17 August 2003, 12:39
12FLVSSWooo Hooo!!!!
Boys n Girls, I am STOKED! Just got my Savage 12FLVSS and was waiting for my BR Pivot bench to arrive before starting to work up a varmint load for it. I was just out on the balcony, saw a couple crows out pecking around and I had to take a shot. I picked a mild one out of the waiting test loads I had made up and slapped on a bipod. I knew it was a little far out there so I aimed what I guessed to be about 6" high and calmly squeezed the trigger as best I could. I was elated to see it immediately jerk and flop around a couple seconds before laying quietly. The stunner was when I paced it off...
<< 258 long paces!! >> and this from an untested stock rifle with a randomly selected load! (40gr Vmax 26.5gr of H335) This was without a doubt the best (or luckiest) shot I have ever made.
I was wondering why the crow had any "flop" left in him after getting hit by that Vmax but when I got there I understood. I didn't hold quite high enough. I hit him low in the body so it took out his lower abdomen.. he took about a second or maybe two to expire....
good shooting,
12FLVSS