The 165 Ranch dog results

Rally Hess

Well-Known Member
I've been working on a load for my Marlin 336 SS that will work for what I do. I first wanted an accurate bullet that would shoot decent, which I feel I have. This combo or rifle and load will shoot 15 shots into a 2" circle at 50 yards, shooting over the hood of my truck. I posted that here a while back and for sure over at CB. The load is Rem. .30-30 brass, WLR primer,24.0 grs Reloder 7, with the 165 gr Ranch Dog bullet in dimple point version. This is the GC version and my alloy is 60-40 Coww and Mono. Trim length was 2.029 and OAL was 2.401. Sized at .311 and Bens Red for lube (all grooves) Velocity is @1850.
I tried all three bullet configurations with this NOE RG4, and the dimple point was the most accurate, infact I own several of the RG4's and the dimple point versions shoot the best in all of them for me. I'm guessing some are thinking the 40% Mono in my alloy is a bit much, but this 336 likes them hard and big. I started at 50/50 plus 3% tin and went to COWW and kept adding mono. I shot quite a few beaver with softer alloys at the current 1850 FPS velocity, and they were brutal, with bullet fragmentation pretty obvious, even on body shot beaver. I prefer a bullet that stays together, with good nose expansion, because I get paid for fur not large holes.
Last year during deer season, the only day I didn't carry a rifle with cast bullets in it, I shot a nice 7 pt buck with my .243, so didn't get to test this rifle/ bullet on a deer. However, this year, by 0821 hrs I was done and had already passed on a nice doe that walked within 25' of me. I shot a little Y buck, quartering to me at 44 steps, as it walked through a year old slash. It dropped at the shot, recovered it's footing, and fell twice more in less than 25 yards distance. The bullet was a complete through and through, and the blood trail was impressive on both sides. I took pictures of the blood trail with my phone but don't know how to get them on this puter. Here's the necropsy pictures for those interested.
DSCN2051.JPG I didn't cut the deers throat or jaw, the DNR is doing CWD testing and we were required to submit them for testing the first weekend.
DSCN2056.JPG The white rod shows the bullet path and points it's direction of travel. It went through just below the spine and hit ribs both in and out.
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This is the inside of the deers hide, with the entry hole on the right and the exit hole on the left as it is pictured. Entry was about .30 cal. and exit was over .50 cal. with no fragmentation. I'm pretty happy about that.
DSCN2055.JPG
This is the entry hole from the outside of ribcage.
DSCN2053.JPG
This is the exit wound from the outside of the ribcage.
DSCN2058.JPG
This is the entry from the inside of ribcage.
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This is the exit from the inside of ribcage.
If this rifle/load does as well on coyotes and fox I'll be a happy camper.
Thanks for all the help folks. I appreciate all the input and helpful tips here.
 
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Chris

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the report. There's always something to learn about cast bullet performance.
 

Ian

Notorious member
I got lost looking at all the critters hanging in the background. That's a lot of pelts! Fiver's right you have one of the ten coolest jobs there is...if you can keep from freezing to death.

@1800-ish fps that's what I typically see with the RD bullets. Two holes big enough not to plug up and a 50-100-yard track to where they fall.
 

Kevin Stenberg

Well-Known Member
Rally I am surprised you got very much expansion with the alloy of COWW/MONO. I know your bullet was a cup point but still. Was the RD bullet the new wider meplat?
Do you do animal control? Shooting all of those beaver rather than trapping them.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
The flat nose on a 165 RD at 1800 fps is going to make about a 1" hole thru a deer. No real need for expansion as long as the bullet stays together.
 

Rally Hess

Well-Known Member
Fiver,
You have a good memory. We discussed a bullet that wouldn't blow a coyote/ Fox up and still work on close range deer.

Intheshop,
That rod is part of my product line. I make a line of trap stakes and drowning rods out of those 1/2" rods. Just happened to be one at hand and I figured it would show up well in the picture.

Chris,
I forgot my camera in the truck again today. I drained/am draining the pond with the 350' dam today. I got lucky and found the end of the culvert out in the beaver pond and the majority of what was in the culvert washed out downstream. I got pictures on my phone I'll post later. My youngest son got out of the Army today and flew to KC, to get a car from my oldest daughter. He will know how to get the pictures from my phone to this puter.

Ian,
That's a couple days catch. I caught 16 beaver the first day and 6 the second, three otter, two mink and a couple muskrat. I should have been skinning instead of deer hunting, but my Dad is 84 and won't be too many more years we'll be able to hunt together. I had him set up in the other end of the slash from me that morning. He came walking over to help me drag the deer out and took a tumble, landing on his right shoulder. Couldn't raise his arm up to hold his rifle for two days. He thinks he is still forty.

Kevin,
I was pretty surprised the bullet performed that well also, but had tried the softer alloys on beaver, with near explosive results. This Ranch Dog is the older, smaller meplat than the new model. I own both the old and new styles and the older style shoots better in my rifle. This rifle just seemed to perform better as I added mono, and likes .311. I have quite a bit of mono and figured why not. I'm awaiting a chance to try it out on a coyote or fox. In the summer I shoot quite a few beaver, when I can't legally keep the hides. I'm a contract trapper and work state, federal ,county and private nuisance contracts. Mostly beaver, and remove dams where machines won't go. All the fur in the background was trapped/snared.

Brad,
That was my intention when I ordered my second RD mould in a five cavity. I thought it would be the same as my older RG4. My thinking was I could leave the dimple point pins in my RG4 and use the five cavity to cast just flat points. The newer model is wider in the nose and has to be seated deeper to work in my Marlin. I believe on the last post about the RD bullet, we came to the conclusion there were at least five versions made. Just figures I'd get two different versions!!
 
F

freebullet

Guest
Looks like that works splendid.

I prefer bigger exit wounds, but I like the universal aspect you were after too. Thanks for sharing.
 

Ian

Notorious member
I like how he only ruined abut 1/4 oz of meat with that shot and still made a clean kill. Perfect.
 

John

Active Member
What do you do with your braver carcasses? I have eaten off one or two but felt it was on the strong side. Coyote or raven dumps? Dumpster toss or something else?
 

Rally Hess

Well-Known Member
John,
Lots of things to do with beaver carcasses. The meat is either fed to my dogs, sled dogs or used at bait stations where I snare predators. Some skulls are marketed to schools, people who make dream catchers, or jewelry from just the teeth. The liver, kidneys, hearts, and unborn pups from spring caught females are marketed as leach bait. My larger tails are tanned and used for holsters, knife sheaths, or coverings for the bills on fur hats. Some toe bones and tail tendons are also used in mountain man style jewelry. I also use the remaining intestines as bait stations by pouring them on the ice and covering with snow so they freeze down, to keep the wolves from dragging them away from my bait stations. The oil sacs are used in lure formulas for multiple species. The castor is also marketed for lure usage, high end perfume, and flavor enhancement of vanilla ice cream. Pretty good bet most folks reading this have consumed some castor without knowing it. LOL
As for table fare, beaver is tough to beat. It's best to eat beaver under two years of age, processed as soon as possible after dispatch, and caught in cold weather months. Older beaver or those with the intestines left in them too long (like any meat) will tend to taste a lot like what they eat (poplar trees). Young beaver roasted like any pot roast is tough to tell from beef. There is no better dog food anywhere.
 

35 shooter

Well-Known Member
Congrats on the deer with your 30/30. I like the way you utilize most of the animals carcasses that you hunt and trap. You've got a nice life going for you...i'm a bit envious!
 

Rally Hess

Well-Known Member
I make a point of returning anything I have no use for, back to nature. Nothing goes to waste in the bush, except beaver teeth. Eventually, as they age the shrews/mice work them over pretty good too. They are so hard the other animals can't seems to deal with them. The eagles and wolves love it when I'm in the area!! LOL
 

Chris

Well-Known Member
I make a point of returning anything I have no use for, back to nature. Nothing goes to waste in the bush, except beaver teeth. Eventually, as they age the shrews/mice work them over pretty good too. They are so hard the other animals can't seems to deal with them. The eagles and wolves love it when I'm in the area!! LOL

Rally, by the way I sold the bear hide and also let the same guy dissect the foreleg for anatomy class he teaches. Also he is taking all the bones. So not really returning them to nature, but rather sending them to NY NY where he lives. Long way from home for that old bear.