Deer rounds that allow viewing impact

[urbaneruralite]

I would like to see some suggestions for cartridges suitable for deer hunting that allow viewing bullet impact. In, say..a ten pound rifle. If a muzzle brake is required I'd say that makes it somewhat iffy on meeting the requirement, but I'm open to all opinions.

Thanks.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

If viewing is all that important than I'd suggest something in the 260Rem class with light-weight Barnes X bullets launched at moderate velocities.

Another consideration might be to try some of the newer low recoil ammo that is designed for whitetail hunting. I believe that Federal & Rem both make it in several suitable cartridges.

Lastly, I'd suggest that you use a very low power scope which would aid significantly in maintaining your sight picture after the shot.

 

[sure shot]

243 in a 10lb rifle with a light load or add a brake to it and you could fire full house 100gr loads and spot your hits with no problem. Or do a wildcat like a 6mm-223 or PPC if range isn't going to be extreme.

 

[.338Fan]

I would go with a 7mm-08, a .260 , a .250-3000 Savage, or a .257 Roberts(standard or AI) if it were up to me. Any of these with a lighter bullet say from Barnes would fit the bill just fine.

 

[reed mosser]

I know you are going to think I am crazy, but a 22-250 ackley or 22-243 or 243win or ackley of some type will work excellent. I used a 22-250 ackley 8 twist and the old Nosler 80 gr J4's to shoot 7 deer one year two were at 500 yards. A good muzzle break on a fast 22 or 6mm will allow you to see your hits. If I were doing it I would buy a 6.5 twist 3 groove Pac Nor ,chamber for 22-243 ackley and shoot Richards 100 grain .224 bullet. Out of a 28 inch tube you should get around 3300 fps. That would give you plenty of killing powerout to 500 yards or so. The best muzzle break i have found is the JP tank style. Good luck and good hunting

 

[sure shot]

Reed I like that idea of a 22-243 with the fast twist and the 100gr wildcat that could be a sweet rig.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Urbaneruralite,

I am not disagreeing with any of the recommendations offered so far but please do not think that you are limited to small capacity rounds if you want to see your bullets impact from a 10 lb rifle.

From a solid rest, prone generally, I can see every bullet land on target at any range from the muzzle out to 1000 yards with my AM rounds in rifles as light as 8 lb rifle weight. The reason is the Holland brakes.

Depending on your hunting techniques you may be better suited to the smaller case capacity rounds but please do not feel you are limited to them solely.

Again, all mentioned rounds are good recommendations for many needs but you are not limited to a 40 gr case capacity if you want to see your bullets land on target.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Mysticplayer]

Spotting your own shots means a brake to me. I prefer to use a larger cal, heavier bullet due to better ballistics and more thumping when it gets there.

I have a Savage 110 in 7RM launchin 162gr bullets at full book value. Complete rifle is under 9lbs. I can spot my own hits from 200yds on out as far as I want to go.

I use the Micaluk AR15 break opened up to suit.

Jerry

 

[Charles A]

Guys if your body postion is correct you can spot your own hits with about any round with a brake. I spot all of my hits from 300 out with a 50BMG. Like wise my 300Tomahawk (18lbs), most with my 300win w/out a brake (11lbs), and almost all out of 308's w/out brakes (10-15lbs). Just pick a good round that fits your use and put a good brake on it learn good body position and you'll be fine.

 

[Guest]

A 243 on Lapua brass with an 87 grain V-max is a deer slaying machine and not much recoil. A good brake would help but may not be necessary with a heavier rifle.

The guy that said this,

"From a solid rest, prone generally, I can see every bullet land on target at any range from the muzzle out to 1000 yards with my AM rounds in rifles as light as 8 lb rifle weight."


Do you even have your eyes open when the bullet leaves the barrel? Anyone with good follow through knows that the muzzle blast off a magnum does not allow you to see anything in the first 100 yards through the scope. The shock waves and flame and heat shimmers block your view till the bullet gets out past 100 yards, get real son.

 

[lerch]

I will second your thought on the 243 with a brake, hell of a gun and real fun to spot shots with.

Now for your opinion about spotting shots up close with these magnum guns I can vouch for what FiftyDriver said.

When he builds his guns with those Holland Brakes there is NO RECOIL, and by that I mean absolutly NO RECOIL. In my 270 AM the gun simply pops back into my shoulder when fired. Now I know that when I shoot at 100yds, which isnt very often, into my gravel bank I can see the dirt erupt through my scope on the majority of shots.

Not trying to argue I am just speaking from my experince.

take it easy
steve

 

[Guest]

"there is NO RECOIL, and by that I mean absolutly NO RECOIL."

100 grains of powder and a brake that is over 22 inches from the chamber......hmmmmmmm. And here I was under the mistaken impression that a gas operated brake needed flow and pressure to function, and the bullet was actually about done accelerating by the time the pressure in the brake started to rise significantly. Actually I have seen the New Holland brakes on a 308 on the recoil sled. No RECOIL, hardly. They are decent but not even close to the most effective brake designs out there.

P.S. Don't try one on your 50 bmg, unless you have a hardened steel collarbone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[lerch]

Well I dont have a 50 bmg nor do I have much desire to own one.
As for them not beingthe most effective brake on the market I have only tried a few so I will admit that my view is biased from the start. As for the brakes I have tried the Holland is far and above the best I have ever used and that includes 50 cal style brakes and a few others.

When I said there is no recoil I my be exaggerating a bit. There is some recoil, there is also some recoil in a 22lr, 22 mag, and a 223 but we dont hear many people whining about it. I shot a 170gr bullet in a 30" barrel with 104grs of powder behind it and I am able to basically allow the rifle to rest freely on a rear bag and the recoil simply carries the gun back to my shoulder.

Now my rifle ways 13lbs so it is not much of a carry gun, though I carrry it anyway. But if FiftyDriver says his lightwieght guns show the same result with the holland brake I am gonna believe him

take it easy
steve

 

[Ringman]

urbaneruralite,

Seeing the impact is part of my fun while hunting or shooting varmints. My 8 1/2 pound 7STW has a home made brake. It was tested on a recoil slide once each without, with a brake from Brownells and my brake. Without it produceded 27 1/16" of free recoil travel. With the Brownell it traveled 11 7/8". The home made brake only allowed 5 1/4" of free recoil travel. All loads were 130 G.S.Customs H.V.s at 3,625 feet per second average. I loaded 80 grains of IMR7828. Imediately Clif(who owns the slide) said, "Man I want to shoot that! Give me another bullet." Needless to say, I can see impacts.