Well after sundown this evening, I decided to step outside and sit for a few minutes, hoping perhaps a coyote would surface since there was a recent gut pile in the pasture. There was some twilight available, but I wasn't able to make out any shapes or details until my eyes had adjusted to the conditions, which was probably 10 minutes or so. In fact, I wasn't sure I'd be able to see enough for a shot, so my choice of weapon was my 24-inch-barreled DVH .300 Savage, which has a shooting light mounted atop the Docter Unipoint 3-12x56 scope.

There were several deer roaming, their bodies just ghostly figures in the twilight as they browsed near the creek bottom. A few minutes later, after picking up what I thought had to be the scent of a hog, I noticed the white flags of the deer go up as a warning, and they quickly vacated the area.

I scanned the terrain for a couple of minutes before I picked up a dark, moving figure. Blending in a bit with some low-hanging grape vines, I was having a hard time getting a fix on the hog's body position. I was just about to reach up and switch on the light -- a last resort for me as even the red can and will spook them -- when the hunting gods smiled on me.

The hog stepped into a bit of a clearing, and the backdrop of of light-colored, summer-scorched grass afforded me just enough detail on the hog to take a shot. For those who have never hunted twilight with traditional optics before, you're often not looking at a picture-like image. Tonight, the hog was more of a dark silhouette against a very light background.

Anyway, it seemed the hog was slightly quartered away from me, so I put the dot barely behind the onside shoulder and sent a 125 grain BT across 155 yards of space.

Audio feedback from the bullet's impact was music to my ears. I got the rifle back on the spot, and all I saw was an elongated blob on the ground...with no movement detectable.

The Ballistic Tip, which has a muzzle speed of 2740 fps, turned in a stellar performance. It ripped into the chest, breaking two ribs upon entry, virtually separating the heart from its plumbing, heavily damaging the frontal portion of the lungs and ranging forward to exit the lower neck. I didn't wipe it down, so you can see where the bullet exited in the photo. Not bad for what some consider an inadequate varmint bullet...

The angled entry resulted in two ribs being broken and secondary fragments which contributed to the destruction of the vitals.

You're hot now Bobby. After too long of a dry spell it is good to hear you are connecting. The 300 was once described to me by my wife's uncle as more powerful than a .308. He was a most wonderful old curmudgeon. He killed whitetail and elk with his '99. I think with the right ammo it is just a really effective caliber. The velocities are just right and using the right bullets you get results. Can't complain. Seems so many are still after the fastest supermag they can get. I think your 300 Savage barrel is a stroke of genius. I have considered two things in the same vein here. A 300 Savage or a 358/300 Savage. Again all on the Contender or Encore. Be Well. Packy

Bobby:

Great to see you getting out there and popping
one now and then.

Sure no complaint about that bullets results.
Plumb wrecked that side of ribs.

Nothing like shooting at shadows huh?

What's this now? 501 or 2?

Stay well friend,

George

I had to change the title. I wrote it to be funny (poking fun at those who think all BTs are varmint bullets) and to draw attention but instead confused someone, who wanted to know what made the bullet fail and why I changed my mind on BTs for game. My title was: "LIGHT Ballistic Tip + HEAVY hog = BIG failure."

But my first sentence read: "Well, it was a failure...for the hog, that is. His system failed him miserably after taking on a 125 grain Ballistic Tip from my 24-inch-barreled Contender in .300 Savage"

But he apparently didn't read any of the text.

So as not to confuse anyone else, I changed it.

Not your fault if he can't read. I am guilty of that myself sometimes. Be Well. Packy

Just be glad that your hogs don't have access to broadband and read internet hunting forums. Otherwise they would realize that they can't be killed by a Ballistic Tip and would just walk away with a scratch you could fix with a bandaide where the bullet bounced off of their skin.

Something I have noticed in the group over the years . . .

When Bobby draws down, something is gonna die!

I had an uncle that packed a 300 Savage and whatever box of shells he picked up off the shelf at the Hdwe store, We hunted elk every year in the Wimenuche wilderness out of Chimney Rock store in Colorado...He killed some mighty big bulls with that 300 Savage mod. 99 EG..and never needed a second shot as I recall..I swore someday Id have a big gun like that, but never happened, I went with the .308 in a 99..Everyone else in camp had 30-30s and another uncle had a 30-40 Krag mod. 95 Win and he did as well...I don't recall one wounded elk during those years, I was a kid in grade school and high school back then and packed a 25-35 Win carbine. it worked also..Uncle took a lot of kidding about that big gun that wasted too much meat!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I had an uncle that packed a 300 Savage and whatever box of shells he picked up off the shelf at the Hdwe store, We hunted elk every year in the Wimenuche wilderness out of Chimney Rock store in Colorado...He killed some mighty big bulls with that 300 Savage mod. 99 EG..and never needed a second shot as I recall..I swore someday Id have a big gun like that, but never happened, I went with the .308 in a 99..Everyone else in camp had 30-30s and another uncle had a 30-40 Krag mod. 95 Win and he did as well...I don't recall one wounded elk during those years, I was a kid in grade school and high school back then and packed a 25-35 Win carbine. it worked also..Uncle took a lot of kidding about that big gun that wasted too much meat!

-----

I chuckled about the .300 Savage being referred to as a "big gun" and one that "wastes too much meat."

Here are the three .30 cals I use. From left, the 30-30 WCF, the .300 Savage and the .308 WCF. (Please pardon the poor phone camera quality, not to mention the wide angle distortion.)

All three are plenty capable, Bobby, especially with good bullets from a single shot.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
All three are plenty capable, Bobby, especially with good bullets from a single shot.

I definitely agree. Since both of the twins were home to help, I took two does seconds apart Sunday using the 30-30 and the 150 grain Speer GD-Bonded/Blackout bullet at 2469 fps. The ranges were 170 and 205/210 yards. Both were heart shots. The 170 yarder stumbled and made exactly 11 yards. The other crumpled in its tracks. Terminal performance was superb.






Last night, they were transformed into double-battered, deep-fried steaks that absolutely melted in your mouth.

Ahh damn, now I'm hungry!!

George

Tonight we're having venison mac-and-cheese...with the sauce totally from scratch. Wish you were here, George. You'd just have to grab your helping of food FAST...a must in a house with teenage twin boys.

nice deer, good shooting

Thanks for the cartridge photo, Bobby. It is ironic that the ancient .300 Savage is a more "modern" design than the much later .308 Winchester: Sharper shoulder, less body taper, and minimal neck. I've compared the case capacity of the two cartridges and with some brands of brass the .300 actually has more capacity than the .308.

I suppose that some military genius thought that the short, sharp-shouldered .300 Savage wouldn't feed through a full auto rifle or machine gun so he had to "invent" a new cartridge. Don't get me wrong, the .308 is a fine round. It's just that it is not, as most people assume, superior to the .300 Savage.

thanks Bobby:

I know how that is, I WAS
a Teenaged boy once upon a time.
Damned long time ago though.
(60yrs ago)

5 older folks and 4 of us boys
ate a beef a week, 7 weeks per
summer on the hay crew. Rancher
couldn't afford to feed us now.
Due to the price of beef.
OF course they're all long dead.

Strange deal too. After the rancher
flubbed a shot on a beef and I offered
to do it better and did. I became the
designated killer. Think I was 12 or 13
that year and that was the first or second
beef that year. Me and my .22 kept at it
five summers. One shot per beef.
Dad taught the kid well it seems.

How's things going Bobby?

George

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:

Thanks for the cartridge photo, Bobby. It is ironic that the ancient .300 Savage is a more "modern" design than the much later .308 Winchester: Sharper shoulder, less body taper, and minimal neck. I've compared the case capacity of the two cartridges and with some brands of brass the .300 actually has more capacity than the .308.

I suppose that some military genius thought that the short, sharp-shouldered .300 Savage wouldn't feed through a full auto rifle or machine gun so he had to "invent" a new cartridge. Don't get me wrong, the .308 is a fine round. It's just that it is not, as most people assume, superior to the .300 Savage.

That modern benchrest-type design -- Ackley-like in geometry -- is what makes the .300 suitable for use in the Contender -- with a few caveats, of course. By necessity, I keep loads mild. My 125 grain Ballistic Tip load leaves the 24" barrel at 2740 fps, and I've yet to need to trim any of the cases. It's about as simple and easy of a cartridge to use in a Contender as I have ever tried.

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
thanks Bobby:


5 older folks and 4 of us boys
ate a beef a week, 7 weeks per
summer on the hay crew.

How's things going Bobby?

George

I miss the old days of raising our own beef. But I just can't handle cattle or fences and all the other work that goes into it. At one point when I was a kid, we even had a beef club with a number of neighbors. Everyone pitched in and helped with the butchering, and everyone always had a supply of fresh meat. The stuff you get in the grocery store...well...I won't even broach that topic.

The past couple of days have been rough, but this morning is off to a better start. No migraine so far, the RA and neuropathy are responding to meds, and the gut is cooperating somewhat so far. Of course, as you know, that can change in a hurry. But I plan on making the most of today if I can. Take care!

You know I am glad we don't have wild hogs in Ut. tearing all the fields up. But I have to admit I am jealous of someone who can shoot 'em from the porch. Nice Shoot'n Bobby, Keep knocking them down with those Contender Carbines. I love mine. DW

the 300 Savage was almost as popular as the 30-30 and 250-3000 in my early days in Texas, especially out in the Texas Big Bend that had Mule Deer and the Palo Dura area..I killed a few deer and some hogs, and one or two elk with my Uncles 300 Savage, all with factory 150 or 180 REm corelokt or Peters ammo..With a good handload it will touch factory .308s easy..A great gun for youth. I have one in a 99EG but have not used it for years, maybe I just need to cull some whitetail next year with it..