PDM 2024-2025 SEASON

[45MAN]

I KNOW IT SEEMS A BIT EARLY BUT OUR SUMMER SEASON STARTS JUNE 1, 2024, AND LASTS THRU THE END OF AUGUST. FOR THIS SUMMER WE GET 1 COW NILGAI (LAST YEAR WE GOT 2), AND UNLIMITED HOGS AND COYOYTES (the COYOTES HAVE A $150 BOUNTY ON 'em). NO FOOD SERVICE IN THE SUMMER AND ESTEBAN THE SKINNER, IF AVAILABLE, IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER 5:00 P.M. AND IF YOU USE HIM YOU WILL HAVE TO TIP HIM. YOU CAN TAKE A TRAILER UP BUT WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE IT BY THE END OF THE SUMMER. CABINS ARE AVAILABLE FOR RENT @ $65.00 A DAY. WITH PUNTA ONLY AN HOUR DRIVE FROM MY HOME WHAT I DID LAST SUMMER WAS MOSTLY DRIVE UP FOR AN AFTERNOON HUNT MID-WEEK.

ME AND A FRIEND ARE PLANNING TO GO TO PDM SUNDAY JUNE 2nd AND LEAVE WEDNESDAY A.M. JUNE 5, 2024. I WILL BE RENTING A CABIN FOR US. WITH ONLY 1 COW NILGAI I HAVE NOT DECIDED WHAT TO DO WITH HER, KEEP HER FOR MYSELF, LET MY SON NICHOLAS HUNT IT, LET A FRIEND TAKE IT OR WHAT.

SO LAST SEASON I MOSTLY USED A MARLIN 336 IN 35 REMINGTON WITH THE HORNADY 200gr FLEX TIP AMMO. I ENDED THE SEASON WITH CONCERNS ABOUT THE BULLET BEING TOO FRANGIBLE SO FOR THIS SEASON I AM LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE. LOOKS LIKE I HAVE A DECENT LOAD FOR MY WINCHESTER MODEL 94AE 45 COLT SRC 16" TRAPPER USING THE SIERRA .4515 300gr JSP BULLET (#8830) OVER A MODERATE LOAD OF 296. THIS LOAD DOES 1,463fps IN A 14" (NEW) SSK BARREL (IN mid-60's TEMPS) AND 1,541fps IN THE 16" TRAPPER (IN mid-80's TEMPS), AND THE TOP BRASS HEADSTAMPED BRASS RESIZES AND FITS IN SUPER TIGHT CUSTOM CHAMBERED REVOLVER CYLINDERS.

THIS MORNING I WENT TO MY RANGE ON THE RIO GRANDE AND SHOT THE MARLIN WITH SOME VINTAGE BROWN BOX PETERS AMMO (A 200gr CORE-LOKT BULLET) AND FEDERAL's NEW HAMMERDOWN 220gr AMMO. JUST 1 3 SHOT GROUP WITH EACH AT 104 YARDS IN WINDY CONDITIONS (13mph OR SO). THE PETERS CHRONO'ed 1,976fps AVERAGE AND THE HAMMERDOWN A DISAPPOINTING 1,799fps, AND BOTH GROUPED 4.5". THE HAMMERDOWN BOX CLAIMS A MV OF 1,940fps AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND WHAT LENGTH BARREL THAT IS FROM. THANK GOD MIDWAY HAD A 2 BOX LIMIT ON THE FEDERAL OR ELSE I MAY BE SITTING ON A PILE OF IT. LOOKS LIKE MY 3 OPTIONS FOR THIS RIFLE ARE: 1) KEEP USING THE HORNADY AMMO, 2) RELOAD (I HAVE DIES AND PLENTY OF 180gr FP BULLETS), or 3) BUY SOME BUFFALO BORE 220gr AMMO, WHICH CHONOS UPWARDS OF 2,000fps OUT OF A 18.5" MARLIN, AND HOPE IT GROUPS. WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

[bigbrowndog]

I’ll bring my 35marlin and we can chrono my 220gr. Load, if you like we can try it in yours as well. Although those 180 Speer should work real well from your Marlin.

Trapr

[45MAN]

WHAT THE HECK, I JUST ORDERED 2 BOXES OF 20 OF THE BB 220gr HEAVY LOAD, HERE IS HOPING IT GROUPS DECENTLY.

I AM RELUCTANT TO START RELOADING FOR ANY RIFLE CARTRIDGE AND ESPECIALLY IF I DO NOT HAVE ALL THE DIES COMPONENTS ON HAND.

[45MAN]

WENT TO MY RANGE ON THE RIO GRANDE YESTERDAY MORNING (5/23/24), 86 degrees AND 19 mph WINDS, HARDLY IDEAL CONDITIONS TO GROUP AMMO @ 104 YARDS BUT WHAT THE HECK.

FIRST OFF, JUST FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, I CHONO'ed THE HORNADY 200gr FTX 35 REMINGTON AMMO, AND GOT A 2.75" 3 SHOT GROUP AND AN AVERAGE MV OF 2,013fps IN MY 20" MARLIN LEVER ACTION

GOT IN THE BUFFALO BORE 35 REMINGTON ITEM 17A/20 (220 gr JFN 2200 fps/ME 2364 ft lbs) "To be used ONLY in Marlin & Henry Lever Action, T/C Encore & Bolt Action Rifles". FIRST 3 SHOTS WERE ALL HIGH AND WENT OVER MY TARGET, BUT THEY CHRONO'ed 2154, 2189, & 2208 FOR AN AVG OF 2184 fps, WHICH WAS ACCEPTABLE. I THEN USED A LOT LOWER POA AND GOT A 4.25" GROUP THAT WAS 13.5" ABOVE POA, SO I MADE SOME SCOPE ADJUSTMENTS AND IN 2 SHOTS I WAS DIALED IN ON ELEVATION. EACH OF THE 2 SHOTS TRACKED THE SCOPE ADJUSTMENT, WHICH GIVES ME HOPE THAT IT WILL GROUP A LOT BETTER THANN 4.25". I WENT UP 4 MORE CLICKS (2") BUT WILL WAIT FOR A LOT BETTER DAY TO SHOOT THE BBA LOAD AGAIN. "I THINK" IT WILL GROUP WELL ENUFF.

AFTER MESSING WITH THE MARLIN 35 REMINGTON I SHOT MY WINCHESTER SRC 45 COLT TRAPPER WITH THE 300ge SIERRA LOAD. 3 SHOTS @ 104 YARDS, 3.25" GROUP DISPERSED HORIZONTALLY, 1/2" BELOW POA, I WENT UP 1" ON THE SCOPE BUT WILL WAIT ON BETTER WEATHER TO GROUP THE TRAPPER AGAIN.

NOTE THE FOLLOWING: TKO VALUE FOR THE BUFFALO BORE LOAD IN THE 20" MARLIN IS 24.75, TKO VALUE FOR MY 300gr SIERRA LOAD IN THE 16" TRAPPER IS 29.82.

[45MAN]

IIRC, BEARSKINNER's 454 REVOLVER LOAD WITH THE SIERRA 300gr BULLET DOES MID 1,500's, MAYBE EVEN UNDER 1,500 fps, AND GARY REEDER USED BEARSKINNER's REVOLVER AND LOAD TO KILL A CAPE BUFFALO (GARY's GUNS WERE LOST IN TRANSIT).

[bearskinner]

The Sierra 300 grain soft point is the most accurate bullet I’ve found, in my FA83’s in .454. I like 2400 in place of H110 or 296, it is just more accurate. You do loose 100FPS or so, but I’ve still shot thru Bison, Elk, Cape buffalo, bears, lions etc. I took all my animals on the 2022 HHI Africa trip with the Sierra 300’s or Swift 300’s on lighter game. My opinion, but that is a great load in a .45/.454

[45MAN]

WENT TO MY RANGE ON THE RIO GRANDE THIS MORNING (5/28/24), MID 80's AND SUB 10mph WINDS (DECENT SHOOTING WEATHER). SHOT THE MARLIN 35 REMINGTON WITH THE 220gr BUFFALO BORE AMMO, DO NOT KNOW IF IT IS THE AMMO, MY SHOOTING REST, ME, THE GUN OR WHAT BUT I AM GIVING UP ON THE BBA AMMO. WILL PLAY MORE WITH THE 200gr PETERS AMMO AND IF IT IS A NO GO WILL JUST RESIGHT IN WITH THE HORNADY AMMO.

SHOT THE WINCHESTER 45 COLT SRC TRAPPER AND THE 300gr SIERRA HANDLOAD AND WAS OK WITH WHAT I GOT. 'GONNA SHOOT IT OFF SHOOTING STICKS AT STEEL AT 104yds ON THURSDAY. THIS WILL PROBABLY BE MY No. 1 HUNTING RIFLE FOR THE UPCOMING SUMMER HUNT.

[bigbrowndog]

BBA inaccurate or what?? Bring it next week and we can look at it, the gun.

Trapr

[45MAN]

WILL BRING THE MARLIN AND MISC. AMMO

[Ken O'Neill]

I'm another fan of the Sierra 300gr FP. In addition to whitetails, I've taken several head of African plains game up through lion, with it.

[45MAN]

FIRST BLOOD, A GOOD SIZED SOW (APPROX 130lbs), 110 YARD SHOT, DOWN AT THE SHOT AND DEAD PDQ, USING THE WINCHESTER SRC TRAPPER IN 45 COLT AND A 300gr SIERRA @ 1,540fps (TAKEN ON 6/2/24).

[x101airborne]

Good shooting.

[bearskinner]

Those Sierras are really accurate, plus being shot from the hands of a seasoned veteran. I doubt you will recover one on a hog. In/out and still flying.

[45MAN]

SAT AT A WATER HOLE THIS AFTERNOON (6/4/24), ME WITH MY 45 COLT SRC AND TRAPR WITH HIS 1942 VINTAGE SAVAGE 99 IN 250 SAVAGE (USING REMINGTON 100gr FACTORY AMMO), LATE, RIGHT AT 8:00 P.M. A COYOTE CAME IN FOR A DRINK OF WATER. JUST AS I SAW A BLACKBUCK FEMALE RUNOFF TRAPR SAYS THERE IS A COYOTE, HE RANGES IT AT 172 YARDS, AIMS APPROPRIATELY AND DOWN GOES THE COYOTE, A NICE FEMALE. WE CHECKED IT IN AT THE GATE WITH THE GATE KEEPERS AND AND PRETTY SOON TRAPR WILL BE GETTING A $150 BOUNTY CHECK IN THE MAIL. A GOOD END TO A FEW DAYS AT A REALLY NICE RANCH, BUT THE F...ING HEAT!

[45MAN]

link


TRAPR's COYOTE. KILLING HOGS AND COYOTES, DOING RIGHT.