First trip to the range with my new Ruger 77 in 30.06 today.Before I hit the range Tim at Mc Donalds' got the trigger tweaked and fitted the scope and boresighted it. I fitted Warne quick detachables but like my Talley. the vertical split rings are a pain to fit. Much easier to start on paper.
The Ruger fed every time with 4 in the magazine. Best group was 1.75 inches with someone elses handloads. I am planning to use it as my sambar rifle so am working up loads with the 220 Woodleigh.
Personally I would prefer it fed well and accept 2 inch groups, for sambar hunting. Up until now I have shot a 338 for sambar, the 30.06 is certainly lighter and less recoil.
Mark

Someone had to say it - did you get fries with it?

You mention 'accepting' 2" groups - play around with handloads - I get .25 - .5" groups with my 270, but it took a bit of fiddling with, (and a Timney trigger), but I wonder how much was just the rifle 'settling down'.

But I do know what you mean - how often do we 'really need' half inch groups?

Rugeruser

If target shooting is your thing then really tight groups have to be the aim , but I dont eat much paper so can live with a bigger group and meat on the table . The kill area on a deer is way bigger than the center of your paper target . Get familiar with shooting your rifle in the field and the killing shots will be easier to make consistantly . Last large animal I shot had a perfect group - one hole right were it counted .

You have a good tough rifle for Sambar, how much heavier is the Ruger .338 ??

PC I can't tell you the exact difference in weight between the 338 and the 30.06 but the difference is all in the barrel. I find the 338 feels very barrel heavy and the 06 seems to be better for snapshooting. This is a big change for me as I have owned centre fires for 38 years and never owned an 06 before.
The reason I raised the service at McDonalds rugeruser is it is important for new shooters to be able to get htis assistance, nothing puts beginners off our sport more than not being able to hit anything with their new rifle. With accuracy this takes second place to using the correct bullet for an animal as big as a sambar.
Mark

Mark,

I wonder if had of been worth chasing up one of the cz 9.3x62's there may have been a couple of them left. I have one...it took a few months to get in but it weigh's the same as a 30/06 & gets close to .375 H&H power levels, handy caliber I reckon.

Also Mark what is your opinion of the Marlin 45/70 rifle for a sambar rifle ??

PC
I toyed with getting a 9.3x62 a while back, same time as you were going for yours. Then the Montana actions became available and I bought 3 of them instead. My plan was to build a 338 Ultramag first but no one in Australia has reamers.So then I got side-tracked to the 06.
The 45.70 guide gun would be an excellent choice for a sambar rifle. It seems a few serious hunters use the 45.70 with lighter bullets like the 350 and 400 grainers.
Mark

Mark,



Let me say that you have excellent taste in rifles and cartridges! Great minds must think alike!



I noticed that you said you're working up a load for the 220gr Woodleighs. I'm not sure what powders you have available to you in Australia but I thought I'd pass along my handload info.



Rifle: Ruger M77 MkII (with Leupold 1.5-5x Vari-x III)

Cartridge: .30-06

Bullet: 220gr Woodleigh round nose soft point

Case: W-W

Primer: WLR (not magnum primer)

Powder: 52.0 grs of IMR-4350

COL: 3.15"

Chrono: 2460 fps (average chrono velocity for 10 shots)

Just FYI: This same load using the Hornady 220gr round nose chronos at an average of 2420 fps.



IMR-4350 is probably not the powder to use to try to get the absolute maximum velocity in the '06 with the heavy 200 and 220 gr bullets. Something like RL-19, RL-22 or H4831 would probably be better. But I haven't tried those powders yet with this bullet weight.



But 2460 fps is not bad. And this 52.0 gr IMR-4350 load was Jack O'Connors recommended load for 220 gr bullets. He said, in one of his books, that it was one of the most accurate .30-06 loads, of any bullet weight, that he had tried. Of course that was years ago and accuracy standards and available components have changed since then. But I found the load to be very accurate in my Ruger M77 MkII. I'm not the best rifle shot in the world but I have gotten this load to put three shots into a clover leaf at 100 yards on a couple of occasions. Usually I manage around an inch or so for three shots. (Leupold 1.5-5x scope.)



And the trajectory of the old 220 gr round nose is not all that bad out to about 200 yards. Use a 150 yard zero and it shoots fairly flat out to 200 yards or so.



Just my ramblings.....

-Bob F.







Red Hartebeest taken in South Africa in 2002 with Ruger rifle and 220gr Woodleigh .30-06 load mentioned above.