deer will be recoverable in 100 yards or less. The downside is that they are not good in brushy areas and will destroy themselves before they hit the target due less mass and exploding on small limbs.

A bit more recoil is the 6.5 mm still very low in 120-140 grain heads and will drop an Elk at 400 – 600 yards. Better for a bean field shot but like the .270, every one wants one due to increased accuracy and mild recoil. I love my 6.5 Creedmoor as it is also light to carry. Also a great varmint rifle at very long distances out to 1000 yards. Deer either drop or run a few yards when hit.

A smaller fatter cartridge with a  30 caliber bullet is the 30-30 Winchester and .308 Winchester and has been used across the nation as a deer slayer for decades and is also moderate in recoil and bucks brush well. The .308 Winchester is far more versatile. Often hand-loaded the .308 is mighty fine for deer and elk at moderate ranges out to 400 yards. Deer drop or run a few yards after a hit

The .270 Winchester based on the 30-06 case is an all time favorite along with the 30-06 Springfield but has heavier recoil with off the shelf rounds. A hand loader can custom it for a new hunter. There are reduced loads on the market too for hunters but less shock than full power loads.

I will mention the 7mm08 Winchester and the 257 Roberts as fine low recoil deer rifles but my experience is limited.

The 30-06 Springfield cartridge is good for most African Game and all North American Game and bullets come in many weights. More Recoil.

Many other 30 calibers to numerous to write about here.

Magnums are many and they all work on deer, elk and Moose. These are for folks who can take recoil with a smile. Smarter shooters use 50% reduction recoil pads such as the Pachmayer Decelerator or Sims SVL pads that you can either screw on on slip on. I wrote extensively about these recoil reducing pads in my African Safari Book

I wont go above this caliber here in this article as it requires much more time.

Good Hunting!

© 2018 All Rights Reserved.

 

Why the 6.5 Caliber Resurgence?

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Lots of folks getting older and shoulders are sore from blasting magnums may be looking for a change. And the millennial’s? Well If they are smart the 6.5 rounds are easy on the shoulder and very accurate.

First and foremost the 6.5 caliber cartridges are a dual purpose calibers; very accurate for long range target and wild game, wont kill your shoulder,  and deadly on big game up to Moose in the 6.5 x 55 or faster. It has be proven and used by Swedish hunters for decades at moderate distances. Yes I said Moose! Some don’t think so but with sectional densities in the .280’s? Wow! Talk about penetration!

What makes the 6.5 stand out in a crowded room of rifle cartridges is its mild recoil, high sectional density and ballistic coefficient and modest velocities. The 6.5 Creedmoor sits in the middle of the 6.5 caliber list that includes the 6.5x 55 Swiss, 6.5×57, 6.5×284, 264 Win Mag, 260 Remington, 6.5-06,  and the newer 6.5 PRC by Hornady which is a bit faster than the Creedmoor.

If you want to drive the 6.5 faster then use a 26 Nosler (6.5×66) but I think that speed and recoil get some folks back into that magnum blast mentality. Do you really want to shoot a deer at 1000 yards? I like them inside of 500 yards and 300 is even better.

The other wonderful thing the mild 6.5’s do is get you into a 5 or 6 lb mountain rifle, course if want to carry three more pounds up 5000 feet be my guest. This is a great Elk and African Plains game caliber with high SD’s.

You can’t argue with a 6.5 Creedmoor one-shot kill on elk at 600 yards. Nope!

Good Hunting!

© 2018

 

 

Timney Trigger for the Weatherby Vanguard?

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Truth is, the average hunter could have lived with the original trigger. However, I am not an average hunter, the quality engineer in me wanted better. Reduce variation, Cpk. That said: I tried to adjust the original trigger. I noticed at the range that when I expected the trigger to break, it wasn’t, and had to apply slightly more pressure to the trigger. I took the rifle apart per the Manual to adjust the set screw to a lighter poundage. I could not. The spring in the trigger was at its lowest setting and could get just around 3 lbs. 10 oz. out of the Weatherby Trigger, that was it. Not bad, but ceteris paribus (all other things being equal) I wanted 3 pounds like my other rifles.

As a potential long range hunter who goes on hunts that can cost thousands of dollars and has high marksmanship standards, it made sense to upgrade the trigger. The Timney is adjustable down below 3 lbs too for target and also smoother and crisper than the factory trigger.

Some research with my friends at Timney finds a Timney Drop-in – Weatherby Vanguard Trigger pre-set at the factory to 3 pounds. Wow! Nice!

Easy-Peasy! In a few swift motions following disassembly procedures in the Owners Manual, I removed the stock mounting screws and removed and replaced the trigger as a drop-in and screwed a single screw in the trigger base to mount it. Then replaced stock and trigger plate and screwed the mounting screws back by torquing the rear trigger screw to its 35 ft-lb setting first, then did the same for the forward mount screw to the same torque.

Photo below is the removal of the stock and trigger housing. When reinstalled, remember to torque to 35 ft-lbs first ( I use a Wheeler Fat Wrench to set the torque)

Photo below of the forward mounting screw. Set to 35 ft-lbs after the rear screw has been torqued near the trigger.

The Vanguard Trigger is held in place by a single screw. Below image is the original trigger.  This trigger has nearly 1/4 inch uptake movement to touch the sear. The Timney has no uptake and is right on the sear at the get-go.

Photo below is the new Timney Trigger installed and pre-set at 3 pounds pull.

 

Done! Total time was about 20 minutes. My Digital Lyman Pull Gage indicates that the Timney trigger brakes at 3 pounds or so and amazingly crisp. At a cost of $129 dollars, I think the Timney upgrade is worth it for those long range shot and increased accuracy. Further, that any shot at a moving target as in a walking deer, you want to know exactly when your finger pressure on the trigger will fire the rifle. Cheers to Accuracy!

Good Hunting!

©2018 All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Weatherby Vanguard 6.5 Creedmoor/Leupold VX-6 – 600 yards with 129 grain Nosler ABLR Hunting Bullet

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Thanks to Weatherby, Leupold and Nosler, this shooting test is comprehensive as it marries the Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard to a Leupold VX-6 3-18 44mm Gold Ring Scope and Nosler AccuBond bullets for deer hunting. Lets see how the marriage unfolds…

My friends at Nosler were out of stock for testing 129 grain AccuBond Long Range hunting bullets (very popular), but I found some on-line to test the Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard with. This bullet has a G1 ballistic coefficient of 0.561 and exits the barrel around 2680 fps from a cold barrel. I hand-loaded the cartridge with 39 grains of RL 15 powder, a max load I had already proved-in at 1 MOA at 100 yards.  According to the Nosler reloading guide, RL 15 at 39 grains was the most accurate. My chronograph measured the first 3 shot spread was 10 fps  with an average velocity of 2680 fps. Later shots from a warmed barrel showed an increase in velocity and spread. Hunters don’t shoot with a warmed barrel. It is a cold shot that counts in the field, accordingly I was not overly concerned with the warmed barrel velocity variation.

Now to test that premise and data, I shot those first 4 rounds at 600 yards in prone position at Nashua NH Fish and Game 600 yard range. The shots had about a 6 inch spread left to right and had a vertical spread of around an inch. Very nice indeed! The wind was not a significant factor as it was a calm day. The bullet dropped 14 minutes from my 100 yard zero. Accordingly, I turned the Leupold VX-6 Turret up 14 minutes and I was on paper.

I had to adjust left and down to hit the bullseye. I am now sighted in for 600 yards, though I will limit my hunting shots to 400 yards or less. With the Leupold sight picture I was comfortable at 12x though my prone position felt very low to the ground. The value driven Weatherby Vanguard, with it high cheek rest and Monte-Carlo design aided greatly with my scope alignment height. I just can’t believe you can get this rifle new for under $600 bucks. The Leupold VX-6 however retails for nearly double what the rifle costs but it delivers the best clarity in low light at long range that I have ever experienced at this price point and with one twist go from 3x to 18x. Crazy good!

In a hunting situation I will be hopefully using shooting sticks, perhaps standing or kneeling. The delivered Kinetic Energy from the 24 inch Weatherby barrel at 400 yards is 1250 ft-lbs thereby providing excellent energy for penetration on a mature whitetail deer. The Nosler AccuBond was designed to mushroom with the lead bonded to the copper jacket, thus the bullet remains largely intact as it penetrates.  See the table from www.jbmballistics.com below. I could have shown more data at longer ranges but this works for a hunting situation I might expect.

Calculated Table
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead
(yd) (in) (MOA) (in) (MOA) (ft/s) (none) (ft•lbs) (s) (in) (MOA)
0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 2680.0 2.342 2057.0 0.000 0.0 ***
25 -0.6 -2.5 0.0 0.1 2640.7 2.308 1997.1 0.028 5.0 19.0
50 -0.1 -0.2 0.1 0.3 2601.7 2.274 1938.6 0.057 10.0 19.1
75 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.4 2563.1 2.240 1881.4 0.086 15.1 19.2
100 -0.0 -0.0 0.6 0.6 2524.8 2.207 1825.6 0.115 20.3 19.4
125 -0.5 -0.3 0.9 0.7 2486.8 2.173 1771.1 0.145 25.6 19.5
150 -1.3 -0.8 1.4 0.9 2449.1 2.141 1717.8 0.176 30.9 19.7
175 -2.4 -1.3 1.9 1.0 2411.8 2.108 1665.8 0.207 36.3 19.8
200 -4.0 -1.9 2.5 1.2 2374.8 2.076 1615.1 0.238 41.9 20.0
225 -5.9 -2.5 3.1 1.3 2338.0 2.043 1565.5 0.270 47.5 20.1
250 -8.2 -3.1 3.9 1.5 2301.6 2.012 1517.2 0.302 53.2 20.3
275 -10.9 -3.8 4.8 1.7 2265.5 1.980 1470.0 0.335 58.9 20.5
300 -14.1 -4.5 5.7 1.8 2229.8 1.949 1423.9 0.368 64.8 20.6
325 -17.7 -5.2 6.7 2.0 2194.3 1.918 1379.0 0.402 70.8 20.8
350 -21.7 -5.9 7.9 2.2 2159.2 1.887 1335.1 0.437 76.8 21.0
375 -26.2 -6.7 9.1 2.3 2124.3 1.857 1292.4 0.472 83.0 21.1
400 -31.2 -7.5 10.5 2.5 2089.8 1.827 1250.8 0.507 89.3 21.3

This marriage is bliss! It is one excellent deer hunting rig, a Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard topped with a Leupold Gold Ring VX-6 in the recoil friendly 6.5 Creedmoor with Nosler AccuBond Bullets. This combination is perhaps much better from an accuracy standpoint than I will achieve in field  hunting conditions.

I retested the rounds at 100 yards after the 600 yard shoot and set the Leupold back to zero. The rifle shot a 3/4 inch 3 shot group with a cold barrel. Very pleased with that!!

It is up to you the hunter to set your limits within your capabilities. We owe that to the game we hunt!

Good Hunting!!

© 2018 All Rights Reserved.

 

Texas Whitetail Hunt with Larry Weishuhn – Booked

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I was reading my e-mail a few days ago and saw a 2018 invitation for a Texas Whitetail Hunt with Larry Weishuhn known as “Mr. Whitetail”. I looked forward to meeting Larry sometime, and here comes this hunt, gift wrapped for me. I just have to open my wallet!

Mr. Whitetail's Trailing the Hunter's Moon: An Adventure Journal

Larry has published several books on whitetail deer is a big proponent of using rattling antlers to call in a buck and in fact so am I, especially during the rut.

I have taken NH bucks with rattling antlers and a grunt call with rifle and muzzleloader in years past.   I harvested a New Hampshire Bull Moose with similar tactics. I used 2 inch dry tree limbs to whack together and shook a small oak sapling with dry leaves and my nasal Moose call for that one. Truth is, I haven’t seen many NH bucks of late. I did see only one last year, but he saw me first. Big racked New Hampshire bucks are few in comparison to Texas so I hope to see enough to be selective. This is my first western hunt and hope it won’t be my last.

My research finds that many Texas Hunts charge a trophy fee for SCI scoring bucks above 150 class, not so here. This hunt is a low fence free range deer hunt and I get to take the buck of my choice (no trophy fee) and two does. We eat our venison and share with family. I booked with Wildlife Systems, Inc. of San Angelo Texas with Greg Simons – Owner and a Wildlife Biologist. Greg has known Larry for years…

https://www.wildlifesystems.com/rocky-creek-ranch.html

I will not hunt directly with Larry but he will be in camp with 7 other hunters and talking about whitetail hunting on the 25000 acres before us in camp. Can you imaging just 8 hunters at a time on 25000 acres of prime deer habitat? And talking around a campfire!

I will be hunting with the Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard in 6.5 Creedmoor I have been testing and my Leupold VX-6 3 -18×44 scope. Of course, I will load my own cartridges for the trip and shoot a 140 grain class bonded bullet like the Nosler AccuBond or solid copper like the Nosler e-Tip.

I am flying American Airlines and round trip was very cost effective We will take meat back both on the aircraft (up to 70 lbs for $100) and ship some from his meat cutter there.

Good Shooting!

© 2018

 

IMR 4895 and H4350 Powder Tests 6.5 Creedmoor in Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard with Nosler AccuBond Long Range bullets

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The very cost effective Weatherby Vanguard Weatherguard in 6.5 Creedmoor is a real hunting rifle designed as an all weather rifle and resists rust and corrosion day to day in the field. I love it for the less than $600 dollar price tag. Wow!

I wrote about the rifle earlier but I wanted to see what powders work best in this Weatherby with the Nosler ABLR 6.5 in 142 grain. The Nosler AccuBond Long Range is a magnificent hunting bullet as the lead core is bonded to the gilding copper jacket for maximum weight retention and penetration at a wide range of velocities.  I know that RL-15 groups well 0.9 moa but at max load it was only traveling 2424 to 2440 fps and calculated to have shot variation at 600 yards at just over an inch and I believe acceptable in a hunt and shoot situation on deer.  Accordingly, I tested IMR 4895 with 36 grains powder. Below is a 100 yard 5 shot group at around 1 moa with velocities of around 2460 in a cold barrel. As the barrel warmed in shots 3,4, and 5, the velocities went up above 2500 fps

Next I shot H4350 with 41 grains powder with initial velocities of  2523 fps in shots 1 and 2. In shots 3, 4,and 5 shot velocities increased just above 2600 fps.

What I learned from this test, which was done in very little wind at about 40 deg. F, is that cold barrel velocities for hunting in the first 2 shots of each powder made an impact difference at 600 yards that was measurable with a trajectory calculation  A velocity spread of 20 fps for say a long range 600 yard shot with a 2 inch drop variation on the target as calculated with JBM Ballistics with H4350 was not acceptable to me for a kill shot. And 11 fps spread from shot one and two with IMR 4895 equating to a one inch drop difference at 600 yards and is acceptable. The best way to see that for real, is to shoot at 600 yards and measure vertical spread. Horizontal spread is more a factor of wind at that distance and perhaps the largest factor of all in a shoot/no shoots situation if the crosswind is say near 90 degrees and 10 mph or greater. The hunter must have done his or her homework to prove the shot by practice at long range and know what works or not. It is better to pass on a marginal shot and wait for a better one or get closer to the game. We owe it to the game we hunt!

Good Shooting!

© 2018

 

 

Cold Bore or Just the Shooter?

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Many of us have experienced the first shot of your rifle prints a little high and the rest settle into a group. Part of it is perhaps a cold shooter too. I have experienced this but I do not believe that I am the cause, all the time. New shooters more than veteran shooters experience lots more variation in shot placement on cold shots. Do you have a flinch? Some do! Do you know on the first shot where your trigger will break? Did you yank the trigger? No!

Some rifle barrels do this high and right thing, again in my 50 years of shooting, particularly thinner barrels. Call it what you want, temperature can change harmonics of a thin barrel more so than a thicker one on the first shot. Further that cleaning and shooting that first shot will go through the barrel faster and differently, hence it is wise to fowl your barrel with a few rounds. An article suggested running a bore snake before shooting or to run an alcohol patch. I don’t think that is necessary and neither do those that depend on the first shot.

Know your rifle on first shots and if necessary and adjust accordingly by adjusting your aim point on that shot. If you are shooting a 600 yard match and you are off by an inch (1 moa) at 100 yards then you are off by 6 inches at 600 yards. adjust the aim point for it without touching your scope. Again, know your rifle and ammo diet. That means putting shots on the target regularly. Every rifle is different…

Dry firing practice helps before shooting for groups! It aids in knowing where your trigger breaks. If your trigger is heavy, think that a new trigger can help!

Good Shooting!

© 2018