KHornet
Well-Known Member
Getting ready for deer, and always take a back up rifle, cause ya never know. This year it is the Stevens 200 in 308. Has a 3x9 BSA scope w/mil dots. Had a few odd loads that I wanted to try and among them were a few 311644, 190gr .311 over 30 gr of Varget. Spent all but 6 rounds getting it sighted dead on at 100, and
then fired a nice 5 shot group into 1.25" at 100, and then I had to spoil it by firing the last (#6) round opening it up to 1.725". Still satisfactory for deer at an estimated vol of about 1950-2000.
However, all the 644's I had cast were in the 22bn hardness. Not wanting to go to the time and trouble of Brucell B method of soft nosing w/hard body, decided to try the nose softening with propane and the bullets in water to the level you want the nose softened. Had never tried it before, and I did 10 644's in a tuna can with about 1/2-1/4 of the nose above water. I slumped the first and 4th nose, but the rest look ok., and can be indented with the thumb nail.Not as consistent as Bruce B's method, but think it will be ok.
Will use this rifle and load as back up for my 77 Ruger in 7x57 which is my go to rifle, and I will use it with jacketed on the first day in case I get a shot at something big and wide . Maybe, if no antlers on the first day, I will try the 308 on the 2nd day. The last twodeer I shot with cast were with my 375H&H, but this will be (if it happens) the first attempt with a 30 cal.
then fired a nice 5 shot group into 1.25" at 100, and then I had to spoil it by firing the last (#6) round opening it up to 1.725". Still satisfactory for deer at an estimated vol of about 1950-2000.
However, all the 644's I had cast were in the 22bn hardness. Not wanting to go to the time and trouble of Brucell B method of soft nosing w/hard body, decided to try the nose softening with propane and the bullets in water to the level you want the nose softened. Had never tried it before, and I did 10 644's in a tuna can with about 1/2-1/4 of the nose above water. I slumped the first and 4th nose, but the rest look ok., and can be indented with the thumb nail.Not as consistent as Bruce B's method, but think it will be ok.
Will use this rifle and load as back up for my 77 Ruger in 7x57 which is my go to rifle, and I will use it with jacketed on the first day in case I get a shot at something big and wide . Maybe, if no antlers on the first day, I will try the 308 on the 2nd day. The last twodeer I shot with cast were with my 375H&H, but this will be (if it happens) the first attempt with a 30 cal.
