Grizz at 500 to 600 yds

[Brent]

Well I have lots of time for hunting now that Consolidated Freightways went bankrupt and I'm out of a job, for now.

I seen a nice BIG grizz covering up a moose someone killed that was not leagal and just left laying right in the trail. Turns out it's a great spot for a long range shot when he comes back, maybe tonight. We were about a mile off up on a ridge when we were watching him the night before last.

A 300WM and factory loaded Sciroccos may work well at this range so I will check groups at this range with this load tonight before the opportunity presents itself, hopefully. My friend Eric will be backing me up from about 160 yds to the right of the bear. He is using 250gr Barnes X's in his 338WM.

It is in the middle of pretty open swamps with one hill about 70 feet tall to spot and shoot from. Eric will be in a old tree stand that happens to be close to the animal.

We've seen several bull moose lately and it shouldn't be long before everything comes together there. We see very few hunters in our area and pressure is very, very low so that helps.

Never thought I'd get any time to hunt this fall. Building the rest of the house was going to use most of my vacation up, but things sometimes change fast don't they. There IS a bright side to everything.

 

[texas]

Brent, I very sorry to hear about you losing your job. I had e-mailed you about jobs up that way. I know that God has better plans for you. I was faced with the same thing 3-1/2 months ago, went to work made the first run got back and got laid off.
Didn't tell the wife for 3 days.
So my heart and prayers go out to you.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

For BIG GRIZZ, I'd much rather be shooting a Swift A-Frame than the Scirrocco. Let us know how you make out.
VH

 

[Brent]

Texas,
I never got your email? It is not the best time of the year to loose work in this line, a couple months ago would have been much better. I can't say there's much but I'll do fine, it just may take some time. Someone will get that freight and work will come.

The bear was a no show the night before last. Last night he milled around a couple hundred yards behind where I was going to camp for about two hours and never going to the kill in the light. I decided to camp up about 1100 feet on the mountain to see where he might be hanging around before another attempt. I'll stay off aways, watch and then see how to best persue this one. I'm going back again tonightfor some vidios of him and to keep tabs on him and a few bulls I've been seeing too.

I never know how long he's going to stick around so the 20 minutes it takes me to get to where he might be is really a LONG time for a bear that's always moving around. If he goes to the kill, I have a much better opportunity to get there and set up, and that is if the wind is right too.

Had I known he would have been around so long the last time and went after him, he would have walked right to the spot I was going to shoot him from. after that he moved about 100yds to the right of there and bathed in a pool for almost 40 minutes. I was by myself by then and would have just taken the 416wby loaded with 400XLC's for the getting in close and personal.

I may use the 416 for the long range stuff too just because it would work much better at stopping him quicker. It is very destuctive on whatever it touches near or far. I have a very good drop chart and lots of experience with it and the load also.

I checked out the 300WM and the factory load to 500yds and it matched the Oehler programs drop chart perfectly, WOW! The Horus Vision handheld program had to be modified to a .590 BC from .520 to match the Oehlers chart and actual drop though. I have not cronied the load or checked the actual BC though, Just matched up the chart to the actual drop I'm getting. I did find that if velocity was moved up from 3100 to 3150 the BC could be moved back down to .520 on the handheld and the Oehler chart again matched.

A 180gr Scirocco removed from the sand after penitrating a 12" burnt stump fired at 100 yards looked great and weighed 153grs at 85% retention. It would be much higher at just 300 yards, and beyond that just right I think.

8 moa to zero at 500yds is a far cry from the 13.5 needed with the 416 and the 308win though. Groups were within a coffie can lid at 500 just resting over a rifle in a padded case so it is capable with the factory stuff for sure. A heavy factory trigger is b*tch with this thing.

Wish you all could be here, I'm having a great time, even though, well the job thing.

 

[texas]

Best of luck to you on both the hunting and job seach

. Is that your Ruger #1 416 Wby or something different? What loads are you using.

 

[Brent]

Thanks,
The 416wby is a Ruger Magnum bolt action origanally a 416 Rigby. 400gr XLC over 115gr RL22 at 2650fps seated at 3.755", which is beyond the cannelure and not crimped either. Bullets have never jumped in over 300rds now. The bullet is into the lands slightly but psi is at about 60,000 and still under 63,000 with 3 times fired brass, velocity remained the same. I could push it but accuracy falls off pretty steep. Case life is good too. 400 gr Swift A-Frames are generating about 65,000 psi and case expansion is twice what the XLC'c are. Groups with them fall in the 1 1/2 range no matter what load I use. I have two boxes on the shelf unused hoping for a better powder combination later. RL25 or Retumbo might work good but haven't tried them yet.

The Ruger #1 I used to have was a 378wby and has been rebarreled and chambered to 450 3 1/4" Nitro.

[ 09-08-2002: Message edited by: Brent ]

 

[Brent]

Once again, going after a grizz and actually getting a shot at one is largely two different stories. As you may have suspected, talk is cheap. The bear just wouldn't follow the script as I wrote it. He is definitely being a challenge at every turn. Weather has been terrible with lots of wind and everything is spooked. It died back down today so back out again later on.

Lots of big bulls in the 40+" range just none in the legal 50" or over range so far, well maybe a couple but couldn't be sure.