MikeW & Texas,
Obviously you two can shoot and are using quality rigs but for sniping dogs at long range why use such large rounds. I can get the same results with my little 6mm-284 with a third the recoil. Here is my setup
Nothing fancy, just put together right.
Action: Winchester M70(Formerly a Heavy Varmint rifle chambered for the .243 Win)
Barrel: Lilja 30", fluted, stainless, #7 contour. .243" bore with a 1-8", three groove twist.
Stock: Factory H-S varminter stock except that I filled the channel under the barrel with #12 lead shot and epoxied it in place. Also removed the rear swivel stud and drilled out to fill hollow of stock again with #12 lead shot, epoxied solid and smooth with stock finish. Rifle weighs 18.5 lbs ready to shoot.
Action work: barrel chambered and fitted to blueprinted action by Dennis Olsen of Plains MT. Glass bedded including the first 5" of barrel.
Chamber: Tight throat and match neck. Throated to seat a 107gr Matchking to 3.100" o.a.l.
Load:
-Win 284 cases
-Trimmed to 2.150"
-Necks turned to 0.0105"(0.0015" bullet release)
-Primer pockets cut and squared.
-Flashhole deburred
-Cases weighted and sorted into +/- .5 gr groups.
-107 gr Sierra Matchking(coated)
-R-22 (heavier load then should be used with a standard throat rifle so I will not list)
-CCI-BR2 primers
All loads are loaded using Redding Competition dies which hold run outs to the 0.001" or less range on once fired cases.
With this rifle load combo, I drive a .530 b.c. bullet to 3595 fps. As far as accuracy goes, last weekend I tested the rifle for accuracy with a new lot of powder at my 500 yard range. Firing 8 three shot groups, I got an average of 0.957" ctc. Largest group was 2.105" ctc and the smallest was 0.358" ctc.
I will give you that the 162 gr A-Max has a better b.c. and that eventually it will catch up and out run the 107 gr pill but not by much with the velocity advantage it has over the 7mm bullet.
Now if your talking about 1000 yard chuck hunting then the bigger rifles are well suited to the task as a chuck is a very tough animal for its size and the extra H.P. is a good thing.
But for P. Dogs it seems like more bother then its worth. Of course I have had a few shooters tell me the same thing when I throw a 750 gr A-Max at a chuck a mile away but it works just fine and its easy to see bullet impacts.
I see no fault in your choices but there are lighter rounds that will accomplish the same thing.
Good Shooting!!!
50
