I passed on some small bucks on opening day.

They where very close, less than 40yds & I didn't think that would be a good test for my new Budget Custom Oberndorf Mauser.

Well, last Friday one of them stepped out @ 240yds & that is near my maximum yardage shot out of my tri-pod stand. It overlooks a 15 cut that was logged in 1999 & I have kept the skidder trail cleared of brush as a shooting lane. The buck appeared near the end of that shooting lane.

I just about blew the shot as I held a bit high knowing that sighted in 2 1/2" high @ 100 yds the gun should not shoot high & I thought it might drop a bit below LOS @ that range. I hadn't had the ammo available to do a lot of long range target work.

I held high on the back of the ribcage on the quartering away shot. As the gun cracked, I was amazed @ how little barrel rise there was & I was able to bring the gun back on target immediately.

There was no deer visable & I was pretty sure he had dropped right there behind a blow-down that was several yds in front of the deer. I recovered so fast I was sure I would have seen the deer bounding away.

Close examination of the scene through the 3-9X40 Luepold VX-II revieled a splash of white barely visable to one side of the blow-down.

I watched for several minutes to make sure the deer was down for good & then made the round about walk around the swampy area.

I found the buck right where he had stood. The bullet had hit the buck exactly where I was aiming. Some of the 200gr .323 Nosler Partition aparently fragmented, blowing through the liver/lungs while the core went through the spine & exited high on the front of the off side shoulder.

The 200gr Partition @ 2700+ fps should allow shots out to 275yds W/center of (vertical) mass.

I am very pleased W/this rifle. It is extremey accurate for what it is & the angle of the curved steel buttplate reduces muzzle rise to a minimum.

Good job! What the 8x57 does, it does well.

Another one bites the dust with an old proven cartridge.Good Job.

roger

How long is your barrel?

quote:

Originally posted by GaryVA:
How long is your barrel?

It's standard length 98K.

After having the muzzle trimmed to a flat recessed crown it finished out about 23 1/4" to the bolt face.

Where are you in northern NY? My hunting place is near the salmon fish hatchery in Altmar, exit 34 off I81 in Oswego County, north of Syracuse...

quote:

Originally posted by johnnyreb:
Where are you in northern NY? My hunting place is near the salmon fish hatchery in Altmar, exit 34 off I81 in Oswego County, north of Syracuse...

I'm about halfway between Watertown & Plattsburgh.

Near Massena.

I guess that would qualify as WAY NORTH...

Been raining all day here. Shot a doe on 10/29, hoping a buck wanders in front of me this weekend...