Island Deer Rifle

[Sitkaspruce]

What ever caliber you chose, try a few different guns to see what one "Fits" you the best. Don't buy just on price. If the savage does not fit you right, then all you have is a cheap gun that will drive you nuts shooting it. There is lots of inexpensive guns out there and if I was to chose one, it would be the Marlin X7. The Savages are good, same as the Weatherbys and TC Icons. Stay away from Remmy 770 or 710 or Mossberg 4X4, lots of problems out there. One of the problems with a lot of these package guns is the scope that comes with it. Most are crap and will fail when you need it most. My suggestion is to find a gun without a scope and then buy a good starter scope, like a Redfield, Leupold V1, Bushnell Elite 3200 or Vortex and add it to your gun. Buy them seperately but dicker with the price for a great deal. If you find a gun new that fits really well but is the price range you do not want to spend, look on line for used ones. Canadian Gunnutz, HuntingBC, Alberta outdoorsman all have guns for sale and if you have the patience and can look all the time, you can find some great deals.

As for Caliber, I have shot a 270 for over 30 years and have taken everything but grizz and buff with it. The 06 is good as well. Another one to think about is the 308 and its sibbling the 7mm-08. Short action, very accurate and you can pick up cheap ammo for the 308 for target practice.

What ever you chose, good luck and let us know if we can help down the road.

Cheers

SS

 

[Steelhead S2]

Thanks for all the commentary guys. I made my buy today. Weatherby Vanguard II, 30-06. Not a package thing, I put a Redfield scope on it. I probably should have dickered more (I really enjoy bargaining!) but I am happy with what I got. Off to the range tomorrow to sight it in and fight back the flinch.

I am pretty excited about this new acquisition. It would really seal the deal for me if I got a deer this Fall too.

 

[Rockfish]

Good luck at the range.

Many years ago I read a book by Glenn Newick called the “Ultimate in Rifle Accuracy”. One of the best tips for the bench was to dry fire with a dummy round with a rubber primer (best) or with a spent round to protect the firing pin. When you hear the click, the crosshairs on the target should not move. If they do, the accuracy problem is with the shooter, not the rifle. This is also a good way to learn to control a flinch if you develop one at the bench (usually with the big magnums). When fine tuning the sighting in or testing a new recipe, I sometimes dry fire several times with no cross hair movement before a live round and one or two after and tell myself they are all just clicks.

One of my first rifles which I still have is also a 30-06; a Rem. bolt action with a Leopold scope. When I first got it, the best I could get out of it and myself at the range was 2 or 3 inch three shot groups at 100 yards with cheapo factory rounds. Had a good gun smith check it over and there was some barrel rub marks so I had the barrel free floated, the action glass bedded and the trigger pull reduced. I also tried reloading different bullets and cartridge recipes which got the three shot groups down to around an inch. Eventually I found a high end factory load that this gun just loves; Federal Premiums with Barns 165 grain bullets and now on a good day, when I am up to it and the conditions are perfect, I can sometimes get it to shoot clover leafs. When you get that lucky you have to buy several boxes, all from the same lot and skip the very high cost of experimenting and reloading.

And for those guys who don’t like the Rems. that don’t have a clip; buy a “Quick Clip” conversion kit. They are pricy but now you have a clip and if the gun shoots well for you, it is worth it.

For Moose or Elk I use a 338 Mag (Flat shooting, lots of power and the retained energy and wind resistance of a 250 grain bullet and moderate recoil for a mag) but take the 30-06 as a back up gun if something were to go wrong with the 338.

 

[Sitkaspruce]

Steelhead S2

Great job on the purchse!! Shoot it and shoot it lots, from different positions, just not off the bench, unless you pack the bench with you. Try prone, offhand (use the sling to steady the rifle), leaning off a tree or post etc. Teach yourself to breath slowly and SQUEEEEEZE the trigger, not jerk it.

If you have access to a 22 or can pick one up cheap, they are the best for learning to shoot. Use it to teach yourself how to squeeze the trigger and hold on target. Ammo and gun are cheap and a lot of fun.

Have fun and be safe!!!

Cheers

SS

 

[Steelhead S2]

More good tips! I have a 22, and plan to practice with it too. I like the idea of holding the target with a dummy round and training to the "click". Right now I'm just reading the manual.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Back from the range now. Love it! Went up with my good friend, who knows what he's doing. We got it sighted in at 100 meters. Finished off the day testing out at 200 meters. I still have some practising to do, but I was able to shoot decent groups. Turns out I don't flinch or blink, which seems to help. My worst shots were those that weren't properly shouldered. So, I am keen as can be now.

Guys up there are all pretty decent too. Everyone's friendly, and no one had the sort of attitude you sometimes find on the water. Nice to see people actually enjoying their hobbies.

 

[Little Hawk]

Hey S2:

Glad to read you finally got out. Don't worry your big day with the new 'fire-stik' will come.

Would like to know what bullets (brand/weight/type) you finally settled on with the new Odd-six?
Also, what is your barrel-length on the new Weatherby and what sort of groups did you manage at the range?

Let us know pls.

Terry

 

[Steelhead S2]

Well Little Hawk, this will show you very clearly that I am not a gear head. I don't exactly know what kind of bullets I sighted in with, what the model name is anyway. it's Federal ammo in a blue box. 150 grain. I tried to buy 165 grain, but they were out. So I am packing some of these around, because that's what I am sighted in with.

I am not an experienced shooter at all. Other than the 20 rounds I've put through my gun, I've only fired pellet guns and 22s a couple of times. But, with groups of three, I could generally keep tow within an inch or so (sometimes a generous inch) with one wandering off a bit. Consensus at the range was that the gun is accurate, and the shooter would be good enough in the right conditions. Lots of learning to be done!

It's a 24 inch barrel.

 

[Little Hawk]

Very cool! If you are already shooting 1"-groups @ 100/yds, that is freakin' awesome dude! Now, the trick is to duplicate that when your heart is pounding so hard - it feels like it's ready to explode. I remember my first 'close-encounter' with a bull Elk; I was shakin' so hard I couldn't hold my bino's still enough to count him...

I'm no ballistics expert either, but a word or two on bullet construction might be useful to you.

ALL BULLETS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL!

When the day comes you are ready to pull the trigger on a large-boned animal (moose/elk/bear etc), bullet composition becomes more important, as the name of the game is to have that bullet stay together (hold its mass) as and if it has to plow through a big shoulder bone etc. When cheap or inferior designed bullets come apart on impact, they loose their mass and your ability to put the necessary ft./lbs. of energy on target diminishes. Often that is when an animal will walk or limp away never to be found and will usually die a slow painful death. Not good.

Other guys would likely chime in here with some other brands but I'm certain you can buy good factory ammo from Federal/Hornandy/Winchester etc. with any of several good hunting bullets mounted on them.

I use old-school Barnes-'X' bullets (got a steal on 500 of em' on epay). They are solid heat-treated copper that is designed to open up like the petal of a flower (X-shaped) on impact. They have shown to hold together pretty much like no other bullet and are ultra lethal. However, because they are copper (lighter than lead) they are generally a longer bullet and some guns don't shoot them well. Time at the range will determine that.

A few other good bullets to look for are - Nosler Partitions/Hornandy Interlock/Winchester Fail Safe.

I would recommend you use one load (weight) and stay with it. I use 180/grn. as ballistic tables show that at 200 yds they pack considerably more energy than lighter bullets of similar design. Some guys use a lighter round for small game and heavier for larger game with good success.

With your 24" barrel length you will pretty much be able to get maximum velocity out of that Odd-six. It'll be a little more cumbersome to pack in thick brush, but if you use 180/grn bullets loaded at or near maximum-load, you will be approaching 3000 fps muzzle-velocity with that Weatherby.

That puts you into the lower end of 300 Win. Mag. territory with serious big-game smack.
Just one of the many reasons the Odd-six is remains such a popular rifle.

Not bad for a cartridge designed in 1906' eh.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Thanks for the info LH. There is an awful lot to learn about ballistics.

My reasonable success at groups comes mostly from the fancy stand thingy my partner had. A super stable rest that darn near aimed for me. I take no credit for groups here. What I need to do is practice a bit without the aid of high-end technology.

 

[Sculpin]

What I need to do is practice a bit without the aid of high-end technology.

Yup, practice off hand, laying on the ground prone with a pack for a rest or a log (most common in our neck of the woods lol), kneeling, etc. Get to know your rifle. Every rifle is different and certain forces on the fore stock portion (where you rest it) will make it perform differently. The more you shoot it the more you will know where to rest the rifle or know where it will shoot free hand. The bench means squat when it comes to shooting for hunting. It looks good on paper though. Sounds like your off to a good start and you are enjoying your new rifle already. I hope you have a great hunting season.

Cheers,
Sculpin