Need a copper load

[Mowdy Ag]

...the 145 LRX has been very good to me and my Ruger No. 1 STW. ...but not so much to the whitetails in Texas. First, the qualifier: all rifles are different. With that out of the way, a 145 LRX over 79.3 grains of H-1000, Nosler brass, and a CCI magnum primer delivers 3,240 FPS and .75 MOA out of the stainless 26" barrel. Not the hottest of STW loads by far - but hot enough - and pretty dang good accuracy for one of those "vertical stringing" Rugers.

It's my standard load and it will stay that way.

...and oh yeah, the jump is .045".

Good luck,

MA

 

[adam32]

Cutting Edge Bullets, never heard of them. Have you used them or know anybody that has? How they perform on game, accuracy? WOW, on paper they are outstanding, thank you for your help.

Chad, where at in CA are you? The statewide ban doesn't go into effect till 2019, and its the one law that me personally will flat out refuse to follow!

Now, if you are in the sensitive "condor zone" then you need to check the approved bullet list, I would bet that Cutting Edge isn't on it. A buddy down in Santa Barbara got a ticket for using a lead free bullet that wasn't on the approved list, DFG will cut your bullet open to check it. He fought it in court and the judge said that's the dumbest thing he's ever heard and threw it out.

Remember the old saying, "Save a logger, shoot an owl"...well now its, "Save a hunter, kill all condors!".

 

[chad k]

I am in the condor zone and I had forgotten about the approved bullet list. I have never actually seen the list, but I will see it now. Thanks for saving me time and money.

 

[FEENIX]

Chad, where at in CA are you? The statewide ban doesn't go into effect till 2019, and its the one law that me personally will flat out refuse to follow!

Now, if you are in the sensitive "condor zone" then you need to check the approved bullet list, I would bet that Cutting Edge isn't on it. A buddy down in Santa Barbara got a ticket for using a lead free bullet that wasn't on the approved list, DFG will cut your bullet open to check it. He fought it in court and the judge said that's the dumbest thing he's ever heard and threw it out.

Remember the old saying, "Save a logger, shoot an owl"...well now its, "Save a hunter, kill all condors!".

CEB has been in the approved list since Apr 12, 2010.

 

[adam32]

CEB has been in the approved list since Apr 12, 2010.

I haven't seen the list, never will, I have no desire to comply. I'll ask my buddy what bullet he was using that wasn't on the list.

 

[FEENIX]

I haven't seen the list, never will, I have no desire to comply. I'll ask my buddy what bullet he was using that wasn't on the list.

Certified Nonlead Ammunition Information - California Department of Fish and Wildlife

 

[adam32]

I wonder if it's possible to take the green tip out and put it in an AccuBond? If they don't cut it open it would a good bullet...

 

[chad k]

FEENIX You are full of good info. thanks

 

[FEENIX]

FEENIX You are full of good info. thanks

Cheers!

 

[Ozzie]

First: I, for one, am sick of all the California bashing that goes on in the gun community and what occurred in response to this gentleman's posting. I have traveled in all 50 states and lived in many of them and there is NO place as nice as California, especially on the coast. I have lived here for 35 years now and nothing else even comes close. I shoot most every Sunday at a very nice 1,000 yard canyon range about a half hour from the ocean. Our range is full of the nicest people you could want to meet and we love it here - where today, 2/10/14, there are clear blue skies, a light breeze off the Pacific and it is about 70 degrees. I am perfectly willing to put up with a stricter regulatory environment to live, shoot and hunt here, no matter what some of you folks or the NRA has to say about it. Here we call this "pushback". OK, on to the question itself.

I shoot a custom Sako 75 stainless/synthetic 7mm STW with a 9 twist 27" #5 contour fluted Broughton 5c barrel. I also shoot a factory Sako 75 Deluxe 7mm STW with a 26" factory barrel - which I shot out and needs replacing. I have never found a copper load that shoots as well as the Berger 180s beyond 500 yards but the 150 gr. Barnes TTSX's do shoot around a MOA up to that point. I ladder tested a bunch of recommended powders and settled on H1000 max loads. All the copper loads in all my guns are really sensitive to seating depth and the reason I say that my Sako Deluxe factory barrel is shot out is that I tested so many powders that now I cannot seat the TTSX's close enough to the lands to get satisfactory long range accuracy. My bad.

The Cutting Edge bullets are ridiculously expensive and don't really shoot that much better than the Barnes. Plus, they won't seat in my magazines so they make them into single shot guns. Not what I'm looking for. My reading on this topic so far indicates that the 1000+ guys can't get the copper bullets to shoot very well at ultra long ranges no matter what they do. My bottom line - shoot copper bullets to 500 yards in California and stalk closer if I can. When I hunt in Wyoming, I shoot the 180 grain Bergers. But I have to tell you, I'd rather eat venison shot with a California bullet than ingest any more lead from the exploding Bergers. I'm stupid enough as it is.

Carl

 

[chad k]

First: I, for one, am sick of all the California bashing that goes on in the gun community and what occurred in response to this gentleman's posting. I have traveled in all 50 states and lived in many of them and there is NO place as nice as California, especially on the coast. I have lived here for 35 years now and nothing else even comes close. I shoot most every Sunday at a very nice 1,000 yard canyon range about a half hour from the ocean. Our range is full of the nicest people you could want to meet and we love it here - where today, 2/10/14, there are clear blue skies, a light breeze off the Pacific and it is about 70 degrees. I am perfectly willing to put up with a stricter regulatory environment to live, shoot and hunt here, no matter what some of you folks or the NRA has to say about it. Here we call this "pushback". OK, on to the question itself.

I shoot a custom Sako 75 stainless/synthetic 7mm STW with a 9 twist 27" #5 contour fluted Broughton 5c barrel. I also shoot a factory Sako 75 Deluxe 7mm STW with a 26" factory barrel - which I shot out and needs replacing. I have never found a copper load that shoots as well as the Berger 180s beyond 500 yards but the 150 gr. Barnes TTSX's do shoot around a MOA up to that point. I ladder tested a bunch of recommended powders and settled on H1000 max loads. All the copper loads in all my guns are really sensitive to seating depth and the reason I say that my Sako Deluxe factory barrel is shot out is that I tested so many powders that now I cannot seat the TTSX's close enough to the lands to get satisfactory long range accuracy. My bad.

The Cutting Edge bullets are ridiculously expensive and don't really shoot that much better than the Barnes. Plus, they won't seat in my magazines so they make them into single shot guns. Not what I'm looking for. My reading on this topic so far indicates that the 1000+ guys can't get the copper bullets to shoot very well at ultra long ranges no matter what they do. My bottom line - shoot copper bullets to 500 yards in California and stalk closer if I can. When I hunt in Wyoming, I shoot the 180 grain Bergers. But I have to tell you, I'd rather eat venison shot with a California bullet than ingest any more lead from the exploding Bergers. I'm stupid enough as it is.

Carl

Carl, thanks for the info, but nobody is supposed to know that we can shoot 360 days out of the year comfortably in short sleeves. Its a secret

 

[Ozzie]

Chad:

Stupid me. I wondered why my shooting jacket has big sweat stains in the armpits. Must be all the lead I've ingested over the years.

Carl

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

Carl, thanks for the info, but nobody is supposed to know that we can shoot 360 days out of the year comfortably in short sleeves. Its a secret

I can too, but the icicles on my rear get big in a hurry this time of the year. And after the first couple of groups I need a mouthpiece to keep the teeth chattering from breaking my teeth.

 

[Kado101]

I have 3 boxes of Barnes 168 LRX bullets but can't find any load data for them. I have a Weatherby Mark V Synthetic STW and a Winchester Model 70 Classic SS in STW. Has anyone got experience with this bullet in a STW? I have 7828, RL 25, Retumbo and H1000.