Looking for advice on a do it all rifle

[tmcneil6]

Hello I currently have a Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter in 7mm-08. It is a 20" factory free floated barrel and factory wooden stock. I am looking to get something for long range as well as woods hunting. If what I have will work perfectly fine with what I'm wanting to do, I'm fine with that. Just looking for advice from people with more experience than me. I normally hunt woods and small fields around my house, however usually once a year I go to the eastern part of NC, where I can shoot as far as I can see. I like the 7mm-08 but I'm just not sure about taking a 300-400 yard shot on a deer in the eastern part of the state. Most of the woods surrounding the fields down there are very nasty, thick places you don't really want to go in after an animal, especially after dark. I had a 270 WSM at one time and never had a deer run off after a high shoulder shot with it. My farthest shot was 279 paces from my stand. Like I said, if the 7mm-08 will do the same that's fine and I will save a lot of money from buying a new rifle. I don't currently handload but want to start, I have the press, scale, powder measure etc and 60 pieces of brass, just need to buy the dies, powder, bullets, and primers. Like I said looking for something good from 0-400 yards. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[Sully2]

For 400 yards...you have all you need. Pick up the hand loading ASAP...you'll be amazed at just how much more you can do.

 

[RT2506]

It is all about bullet placement. If you can place the bullet where it is supposed to go then you have what you need. You just need to practice shooting out to 400 yards so you know where to hold or click your scope. Elevation is easy to come up with. What separates the men from the boys is windage. Across those open fields of soy beans, peanuts or cotton in East NC the wind almost always blows in the morning and through the day up until about 1 hour before it gets dark which just happens to be the best time to find old mister buck sneaking into the field. I have hunted Northampton and Halifax Co's for about 32 years. Just got back from a hunt there last week. There are lanes/roads cut through some cut overs as well as fields where I hunt. My buddy and I used to do control hunting on this property. We had to take 100 deer each year and did that for 15 years. They don't have that program any more because they stopped planing the farm. I understand what you mean about the woods being thick,with what I call NC concertina wire green briar, and full of things like snakes etc. that you really don't what to have to go tracking a deer into especially after dark. During our days of crop damage control I learned what to use and what not to use on deer. I know others have had grate luck using a 7mm Mag but it is the worst caliber I ever used on deer. They run off a ways most of the time. I can't explain it but I tried all kinds of bullets and loads and more than not they run out of the fields into the woods 50 to 100 yards even though they would slosh on the inside. Best calibers I found that just drop them in their tracks is first and foremost the 25-06 with most any 100 to 120 gr bullet. I prefer the 117 Sierra. Most any 6.5 caliber, 260 rem, 6.5X55 and 264 Win mag. I prefer the 120 Nosler ballistic tip in everything except the 264 Win mag which gets the 130 Nosler Accubond. In 30 cal. as long as you keep impact velocity 3000 fps and below the 125 Nosler ballistic tip is just bang flop on deer. In the 7-08 I would give the 120 Nosler ballistic tip a long look as well as the 140 Berger VLD hunting bullets driven as fast as you accurately can. Good luck and good hunting.