I just got home from deer hunting and I used my 8X57 that has been sporterized. The load I used was a 185gr Corelock over 50gr of IMR 4320 with a Federal 210 primer and Remington brass. I get 2650fps with this combination and it dropped my doe on the spot. I can also put 3 shots into 2/3 of an inch at 100 yards with a Weaver K4 scope so it's pretty accurate too.

Sounds like a good load. I have about 500 Speer 170's to use up 1st.

How was bullet performance? How far was your shot taken? How much meat damage was there?

Sorry for the fifty questions, I have 49gr. of Varget behind the same bullet, and wonder how it will perform.

Thanks...

The shot was about 250 yards. There appeared to be less meat damage to my deer than my friends with similar shot placement and range. He was shooting a 270 with 140gr Hornady boattails loaded to 2850fps. But his deer did weigh 1 pound more than mine. The bullet was not recovered and there was an exit would about 2 to 3 inches in diameter.

[ 10-24-2002, 22:24: Message edited by: 257 AI ]

I have an 8X57 sporter that shoots well with a heavy charge of 4064 and Sierra 175 gr spitzers seated out to maximum for the magazine.

I tried Speer 170's first and it just would not group them well.

I have shot two hogs with it. Both were approx 200 lbs. One at 50 yds and one at 125 yds. Both of them were taken through the shoulders and lungs. It dropped both of them on the spot, a little kicking around but they could not get up. About a 2 inch exit and bullet was not recovered.

This is my "hog" rifle in that it is for potential thick cover. Here in Texas you can catch them bedded in plum thickets, crawl in down wind quitely and ambush 'em. What a rush! It's a sporterized military stock shaped in British fashion. 21 inch barrel, Rem 700 sights with fiber optic dots. A weaver 4 X in swing mounts. It maintains a zero no matter how many times I swing the scope over.

257 AI, That sounds like a good load, I will be trying that bullet next. Now I am using 196g Norma bullets pushed by 46g of IMR 4064. It is a very accurate load, but a little slow. I will see what it will do on deer in 2 weeks.