Rich, honestly I'd just load the 180 and carry a rangefinder... as long as you know the distance and what your load is doing at range the rest is immaterial... of course you knew all that!

Good Hunting,

Brad

Brad, Excellent point!

Rich Elliott

A couple years ago I had my 3006 loaded up as a back up elk rifle. Well I did not have time to resight my rifle before a last minute deer hunt. So I went ahead and hunted blacktail with 180 hornady sp and 60 grains of R19 in WW cases with fed 210's. Well I popped a nice 4 point (4x4 plus eyeguards) at about 125 yard. The shot was broadside squarly hit the heart and the tips of the lungs on either side. The buck was moving when hit and slammed the ground. I was afraid the bullet would be too hard for blacktail. I was wrong. Probably 5 years ago I popped a blacktail at about 20 yards though the lungs with 165 hornady. I hardly had any meat damage. The more I use Hornady's the more I like them.

Well, It's time for an update. I 've been to the range twice with several different loads and I have yet to see the other side of 2,800 fps with the -06 Mt. Rifle. I've taken the Hornady 165 with WW Brass and WLRP's up to 58.5 grains of IMR 4350 for an average of 2,747 at 12 ft from the muzzle. When I quit at 62 gtrains of RL 22 I was getting 2,700 fps even. Today after working up to 57 grains of WW 760 I was getting
2,748 with only 10 fps deviation. It didn't appear to show excessive pressure. Extracted easy but the primers are a bit flat so it IS getting there. The new Hornady Manual shows 56.2 grains to be the maximum but the old Hornady Third Edition Manual shows the max to be 60.8. Both using the same components.
Interesting side note. I fired a couple a rounds of the old 180 grain Nosler Handload (57 Grains IMR 4350) I've used for years in my old 1972 vintage Remington Model 700 in the Mt. Rifle. It gives an average close to 2,725 fps. The reasoon I didn't fire three rounds is that I had a classic case rupture. Of course I knew better..the devil made me do it !
More as it happens.

Rich Elliott

Rich, I found an "as new" M70 stainless-featherweight in a local pawn shop last year... there was absolutely no bolt wear which, being particularly bright, gave me the idea it'd never been used. I paid $375! Anyway, I bedded it, floated the barrel and mounted a new Leupold VXII 2x7 in lapped Burris Zee's. I took it to the range with a classic load (180 gr. Hornady over 57.5 grains H4350, RP brass, WLR primers)... it printed little three-shot clusters from .50" to .75"! Next I loaded a 180 Partition... .50" to .75" @ 2780 fps! I've found I don't NEED another rifle!

BA

[ 06-30-2003, 08:19: Message edited by: Brad ]

rich
try some of that federal h.e ammunition or the hornady light magnum ammo in either 165 or 180 gn ...personaly my self i would go with the 180 gn pills
regards daniel

UPDATE
Just returned from the range.
59 grains of WW 760 behind a 165 Gr. Hornady Spire point in new WW brass with WLRP's averaged 2,825 fps in my Rem. 700 Mt. Rifle and the first 3 shots touched making a very impressive 3/8" group. Two more shots through the wispy barrel opend this up to 1 1/2". Should have left well enough alone but wanted a 5 shot average. Extraction was okay and the brass and primers seem okay. Only 21 fps deviation. I think I've found my Mt. Goat load.
Rich Elliott

Rich

When you get a shot at that goat, it will die, as long as you put the bullet inthe right place, which I am sure you will!

I am really looking forward to hearing about your goat hunt!

The rifle and load are worled out, so it's time to do the other part of goat hunt prep....

Start hiking up a bloody steep hill! Start with nothing but a daypack and water, and move up to 50 lbs!

Sheep are always the "Glory" mountain game, but goats are tougher!

I know you will have a great time! have fun!

By the way, you never told us where youare hunting goats!

Is it in BC, Alaska? or where?

I'd use the 180 gr. Nosler at about 2700 FPS....I see no reason to use anything else and your in bear country..

It blows 50 cent exit holes in goats..and from any angle.

Gatehouse

The goat hunt doesn't take place until late September of 2004. It's in South East BC.
I'm headed back to NW Montana this Sept.for an elk /mule deer hunt. That's for .35 Whelen's and such! I live at the base of a 60 ft hill and there are plenty more of them around here. I'm headed up that one to make a 1 mile circle after I quit here.

Ray,
Yeah, I know where you're coming from and I've used that combination a lot in the past on both sides of the pond. My old 1972 Rem. 700
(now in a Classic stock) shoots 180 Noslers into an inch all day. I may try and work up a 180 load in the light rifle later. I'm thinking though that the Hornady would expand a bit more and might make the difference in putting the goat down sooner than the Nosler. That's if it's a good broadside shot and with that kind of spot and stalk hunting it should be don't you think?
Rich Elliott

I was going to use 165gr in my 30.06 for deer but gave up when the powders I used, IMR4350 and N-550, ran up pressures at less velocity than my 2740f/s 180gr load.I asked for advice and was told to try H-4350.I bought a 264WM instead.

Rich,

I found much of the same results that you did. A considerably lower SD and nice tight groups from WW 760. Oddly enough I got better results from CCI 200's than from WLRM's. Im going to try CCI 250's next.


One load for one rifle, its a great excuse for adding another gun. Good luck on the goat hunt!

[ 07-20-2003, 21:05: Message edited by: Wstrnhuntr ]