Novice: 7RM out to 600 yds.

[bajaaa]

Hope its Ok to share a few pics here with my new friends...At 47 yrs old I've only been hunting 2.5 yrs with my hunting partner who is my 19 yr old son...

We've bagged 2 dozen plus animals in that short time and I hope many more to come...Sooo much more for me and him to learn and experience!!!

Its a true pleasure meeting you all...


225+ lbs Polynesian Wild Boar "Hawaii"
235yds 30-06 150gr WW Power-Points



Oryx Namibia 13 months ago


Kudu Namibia
275yd shot 30-06 180gr Partition handloads


40" Oryx



Warthog on the left, no I mean the right...


I just thought I'd share these here with all my new friends as its good to put a face to all the great conversation we've been having!!!

 

[kiwi3006]

Wow, very nice animals! I am very envious, a Kudu is definetly one of the animals I would love to shoot.
What animals do you have to hunt in Hawaii? (I assume you live in Hawaii).
Looks like your shopping list of equipment is spot on.

Stu.

 

[Topshot]

Hi bajaaa,

Very nice pics of you and the game you have taken, well done.

I see you have received some great advice from the members of this site, they are not a bad bunch of blokes. The advice that they have given you on loads and bullets is excellent.

Given that you are on a tight budget and only want to shoot out to 600 yards, this is what I would do!

First, buy a reasonable Rangefinder that can read to 600 yards reliably. Take it out and get use to it.

Second, buy a name brand scope in your price bracket with either ballistic plex or mil dot reticle.

Third, Sight the scope in for 200 yards then don't touch the adjustment knobs after that. Simply calibrate the reticle marks at the rifle range and make up a drop chart to suit. A ballistics program will help here.

Fourth, go out into the field where you can safely shoot, laser up some rocks etc and get some practice field shooting.

I have done this with a 338WM and Burris 3-9x40 Full field II scope with ballistic plex reticle. It is amazing how far you can shoot accurately with a cheap scope if you work things out properly.

 

[bajaaa]

Hey Stu... if you ever are interested in going to Africa let me know as my close friend is the exclusive US booking agent for 5 outfitters there! And the deals, trophy quality, food, and service is excellent and unsurpassed!!! We plan to go back hopefully in 2011 for Blue Wildebeest, Black Wildebeest, Red Hartebeest, Waterbuck, and Leopard on opportunity!!!...Its hard to beat for the price and worth every penny!!! I know its tough for everyone in this failing economy and I can't afford it either, but I can't afford not to go either...as long as my wife says GO...me and Josh will GO!!!



My son Josh shot this nice Kudu Bull inside 200yds
with his pre-Garcia L61R 30-06 Finnbear 180gr Partition handload



Nice Stallion he shot for my wife as she was the one that sent us to Africa



Another Kudu I shot after a long crazy stalk...through both shoulders and took out his spine...all of our animals required only one-shot
and 6 of our 12 were DRT and the other 6 ran < 40 yds...really happy with the performance of the 180gr Partitions..This was the only animal that we didn't get a complete pass-through but after busting both shoulders and spine it was found just a mm or two under the skin of the off-side shoulder!



This one was a TOAD...


Aloha!

Ro

 

[bajaaa]

Top-Shot thanks for chiming in buddy I appreciate it mate!

After much deliberating and knowing my budget-crunch AJ suggested the same thing in using my 3-9x40mm that I got on there right now out to 600 yds!


Then I can take my time and save for the Night Force in a year or so!

Practicing and hunting out to 600yd I should have it covered for now...I just have to learn the tricks in setting up my drops....

Things are really starting to take shape much quicker than I expected all because of the member's of this awesome forum!!!

Thank you very much!

Aloha!

Ro

 

[bajaaa]

Wow, very nice animals! I am very envious, a Kudu is definetly one of the animals I would love to shoot.
What animals do you have to hunt in Hawaii? (I assume you live in Hawaii).
Looks like your shopping list of equipment is spot on.

Stu.

We got boars, Mouflon rams and Barbary-hybrid rams, Spanish Hawaiian Ibex billys, beautiful Axis deer, Black-tail deer, Vancouver bulls, and all sorts of upland game-birds like pheasant, francolin, Eerkels, etc., etc.

All of these introduced by the early European discoverer's who gave many of these to our King(s)...and then through the years other animals on the list here were brought in by the early missionaries and white settlers to our island...Its a beautiful place! I am born and raised here on the island of Oahu but much of the hunting game is on our seven outer islands only about 30 minutes away by plane!

Below is a photo my friend sent me who is working on the island of Maui,,,I'm starting to get into wildlife photography and he sent me this image to process for him...
Just thought I'd share for some of you that have never vacationed here....lots of pigs/boars in here....hehehehehe Most pig-hunters use dogs and knife as its real thick in most areas where the pigs hang-out!!!

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Hey Ro,

Your enthusiasm is great! Am very glad we could be of some help and it sounds like you got soem great advise from AJ. Those 160/162 bullets are a good pick, especially if you want to stretch your legs a little farther than 800 yds at some point.

On the range finder... do a little research on some threads. You might start out with a mid level one for now and get something better latter. Something you should know though, is that most DO NOT range to the distance they claim. I.e. I got a nikon 1200 last year that ranged to about 800 yds and not always. Most of the guys in here use a Swaro ($1000) or Lieca 1200 ($600-$700). The Leica will range to 1200 and the Swaro usually past 1500 yds. I have seen Swaros go for a little over $600 on ebay and that's where I'll be getting mine when I save the $$$. A Nikon 1200 might be just the ticket for you and you might find a good deal (less than $300) on ebay.

Great pics of your African hunt! That's awesome you could have an experience like that with your son! Your warthog seems to bear a slight resemblence with you.. maybe it's the smile?

Keep us posted on your progress,

Aloha and Best,

-MR

 

[AJ Peacock]

e....hehehehehe Most pig-hunters use dogs and knife as its real thick in most areas where the pigs hang-out!!!

Roland,


Nice picture!

As far as the pigs with a knife!!, When I cut a pig with a knife, he'll already be on a plate!

Nice talking with you last night, I'm sure you'll be reaching out there beyond your wildest dreams faster than you think.

AJ

 

[woolecox]

My Rem 700 7m Mag wears a Leupold VXIII 4.5-14x50 Long Range with Boone and Crockett reticule. I am very please with this set up and love the side focus/parallax feature. I think it is around $800 at Optics Planet.

When you get your loads worked up you can put your ballistics into LoadBase 2.0 and it will give you exact yardages for this aiming reticule and many others as well as MOA tables.

So far my most accurate loads have been from Speer BTSP 160's with RL-25 behind them. Still working up loads for Berger VLD 168.