First G-Hog of the season!!!

[Swift One]

I smacked this baby at 180yds with a 150gr pill from my 7mm-08 a couple days ago.  He was sunning himself on a concrete block. I sent the pill right through his neck.  He did an outstanding back flip (I rated it at a 9.5) and the lights went out.  Once again, I messed up the skull.  I have been trying to get a skull to keep off one of these guys for some time now.  The bullets just keep finding their way to the noggin region!!  LMAO.

[bigvarmnt]

Good shootin Swift. Maybe you should go back to the 60gr Sierra for the smaller critters Sit by a hole and wait for them to start to go in for the night. When they just get their head in SHOOT, Then hope you can drag the front half back out

[Swift One]

LOL, I still like the 223.  I was just hoping for a much longer shot.  My 223 handi is not much after 250yds. I have sort of put it on the back burner as a night hunter and back up only. Some of my areas can produce shots much longer than I am capable of.  I am currently working the 7mm08 out to 500yds and that I think is going to keep me busy for quite some time.  Especially on the smaller critters such as Whistle Pigs.

[Swift One]

BTW Bigvarmnt, how do you like the new paint job on the stock?

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  Swiftone, nice shooting....we are heading to Pa. for some spring gobbler hunting and maybe some chuck shooting, I usually didn't shoot any before Memorial Day weekend...then the hay was too high for another couple weeks...but may try a couple if I have a chance...may stay long enough to do some shooting after the hay is cut..what load did you use in your 7mm-08?....I have a rebarreled 700 with a 24 inch #5 Douglas on it...and it is a real shooter...loaded 50 Serria 100 grain hollow points for it...plus some  139 horn. I had from a #1...this one shoots everything in tiny groups to the same point of aim...really a neat rifle and caliber....but I doubt is sees much use on varmit...after the 100 grainers are gone...kind of made it up to give to my namesake, but he won't be hunting for 8-10 years so I will use it a bit.......   

[bigvarmnt]

I like it, I thought it looked different Is that camo tape on the barrel? I bought some of the white tape for winter, if that's tape on yours, I'll be getting me some

If I put it on my Handi barrel it may become rust brown though

Looks Good.

[Swift One]

Bigvarmnt, that is camo tape on the barrel.  Wally world $5.  BTW, the tape acts as sort of a rust barrier.  I have it on the handi barrel too and I dont have any rust where the tape is.  I origionally used camo form on the barrel but had to remove it.  The tension from the camo form was causing way too many pressure points on the barrel and was smashing the floating barrel into the stock- not making it floating anymore.  Savage factrory stocks are not the best.

Wyo. Coyote Hunter, I am using Remington brass, Winchester primers, 40.6gr of Varget and Sierra 150gr Matchkings.  They group between 1-1.25" at 100yds. Typical for heavy boattail bullets. They start to shine at the 300yd mark though.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  I have tried 160 Serris HPBT in my 08...they group very well,  but did not load any for hunting yet. Will probably use the 100 grain on coyotes, maybe a rockchuck or two, and who knows what else..did not develop what I would consider a long range load as I have several 7mm Mag.s for that stuff...Did you have any trouble with the match bullets not opening on impact? I loaded some 100 grain in my  .25-06...they shot super, but drilled right though three jack rabbits with no expansion....

[Swift One]

As of yet, I have had no issues with the matchkings not doing well on the critters.  However, I would recomend that with GHogs and things of that size, 150yds minimum with the SMKs. with the 1gal plastic milk jugs filled with water, I was drilling 7mm entry AND 7mm exit holes. at 200yds and beyond, I get nice explosions.  Not quite as dramatic as the SSTs, Vmaxs, or SBTs, but substantial enough for massive tissue disruption.  I would think that with the bigger game animals, a shot right through the shoulder blade at a couple hundred yards with an SMK would result in immediate fragmentation.  I know some folks are going to flame my a$$ for promoting SMKs for hunting, but the results for me so far have been quick kills.