First kill with one of Kirby's finest

[ejwiser]

First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Hey all, been a lurker around here for a while, decided I've got a little something to contribute finally...

I bought a used gun built by Kirby off this forum over the summer in 300 RUM. Load workup this fall was a joy and a breeze... worst groups were 3/4 to 1 inch, but by playing with the seating depth on 200 AB's I finally settled on Re25 as the powder as I ended up getting a .18 inch group at 100 yards with the 200 AB going 3300 fps.

Went back to Tennessee for the deer season opener with hopes of besting my farthest kill of 420 yards. The Monday after the opener, my cousin saw a nice 8 ptr chasing a doe at 500 yards, but he wouldn't stay still long enough to get off a good shot. He couldn't hunt that afternoon, so I set up about 400 yards from the thicket he came out of, and sure enough, he came back out 30 minutes before dark with a doe. Ranged 355 yards, came up a few clicks on the scope and absolutely poleaxed him at a 3/4 angle towards me. Bullet just behind the near shoulder, exited out the opposite ham. No tracking job needed /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Scored right around 120, 16" inside spread, 10" g2, but no mass. 3 1/2 yrs old.

Not nearly as far as I would have really wanted, but an exciting hunt nevertheless.

A couple of days later, my cousin and I set up in a valley facing a hill 700 yards away. His turn to shoot, no wind and I was the spotter and backup. Doe came out to feed at 666 yards. His first shot was a little low, but perfect windage. Came up a few more clicks and drilled her in the heart with the next shot. She walked around 50 yards and dropped. Time for high 5's! (His gun is a 7mm- 300 Winchester- Weatherby improved)

Thanks again for the wonderful forum, and thanks Kirby for your quality work!

 

[Buffalobob]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

That is a fine deer with an interesting rack.

 

[Mountainsheep]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Good shooting! That rack does have a lot of character; congratulations.
Dvae

 

[screech]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

nice buck, what is a 7mm- 300 Winchester- Weatherby improved

 

[Fotis]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

[ QUOTE ]
in 300 RUM. Load workup this fall was a joy and a breeze... worst groups were 3/4 to 1 inch, but by playing with the seating depth on 200 AB's I finally settled on Re25 as the powder as I ended up getting a .18 inch group at 100 yards with the 200 AB going 3300 fps.

[/ QUOTE ]

How long is the barrel? From a 26' I can muster 3150 or so safely.

 

[ejwiser]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

screech... a 7mm- 300 Win Weatherby improved is a 300 winchester case necked down to 7mm with the Weatherby radius shoulder on it. Basically it was the biggest case he could fit in his browning action after the shot out the throat as an original 7 mag. He had to hog out the magazine box as well. Honestly, I think he did it more just to have a round very few other people would have. He's about tired of all the work it takes to prep and fireform cases.

Pop... My gun has a 28" barrel. I'm actually getting 3280 fps with the 200 AB's, just rounded up to 3300 in the post. I've never had a 300 RUM before, using 91.5 gr Re 25, doesn't that sound about right? No pressure signs that I can see, and I didn't go with any more powder as I already had 3 groups under a half- inch and since the gun is used, I'm trying to save barrel and throat life.

 

[hoghound]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Nice buck and nice velocity with the 200ab. A word of advice...don't know what the temp was when you worked up that load, but when the temps get up in the 90's+ you are going to see the pressure sky rocket with rl22. I know it shoots good but it is very very temp sinsitive in the 300rum down south where we are. I would hurt to see you hurt if things let go. That's a pile of powder in your face. I have real good luck with H-1000 in mine and temp does not bother it near as bad.

LITTLE BILLY ON ...GETTING OLDER

Little BILLY was sitting on a park bench munching on one candy bar after another.
After the 6th one, a man on the bench across from him said, "Son, you know eating all that candy isn't good for you. It will give you acne, rot your teeth, and make you fat." Little BILLY replied, "My grandfather lived to be 107 years old."Oh?" replied the man." Did your grandfather eat 6 candy bars at a time? "No" replied Little Billy, "he minded his own f------g business!!"

 

[hoghound]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

I ment RL25 not 22. Sometimes my fingers go faster than my brain.

PS: I don't mean to be the man on the bench across from little Billy either. Just don't want to see a fellow outdoorsman hurt or anyone else for that matter. I see enough of that s--t everyday.

Later Tim

 

[Fiftydriver]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Megalomaniac,

Glad to hear that 300 RUM is back in action. It was a hell of a shooter when I tested it before shipping, looks like she is continuing for you.

Thats a nice buck, you could have said it was a 140" buck and I would have believed you. Looks much larger then its 120" score says it is. Congrats.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Fiftydriver]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Tim Tx,

I agree with your cautious look at the 300 RUM with these powders but I can assure you that while the pressures may go WAY over what is comfortable for a good working load, there is no way that they will be high enough to result in anything but a blown primer pocket which is not a good thing but not catastrophic in any way.

Still, I would agree, if the load was developed in cold weather, its always better to rework up your load if youplan to use it in hot temps.

I have found elevation, humidity and Bar pressure have as much to do with increase pressure as higher temps do.

The reason I say that is because here in Montana, it is generally much drier and more consistant pressure and humidity wise. While increased temp does make a differnece up here, it does not seem to be as dramatic as what you guys see down south.

Good tip and that practice should always be followed.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[sambo3006]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

[ QUOTE ]

Thats a nice buck, you could have said it was a 140" buck and I would have believed you. Looks much larger then its 120" score says it is. Congrats.
Kirby Allen(50)

[/ QUOTE ]

That's because you are used to shooting those fat western/Canadian whitetails! Our bucks don't go 300 on the hoof, try about half of that for a good one. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

That is a nice one, megalomaniac, way to go! He would have gotten a ride in the back of my truck for sure.

 

[hoghound]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Thanks for the backup Kirby. I was developing a load for my rum in the 50's and was shooting ragged holes at 300yds with the Berger 210's at 3150. The temp rose to the mid to high 80's and Mike shot at some hogs and came back to the barn with iron out primers on the cases. I told him it was the same load, that should not be. Ran a couple thru the chrony and was getting a whopping 3420's out of a 26" barrel.

As far as primers, Mike wears glasses and that's what saved his eye. The rest of the primer he dug out of the end of his nose and sports a scare today from it.

Not trying to scare anybody or preach to the chior by no means. Everybody wants a big bullet going mach2, hell I'm no exception, it's just how you get their, RL-25 is to heat sensitive down here in that caliber in my opinion. H-1000 we can get the same velocities without radical pressures seen in RL-25.

Tim

 

[41mag]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

megalomaniac,

Thats a nice looking buck for sure. Definately has some charactor.

Your right Kirby puts some great work into his work for sure.

As for the loads, ol Tim is just passing along some info we gathered this year with his RUM. He is right about us both pushing the envelope on ocaision. I was terribly lucky when the primer blew out on that load. It could have just have easily gotten an eye.

I had worked up the load in cooler weather and decided to swap a scope out during the off season and went to re-zero it. First round was like a bomb went off, and then the fellow next to me ask if I was alright. I said sure why, about that time I felt the drip off the tip of my nose. When I felt where it was coming from, I had a piece of the primer sticking out about midway of the bridge just below my glasses. I carried that shell around with me for quite a while as a reminder. Since then I am generally way more cautious in my approach to new powders and different conditions.

All he is trying to say is be cautious with that powder if you worked the load up in cooler weather. IT didn't take a lot of change to make a big difference in his rifle.

Kirby is also right, we are sitting just above sea level and the overall conditions here make a big difference in what we can get away with over what folks elsewhere can.

 

[ejwiser]

Re: First kill with one of Kirby\'s finest

Been out of pocket, tied up with a 190 inch nontypical I killed this past Saturday here in Mississippi (pics below). Just got back to this thread...

The first buck looks like a 140 because he's a genetic freak- TINY body. When he came out, I honestly thought he had an 18 inch spread as he's and inch past both ears. When I got up to him, I realized he's just a tiny deer all around, only weighed around 130 lbs, despite being 3 1/2 yrs old. We killed 2 does the same day bigger than him!

Thanks for the advice about Re25... I had heard it was temp sensitive, but I pray I'll never have to hunt in temps above 75 degrees during rifle season. My load development is around 55 degrees, and honestly, I had no pressure signs on the case or primer with the loads. I steered away from h-1000 because I had heard it was so corrosive.

The nontypical below was not a long range kill, unfortunately... but I'll take him anyway /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
17 1/4 inch inside spread, 22 scorable points; 7 inch base on the right side. Killed him with my encore muzzleloader at 70 yards.