6PPC limits

[EXPRESS]

Yesterday I shot a fairly big fallow buck at 287m (313yrd), presented with my favourite shot, broadside, slightly quartering towards me. This lets me break the shoulder at the socket where it fits into the scapula and puts you in line with the lungs afterwards.

Well the deer baulked and ran 40 odd meters then dissappeared into the bush.
It was getting dark and I had a bad feeling that the little 70gn Ballistic Tip had not been suffient.

I found the deer another 15meters into the bush dead, with his shoulder broken and no exit wound. (or blood for that)

On butchering I found that the bullet had indeed busted through the exact joint I wanted to take out, and had continued into the lungs. But it stopped there.
There was a good deal of congealed and some frothy blood inside the chest cavity with a small section of one lobe of the lungs pretty torn up.

I actually recovered what was left of the bullet in a lung.

I can try and get a pic to post if anyone is interested to see it. Not much to look at, just the slightly cup shaped base with a few slivers of copper folded backwarks.

The bullet did the job, but with nothing left to spare, but it did well considering that it encountered heavy bone first up.

I don't think I'll try shooting a big buck past 300m with the little 6PPC, as a matter of fact I might put it to use for just roe deer and pigs(they have nice big heads ;-) )
and use the .308 for fallow.(still waiting on the scope)

BTW - By fairly big buck I mean an animal of about 150lb, a two year old, he was a fairly big buck considering his age. A big buck of 6 years of age can get as big as 260lb.

 

[Brown Dog]

Express
Thanks for your answer on the long range PPC question. I'm also chiefly hunting roe, although at the other end of the power spectrum-with a 300WM. Obviously it's far too much, I really bought it for reds, but can't seem to stop using it!
Nevertheless, I do have a hankering for something that's easy to shoot and lets me see bullet strike, as said,; leaning toward the 6BR, but very interested to read of the success and limitations you are finding with the PPC.
Off at a tangent; are you importing your guns from the States or buying locally?

 

[EXPRESS]

I buy locally, it's too hard to import. It's also very hard to get decent gunsmiths here and just as hard again to find people with the actual manual skills AND the mindset needed to accept and understand many of our needs.

I had a lot of arguments with one huy here who is a very good rifle builder of BR rifles, but he just plain wouldn't do a tactical rig for me.

I have to shop around for stuff that can be properly modified without going outside the bounds of the law here, since everyhing must be listed on a national catalog.

If you change barrel length or action type you've got a new weapon for the Italian law.

The 6PPC is a near stock Sako Varminter, bedded and the trigger smoothed out.

I have just found another smith that will true actions for me so I might get some work done on that rifle but not till I see it needing a new barrel, for now it shoots in the .2.

Brown Dog, where are you posting from?

The 6PPC for roe is just perfect for LR work, I have set up a 550m spot that I want to tr very soon, as soon as I can get the deer to coperate.

For pigs it also works well because I tend to head shoot them and they have a much larger brain/vitals on the head than most people realize.

I have just picked up a Remington LTR in .223 which is just going to be a fun rig and might see some use overseas or on nutria here which is a promising rifle, being a Remington action it can easily be pulled apart and trued. The Sakos are tough to pull apart(so I'm told)
Sako has also discontinued their 22PPC and 6PPC but that is of little consequence since they have been so cataloged I can have one put together anytime as long as the parent aciton and barrel length remain true to the specs on the national catalog.

I've just finished my culling program for this season, so I will have a dull period and will concentrate on getting some trigger time at the range as well as sorting my .308 and this new .223 out.

I do buy all of my accessories in the States, it saves me a lot of mony but the shipping slow and killing me.

I am currently waiting, it's now been nearly three weeks since my scope, basem, rings bi-pod and other toys were sent and I still haven't fired a shot out of my HS HTR...

I've got plenty of info on the 6PPC so if you've got any more questions I'm always happy to rant about it.

 

[1894]

Express,

Congrats on the shot.

I would think that that level of marginality at 300m points to a greater chance of failure the closeryou get.

How many HA do you manage?

 

[EXPRESS]

1894; I have 110HA of which 70 are arable and the rest a mix of thick brush with somemore open stuff. There are some large lakes on the southernmost edge, several rivers and a handful of springs.

I can appreciate what you are saying about the terminal performance being reduced at close range, though I think at that range the velicity/energy is just barly enough to get the penetration, not a cause for actual bullet failure.

It seems that at whatever rantge the bullets come apart leaving just the base to continue, when you are closed there is just more energy to drive the copper cup further in.

Another bloke you may know, IanF took a young buck at 300m a few weeks ago here with my rifle, the shot placement was slightly different, but the bullet exited, not having encountered major bones.

His deer made a short stumble before piling up as well, si I think a lot of this had to do with hitting that big shoulder bone first up.

 

[Brown Dog]

Express,
I'm in UK

 

[EXPRESS]

I gathered that much mate, could you be any more specific with me seeming in descreet?

I'm over to the UK for a hunt or two each year with a friend who lives in Devon.

I am trying to find the time to get over there this spring now that the roebuck season is open.

 

[Brown Dog]

Express,
email in-bound to you

 

[dakor]

I think you would have better luck with a different bullet or the 95 grain Ballistic Tip. The 70 grainer is made for Varmits and has a real thin jacket. You might want to look at the Barnes X 75 grain or the New 85 grain Barnes TSX. The TSX bullets I have used are very accurate and will perform very well on game.

[ 04-03-2004: Message edited by: dakor ]