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Old Faithful

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Old Faithful

Postby Old school » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 1]

Getting ready for deer season here. Figured I’d verify my rifles were sighted in. Took out the old Ruger M77 MK II in .25/06 - haven’t used it in years. Have never missed a deer with it. Put a new scope on it and wow is it clear and still a shooter. 30mm Steiner GS3 3x15x50mm. Hoping it’s record stays spotless this year. 1” group at 100 and Ringing steel at 250 so we are good to go.

TC Venture in .308 doing the same thing. 1” group at 100 and rings steel at 250.

About a month to go here in MO.

Verify in October or cry in November.
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Tigger » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 2]

Old School, You know the problem with having a gun that shoots perfect?
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Old school » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 3]

Oh I know. I’ve eliminated an excuse for when I miss - it’s all on me...
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Swede » 10 07, 2020 •  [Post 4]

Some of those old guns shot phenomenal groups. I wish I was just a good.
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby 7mmfan » 10 08, 2020 •  [Post 5]

Old School, I have the Ruger M77 MKII 7mm Rem mag that I got when I was 16. Dad went 50/50 on it with me. I've used and abused that gun, emphasis on the abused part. It still shoots sub .5" groups when I do my part. Today I went out to verify drops at extended ranges and made one shot kills on milk jugs to 500 yards. I'm sure if I had more yardage to work with, the rifle would do it's part. They really are great guns.

Good luck this fall, hopefully everything aligns for you.
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Old school » 10 08, 2020 •  [Post 6]

7mm - I’ve never shot mine at that kind of range. A 400 yard shot here is a real poke. I hear you either get a good one or a bad one with the Ruger M77’s. Sounds like we’ve both got good ones. I really like the .25/06 for deer as it shoots so flat and has so little recoil. Good luck on your coming hunt. Wish I was headed to Idaho.

-Mitch
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby wawhitey » 10 08, 2020 •  [Post 7]

Some old guns can be surprising, even paired with old school crappy ammo. Guys ive talked to that have winchester model 88s consider them minute-of-barn guns. My 1956 win88 .308 loaded with 150gr core lokts shoots great really. In 2014 i bullseyed a (tiny) bear at 350 yards with it, laid out prone, rock solid rest on my pack. Got i think 3 deer and 2 bear with that gun before i decided to make it a safe queen. Never a miss or bad shot. Every trigger pull ive made with that gun on a live animal was a notched tag. You just never know what those old guns are capable of until you put them through the paces.
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Lefty » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 8]

Old school wrote:7mm - I’ve never shot mine at that kind of range. A 400 yard shot here is a real poke. I hear you either get a good one or a bad one with the Ruger M77’s. Sounds like we’ve both got good ones. I really like the .25/06 for deer as it shoots so flat and has so little recoil. Good luck on your coming hunt. Wish I was headed to Idaho.
-Mitch

Next year Idaho?

I didnt realize the simple physics of recoil until I started reloading. We use to shoot those big 220 Core-locs in our 308. back in Mn, Called them brush busters,.. but mort like shoulder killers
I made some 110 gn for my wifes 30-06, a dream to shoot.

I prefer to push as much out the barrel as possible, and I know I often overkill,.. Ive often tend to practice with the lighter loads and hunt with the bigger
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby wawhitey » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 9]

Lefty wrote:
Old school wrote:7mm - I’ve never shot mine at that kind of range. A 400 yard shot here is a real poke. I hear you either get a good one or a bad one with the Ruger M77’s. Sounds like we’ve both got good ones. I really like the .25/06 for deer as it shoots so flat and has so little recoil. Good luck on your coming hunt. Wish I was headed to Idaho.
-Mitch

Next year Idaho?

I didnt realize the simple physics of recoil until I started reloading. We use to shoot those big 220 Core-locs in our 308. back in Mn, Called them brush busters,.. but mort like shoulder killers
I made some 110 gn for my wifes 30-06, a dream to shoot.

I prefer to push as much out the barrel as possible, and I know I often overkill,.. Ive often tend to practice with the lighter loads and hunt with the bigger



220gr bullets in a .308? What was your twist rate? That just doesnt sound right.
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Old school » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 10]

Lefty - For probably the past 10 yrs I’ve shot a .300 Win Mag for deer. 180 gr barnes bullet. Great combo, but way more gun (and recoil) than I need. I took the .25/06 back out and was reminded of the accuracy and pleasant recoil. 115 gr Winchester Silvertip is more than enough out to 500 yards for deer. One year I’ll Mule Deer hunt Idaho again. First elk I ever killed was up in N Idaho with my .300 Win Mag. Seems like it was just a few years ago...
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby wawhitey » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 11]

Old school wrote:Lefty - For probably the past 10 yrs I’ve shot a .300 Win Mag for deer. 180 gr barnes bullet. Great combo, but way more gun (and recoil) than I need. I took the .25/06 back out and was reminded of the accuracy and pleasant recoil. 115 gr Winchester Silvertip is more than enough out to 500 yards for deer. One year I’ll Mule Deer hunt Idaho again. First elk I ever killed was up in N Idaho with my .300 Win Mag. Seems like it was just a few years ago...


Ive shot whitetail with 300wm and 308 and never could see q difference in how far they went. Dont see myself ever shooting a big magnum bolt action rifle again.
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Lefty » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 12]

[/quote]220gr bullets in a .308? What was your twist rate? That just doesn't sound right.[/quote] Im clueless on the twist the guns we were shooting in the mis 70's
we were shooting out of Winchester model 100, some upgrade
I was shooting a Remington carbine semi loader 740 ? I dont remember that modle at all .
I dont even think I knew anything under 180 was made for 30 caliber :?
I guess I was shooting 150 silver tips in my lever, dang that gun hurt to shoot
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby wawhitey » 10 09, 2020 •  [Post 13]

Guns that old likely had a 12 twist. WAY slow for such big bullets. What kind of accuracy were you getting? I shoot 150 grain bullets out of my old 12 twist winchesters, and 165gr in my modern 10 twist savages
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Lefty » 10 10, 2020 •  [Post 14]

wawhitey wrote:Guns that old likely had a 12 twist. WAY slow for such big bullets. What kind of accuracy were you getting? I shoot 150 grain bullets out of my old 12 twist Winchesters, and 165gr in my modern 10 twist savages

Our dad didnt let us shoot those 220's except for deer.
My Remington carbine shot a big group; 2 plus with lighter factory loads, I gave that gun to my nephew when I left Minnesota in 88. I liked the gun,.. but it was not a shooter, my 10/22 did better

Story time. My brothers best friend Bill had a place near Lake of the Woods. Minnesota in that region for years had multiple deer opportunities. Bill built and put up heated stands for kids. and over the years my nephew shot 10 or so deer with that gun,.. short range30-70 yards

I really dont remember much about those guns. I did shoot my second whitetail , 5x5 with one of the Winchesters near Moosejaw when I was 13 ( 1971)
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby Old school » 02 05, 2021 •  [Post 15]

Well - I only fired the .25-06 once this year. A doe at 175 yards. I was again reminded why I love that gun. You do your part, and there’s no doubt - dead deer. We had an odd season here - not a lot of chasing during daylight hours. 2019 was a 9/10 here where we hunt, this year was a 2/10. No rhyme or reason. Still blessed - I’ve got private land Im allowed to hunt, and got to hunt with my youngest son and my dad this year. Counting my blessings. Who knows how many seasons dad has left in him. This year on opening morning he killed a small 8 pt at 410 yards with his .270 short Mag - so he can still getter done :-)

-Mitch
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Re: Old Faithful

Postby 7mmfan » 02 05, 2021 •  [Post 16]

Good job Mitch. Team M77 MKII had lots of 1 shot kills this year :D
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