As an armchair Wild Boar(US)hunter I always enjoy Bobby's posts for the details supplied and excellent photos.
However, I am intrigued and a little confused by his varied rifles, so Bobby, please give us details of the various rifles and cartridges that you use and why you picked them.

Karoo-

Thanks for the kind words. Back in the 80s and 90s, I hunted almost exclusively with handguns and – via tons of expansion testing -- acquainted myself with the idiosyncrasies of bullet performance at various velocity levels. There was no internet back then and little information available in common gun magazines, so I went about things the old-fashioned way. I learned that matching the bullet’s ideal velocity range to the gun I am using and the range I am shooting at made all the difference in the world when it came to terminal performance. This, along with precise shot placement, is, in my experience, two of the most important elements in a successful hunting equation. You can hit them with all the velocity and energy in the world, but if that shot isn’t placed where it needs to be and if the bullet is not suited to the task at hand, you’re going to be trailing a wounded animal.

When my health began to decline and the pain in my hands could no longer tolerate the recoil generated by handguns, I decided to get into Contender and Encore rifles as I was extremely familiar with their platform and knew they could be tuned to provide stellar accuracy at extended ranges. And at some point, I even got away from the Encore and now am only using the Contender, which is limited in cartridge selection as the frame can’t handle the forces of rounds such as the .308 WCF, etc. (My frame can’t handle the heavier kickers anymore, either… )

The 6.5 Bullberry IMP, basically a 6.5x30-30 AI with a case length of 1.98”, produces over 2600 fps with a 129/130 grain bullet from its 26” Match Grade Machine barrel using only 37.5 grains of N-160. The Hornady 129 grain SP and 130 grain Nosler Accubond are perfectly suited to this cartridge, and the 140 grain Sierra GameKing at 2500 fps is a terrific performer as well and penetrates almost every hog completely given broadside presentation. I used the 130 grain Accubond to make my longest shot on a hog, and it did exceptionally well on the 292 yard shot.

The 7mm Bullberry, which is the 7mm International Rimmed with the unnecessarily long neck trimmed to give a case length of 1.75”, produces 2650 fps with 120s using only 33 grains of H335, over 2500 fps with 32 grains of H335 and the long-discontinued Sierra 130 grain Single Shot Pistol bullet and 2400 fps with 30.5 grains of H335 and a 140 grain lead-tipped Nosler (old-style) Solid Base.

The 30-30 AI is also very efficient and produces 2577 fps from the 24” TC Custom Shop barrel using 38 grains of Varget under either the 150 grain Ballistic Tip or Accubond (they shoot identically in my barrel). And while I would never consider a shot on game at that range, it retains 1000 ft./lbs of energy clear out to 500 yards.

I consider the 6.5 BB IMP and the 30-30 AI solid 300 yard deer/hog-droppers and the 7mmBB a 250 yard gun. But again, bullet selection and precise placement are what I stake a premium on.

Karoo-

Please pardon the low quality of this image. It was done with the rounds sitting atop a table, under available indoor lighting and hand-held (that's why the perspective is not perfectly flat, why there are weird highlights/details on the items and & why the image is soft). But it gives you an idea of how the 3 rounds I mention compare against the common .308 WCF.

Thanks Bobby. Interesting stuff and it is certainly clearer now.

Geez Bobby, considering the lighting situation you are describing I''d say these are perfectly lighted and focused.
I am glad to hear you are getting up and about. I know haw hard it is to sit around and watch the world go by, especially when there are hogs and coyotes out there causing havoc. I returned home after 18 months of living in my travel trailer while attending to family issues only to find I had to have surgery right away. Home for two weeks in the hospital and now I am stuck inside trying to recover. And wouldn't you know it I just got trespass rights to call yotes all I want on one of the last big sheep ranches in the area. I am chomping at the bit.
Oh well, I have lots of good DVD's and great books and of course following all the different hunting being reported here on AR.
Wish you well.
Frank

I am resurrecting this old thread as I wanted to look up the rifles used in the two most recent reports.
Looks like Bobby will have to update his rifle list!
I for one am intrigued by the rifles used and would be pleased to hear more about the 309 JDJ and some details of the 6mm-06.

Karoo-

Good morning! I'll see if I can answer your questions. The .309 JDJ was designed by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries to give maximum performance in the Contender. It is a .444 Marlin case necked down and fireformed to give the final shoulder configuration. (But even fireforming loads are good for hunting and give terrific accuracy.)

It comes close to duplicating the 308 Winchester but does so a much lower pressures due to the greater case capacity. Mine is a rechambered 30-30 AI barrel that is 23" long, and I use 52 grains of N160 to launch a 150 grain Ballistic Tip or Accubond around 2675 fps. The recoil is mild, but -- for me -- is a bit more than I can handle anymore due to my health issues. So I have weighted the buttstock with lead shot. I don't walk around or hunt with it (my target shooting is done from very near the house, and the animals I take are sniped from there as well, so the added weight is not a hindrance).

With my loadings, the .309 JDJ falls between the .300 Savage and .308 Win in power and thus makes a GREAT deer-hog round. (Fireforming loads scoot the 150 grain bullets at 2450 to nearly 2500 fps depending on the powder I use).

The 6mm-06 is a 26" barrel on an Encore frame and nothing more than the 25-06 or 30-06 necked down to 6mm. Personally, I like a bit more bullet weight for hogs, but I have to admit that a 90 grainer at 3300 fps or a 100 grain Sierra Pro Hunter at 3200+ fps is intriguing as a flat-shooting round for extended range deer or coyotes.

I had found the 6mm-06 barrel and dies for a very good price, and I just wanted to try it out. My plan was to run a few rounds through it and move it on, but it shoots so well and is so easy to load for that I am growing attached and trying to justify keeping it.

Several years ago, perhaps 20 - I lost count - I became interested in the Encore and Contender. At the time I didn't know that they had potential for outstanding accuracy. I just like the light and compact platform.

Since then I've owned several, including one factory barrel in 45-70, and a custom barrel in 9.3x74R, which replaced the 45-70 and was a much better cartridge.

All the barrels I've owned were/are custom except the 45-70. And I've sold all the contender frames and barrels, favoring the Encore due to its tolerance for higher pressure cartridges.

At the time I had the 9.3x74R barrel made I also had barrels chambered in 7x65R and 7.62x53R (.308 groove). I still have those barrels, which are excellent, but I seldom shoot them.

About four years ago, I found a new stainless barrel in the internet, custom made by MGM, chambered in 7.62x54R (.311 groove) I couldn't resist.

I have tested the barrel and found it to be surprisingly very accurate. So, it's a keeper.

Back when I began researching about the contenders and encores and the cartridges suitable for each, naturally I saw all the wildcats for the contender based on the 30-30 case or the 444. I also understood the reason for their existence was to squeeze performance out of the platform which was not designed for 308W level of pressure.

But the Encore was, and the Europeans had done the cartridge/ballistic research and development a long time ago. The Russian 7.62x54R precedes the 30-30 by 3 or 4 years (1891), and became one of the top all-time world class military and sporting cartridges. Thus the choices of 7.65x65R (Brenneke), 7.62x53R (Finland/Lapua .308), and 7.62x54R (Russian .311), which IMO are the best rimmed cartridges ever for deer and hog size game. Plus these cartridges are not wildcats.

I avoided the .311 barrel of the 7.62x54R Russian cartridge for a long time, and now I can't justify why I did that. This MGM barrel I have is so good it makes the whole assembly and handloading and shooting process look and seem very easy, but that's probably from years of experience too. I shoot only top quality ammo and components - no mil-surp. I use Norma, Lapua, and sometimes Winchester brass, and there is a wide selection of high quality .311 hunting type bullets.

I admire Bobby's rifles, cartridges and success, yet knowing what I know now I still wouldn't use the 30-30 brass, which is much thinner than the brass of the 7x65R or the 7.62x54R for examples, and the latter two require no fire forming.

Again, to boil it down, if I had to choose one cartridge and one single-shot platform it would be the 7.62x54R/Encore. Its ballistics are right in there with the .308 and 30-06. Based on my one rifle experience and the known (factual) ballistics of the cartridge, I can't imagine a better rimmed single shot rifle cartridge combo, except maybe the 7x65R, and that's including any rimmed wildcat imaginable.

KB

quote:

Originally posted by Kabluewy:
I can't imagine a better rimmed single shot rifle cartridge combo, except maybe the 7x65R, and that's including any rimmed wildcat imaginable.

KB

K-Bob,

try the 9.3 x 74r,



its good for all manner of critters.

GWB

I definitely agree about the 7.62x54R/Encore. I've considered going that route several times over the years but just never saw that idea to fruition.

And I also agree that fireforming can be a pain -- no doubt about that. But the 30-30 brass is designed for a specific pressure/load level, as is the Contender -- and it just so happens to be about the same. So for me, a marriage of the two is just a logical pairing -- even if f/f is needed.

Some of my 7mm Bullberry brass has seen 24 firings and is still going strong. But it's all about how the brass is formed. I start with new brass, true the necks before doing anything and use a load that features a powder slow enough to give 100 percent or more load density and yet is fast enough to fully form the case on the first-go round. Seating the bullet to touch the lands completes the deal by giving the ultimate support during the forming process.

Using any other method -- in my experience -- tends to give less than optimal case life by overworking and weakening the brass. I've had folks tell me they are happy to get 2-3 loadings out of a new piece of brass, and I am just floored by that.

Formed correctly and not pushed beyond its design envelope, they will last a long, long time. The 30-30 AI, being a longer case and not as rigid as the stubbier 7 BB, doesn't last quite as long, but even with some iffy lots of brass, 7 to 8 firings are no problem, and 10 to 11 seem to be the average before the necks begin to show splits. Annealing early on could likely extend the life by a shot or 2, but I have never done that and don't plan to, either.

But especially now, I fully understand the desire for a cartridge that requires no special forming techniques. In fact, in some instances, I may be needing to look into cartridges for which factory ammo is available...and that's not something I even want to think about as I have always loaded my own.

Forgot to say: the JDJ cartridges using the .225 Win and .444 Marling brass also get incredibly-good case life. I am intentionally using a load short of max in the .309 so that my case life will be as good as possible as I do not plan on forming any more. Plus, a 150 grainer at close to 2700 fps will take care of anything I ever plan on shooting...and with ease.

Thanks for the info, guys. It is good to see that there is a place for the slow and mild cartridges and how well they perform.

quote:

Plus, a 150 grainer at close to 2700 fps will take care of anything I ever plan on shooting...and with ease.

Effectively the '06; one of the most underrated and useful cartridges ever developed!

My favorite pig rifles have been a 25-35 Win. SRC with factory ammo and my 6x45 with 75 gr. GS Custom bullets; I use a .22 on one stand at my nephews ranch where the hogs come in real close and I take head shots on the smaller pigs. On the hill country ranches where I hunt, the hogs are just a target of opportunity. I use a deer rifle and hogs are shot sometimes fi its slow on deer or I get bored, or if its a really big bore, and perhaps an eaten hog for camp meat.

Sorry KB but the .33 Winchester and the .35 Winchester are both better.

quote:

I can't imagine a better rimmed single shot rifle cartridge combo, except maybe the 7x65R, and that's including any rimmed wildcat imaginable.