165 gr. BTHP on big 8 point

[rickt300]

Well I was asked out to another lease thursday and spent till this monday hunting. I saw some real nice bucks, one in particular a massive 8 point but it was 3 on one side and 5 on the other so I passed. This morning I carried my backup rifle, an old 30-06 built on a Springfield action. The ammo loaded for it is the 165 gr. Sierra BTHP Gameking on top of 57.5 grains of IMR 4350 fired by a CCI 250 primer. I put this together for a mule deer hunt several years ago and the load did well on that trip. This really nice even 8 point came out near the waterhole I was watching and started posing for the does. I watched him for a while as it was foggy and I couldn't see him all that well. I even pointed the rifle at him and took the safety off but put the rifle down. The fog finally cleared and I realized he was the nicest 8 point I had ever seen and he was following a doe out of sight, I lined up on his last ribs on my side as he was angling to my right and fired. Another DRT, I am having a good year. The bullet hit the 4th from last rib and exited just under the bottom corner of the far shoulder blade. Did a little damage to the blade and exited nicely with a 3/4 tinch exit hole. The bullet damaged some liver, made a big hole in the diaphram, totally destroyed the far lung and must have come close enough to rough the spine a bit before going out the other side. The hole in the rib cage on the far side was 2 inches across. This bullet exhibited more controlled expansion than the Ballistic Tip out of my 7x57 but I would have taken the same shot with it. Very little meat loss and all but the backstrap went to be made half into Jalapeno cheese summer sausage and cheese summer sausage. In this case the heart was undamaged so he bled profusely before I got too him unlike the deer hit with my 7x57 where the Ballistic Tip chunked up the heart.

[Brithunter]

Hmmm photos ......................... where are the photos?

    Sounds like you had a good time, productive time too. Congratulations on what sounds like a dandy Buck 

[rickt300]

I haven't mastered the art of posting pictures yet.  In fact I haven't taken pictures if either deer with any camera yet either. Yesterday I had to shoot the deer, break camp and drive to the nearest town and ice him down, drive 250 miles, then Quarter and take the meat to a processor, talk to a buyer for one of my houses, then go back home and watch last weeks episode of "Cane" and hit the sack. The 8 point is a bit bigger than the 10 point but neither are true monsters, just good heads. I really will never be a true trophy hunter because I don't "hold out" well.

[Siskiyou]

I was hoping for a picture also.  It is becoming easier.  While I normally have a camera in my pickup I do not want to carry the extra weight while out hunting.  This year I was lucky and had my cellphone camera.  While it is limited it did capture the moment this year.  When I first got the camera phone I did not think I would use it, but I have found myself using it a lot.  Yesterday I tried to get pictures of two different bucks but when reviewing the pictures I deleted them.  To get good camera phone pics I need to perfect holding it steady and getting close, but I thought that would be foolish with the rut in swing.  I can see the headline, FAT, OLD MAN, HORNED by BUCK!  I use My Hosted Pics, what is part of Matt's operation to host any pictures I post.  https://www.gboreloaded.com/mhp/


I like the 165 grain bullet in the 300 SAV, 308, and 30-06.  I think it is the idea 30 Caliber bullet weight for deer.  Somewhere between 100 yards and 200 yards the retained velocity will greater from the 165 grain bullet then the 150-grain bullet launched 150-200 feet faster.  From a ballistic standpoint standard 165 grain .30 caliber bullets out perform similar designed 150-grain bullets.  And I like the exit hole created by the 165-grain bullets.

Sounds like you got some fine deer, congratulations!

[rickt300]

I don't have a scanner or a digital camera so I am definitly hindered. I have a cell phone camera but no way to download it. Both heads are in their respective buckets of muddy water rendering for Euro mounting.  I do like the 165 grain bullets in my 30-06 and 308 but i used the 150 grain Speer Hotcors for years and had no complaints really. The Sierra BTHP's were really ammo stored with the backup rifle and what it was sighted in for. I don't have any more and the next loads for the rifle will be (gasp) 165 grain Ballistic Tips! I also have a bunch of 165 grain Corelokts to use on pigs and for practice.

[Siskiyou]

My camera phone has a slot for a micro SD card.  The camera did not come with a memory card.  My 128 MB card came with one of my gps units, but the same card can be bought for about $10 along with an SD adapter.  The SD adapter will fit into the card reader in the front of our computer towers.  From there I can resize the picture and store it on the net, my computer or both.

My grandson was the first to get a camera phone.  His provider wanted a terrible amount to send a picture or download it.  Because of that when I purchased a new phone I selected one that had a slot for removable memory.  A friend selected a Mil-Spec phone that has a better camera then mine.  When it comes time to re-new my contract I will look be looking at the next generation Mil-Spec phone.

The grandson found a work around for his phone in a cable.  What it common knowledge among the kids, it mystery sauce to me. 

I agree the 150-grain Speer hot cor is a good bullet, I have three or four boxes on hand.  But after witnessing the field results on my partners deer and mine using the 165 grain bullets are my first choice.  A camera phone picture of exit of 165 grain Nosler PT fired from a .300 Savage.



My biggest problem is holding the camera still while taking the picture.

[rickt300]

What I really need is a digital camera, a good one with all the bells and whistles. I have 2 very old Minolta 35 MM SLR cameras that do my camera work for me. last year Walmart fouled up both rolls of my hunting pictures including pictures of Tommy's 12 point and the biggest hog I have taken. Yeah digital is calling me.

[nomosendero]

Congrats Sir!!!