Ep. 036 - Is Your Hunting Rifle Ready?

[@jasonweishaupt1828]

I do a site check, 3 position dryfire, sling work. Where I hunt long range is 50 yards. So I am more concerned with scouting and where I am going to walk or set up.

[@codyarbogast1479]

I’m listening to this while I process the deer I killed this year and I can’t help but chuckle about how I “prepared” my rifle this year. I bought a ruger m77 7 mag back in January. I’ve been looking forward to hunting with that rifle all year and I’ve put around 100 rounds through it at the range. I was ready! 2 days before the season opened I was in the hardware store and found a 1980 Remington 700 chambered in 270. I ended up buying that rifle, brought it out that same day to check that the scope was still zeroed which it was. I did a couple groups with some factory ammo which it shot very well. I decided to use that for deer season instead. I’d only put 11 rounds through it and killed my deer on the second day of the season, just three days after buying the rifle.

[@jeffreywilson690]

I suggest putting a sticky note with the ammo that you shot last in the gun and they decided in for on the gun when you put it up in the safe

[@daveknowles3055]

Another great podcast, I really liked Ben's story of sighting in as an event. I normally do that by myself but like the idea of a group, may steal that one.

[@Dale37]

Out of all the people I know, I am the only one that shoots all of my guns throughout the year. I just never understood spending the money on a gun and just letting them sit without enjoying. I also feel like it makes me more comfortable when it comes time to pull the trigger while hunting. At this time, my favorite is my 6.5 PRC. Hoping I can get a nice whitetail with it this year using the ELD-X ammunition.

[@phild9813]

I enjoy shooting year round too. Regardless, I’m usually still half scrambling to get dialed before hunting.

[@claywallsoutdoors9957]

I have been looking at getting a 6.5 prc how well did it go on whitetail and what ammo did you use?

[@Dale37]

@Clay Walls Outdoors I honestly never did get one with the 6.5 PRC. Between my 14 year old daughter and I, we got four deer, one with a 6.5 Creedmoor, 30-06,.308 and a .35 Whelen. 🤣 I got so fixated on other things that I ran out of time.

[@brandtbuchanan5526]

If you ever go on guided hunts, I'm sure your guide will thank you. So rare to see hunters that really know their rifle

[@curtishooper2603]

Another great show Thanks!

[@diggernash1]

I'm a confirmed load jumper, because I like load development better than shooting and just slightly less than the hunt itself. There is just something satisfying about getting all the accuracy a rifle has to offer. That being said, I do try to decide on one hunting load for each hunting rifle prior to the season and do a pre-season sight-in. Our season is so long(mid october to early January)down here, that I reconfirm after cold weather arrives. Having a minimum of twelve tags does give options for trying different loads through the season, but I always put one down with the initial load before changing.

[@rickschwertner282]

That was a super cool, laid back, informative, fun podcast guys

[@hornady]

Much appreciated!

[@Serenityindailylife]

Sometimes it makes you feel better to know that you have made your ammo, built your rifle, chose your plot and even picked an ideal buck. You drop that buck it feels unbelievable because every single thing you did was to honor that animal. To take a deer that would have lived anonymously for 4-5 years and would have been killed slowly and painfully by its environment and give it a quick and respectful ending. Then to sustain your family's life with it and honor it by mounting it, so it's part of your family.

[@chadillac95]

Deer can live upwards of 10 years, some longer than that, when they die from old age. Most trophies aren't considered trophies until they're 4 or 5 years old

[@ronws2007]

@@chadillac95 Citation, please. I have a number of books on deer and I don't remember that and I did two different wikipedia searches and could not find lifespan in there. Granted, some of the books I have read talk about harvesting a trophy buck between 4 and 6 years. However, it is the spread and architecture of the antlers that makes it a trophy of note. You may be completely right about the 10 year life span, if all predation was removed, whether man, wolf, or coyote.

[@richardsmith6038]

Now I want sausage!!! Great job as always guys!!!

[@johnmyers3930]

Smokeless muzzleloaders are awesome! I love mine!

[@austinanderson8485]

Ever gun at my house has been shot in past 2 months beside the shotgun wether I take it out to confirm zero or just to shoot for the fun of it

[@chipsterb4946]

Your annual family sight in sounds like a wonderful event! 😎

[@ronws2007]

I shoot year around, just to stay in practice. And now that I have a new 7 mm PRC, I am working on getting that rifle and scope dialed in. First thing. I have to deal with recoil. It is significantly more than the slow .308 I have been shooting. My .308 is shooting 165 gr at 2700. The 7 PRC is shooting 175 gr at 3k. Aside from that, it may easily become my everything rifle from hunting to long range target shooting. As I become more confident, I know I can get mule deer and elk at the distances you find them, which is generally farther than whitetail deer in the canola bean field of one's aunt or friend. However, there are some big canola bean fields. So, my intention is to get the rifle as accurate as possible and comfortable so that when the shot presents itself, aim and shoot. I still zero at 100. I might try the zero angle approach. And rather than MPBR, I still prefer to dial the range of shot I have. In one direction, I can see 100 yards through the trees to a draw. Other other direction, 225 yards across a clearing while I hide in the trees. As for ammo availability, .308 is everywhere and I have a stockpile of another brand that does very well and it could take some time to whittle that down. 7 PRC is another story. About the only place I am finding it is on GB. I look for the buy now at a reasonable price. I stay away from the auctions where you could spend 7 or 8 dollars around. I bought 100 rds of 175 gr ELD-X at 4.74/rd. So, I have some to get started shooting. I have thought about getting into reloading, not so much for cost savings, which may not be much, but for availability of ammo, at any reasonable price.

[@edwardabrams4972]

Great cast but only one question when can we expect primers?

[@russellkeeling4387]

I choose a rifle and a load for it depending on the game I intend to hunt. I have a particular firearm I use for each different animal I hunt. There is some crossover but not much. For instance I will usually use a 139 or 140 grain bullet for my .275 Rigby. I will use a 165 Grain bullet for my 30-06. I will use a 225 grain bullet for my .35 Whelen. Each is sighted for a good point blank range and they all have very close external ballistics. I have never had a problem with any firearm loosing its accuracy by sitting in the gun safe. The only variable to this is my .444 Marlin. I use a 240 grain bullet at a velocity of 2400 fps and it isn't in the same neighborhood as my other big game rifles even though the last elk I shot with it was 266 yards away. My question to this video is just where is it that I can buy Hornady bullets in calibers and weights I want.

[@phild9813]

Great discussion. I like Hornady. I’ve used GMXs in the past with great success on elk and pronghorn. I still have some 150s in 30-06. Wish I could try the new CXs, but stuff is too expensive right now to switch. Not a fan of shots much past 300 yards. Ethics really begins to erode around that point, in terms of an animal’s lack of desire to escape. At farther ranges, time of flight of the bullet begins to allow animals to potentially make significant movements that lead to bad hits.

[@ronaldsemerena4810]

loved hunting around Crete NE when I was a boy....

[@jeffreywilson690]

I like my 338/06 to from 200to 285 Hornady bullets

[@davidshepherd1400]

Yes all my hunting rifles are ready but hard to find Hornady 6mm arc and 6.5 grendel ammo and reloading components, brass and some bullets.

[@slomo1562]

No, my old rig isn't ready. I've no place to go. Last public land I went to looked like a Tennessee Vols football game from my tree stand. The clearing I planned to hunt had a truck parked in it. I don't have thousands of dollars to spend to join a lease so I gave up hunting. I try to go for opening dove but missed it this year due to work obligations. If you get to regularly hunt, count yourself well blessed.

[@chadillac95]

I've never understood why people say you never hunt on a clean barrel. I can't remember the last time my first round after cleaning wasn't still accurate, under 1 moa

[@gregorypace2641]

I have around 10 rifles ready to go, but I have a lot more work to do!

[@anthonyfairbanks2952]

Yes my rifles are ready for deer hunting Hornady ammo ready

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

My rifle wasn't ready for bear season. And found out my bow wasn't either. Ended up with single shot shotgun and muzzle loader after I found out how off I was shooting the bow.

[@mr.mr.3301]

One question that I have is if you zero your rifle in August and it’s 90° but you’re hunting in the woods in winter and it’s 35° how off will the zero be?

[@hornady]

With zero angle in 4DOF, it won't be off at all. It accounts for that.

[@diggernash1]

@@hornady Velocity changes are accounted for, or minimized? It's not really important to me, because my shots are inside of 300 yards. Just curious.

[@hornady]

@@diggernash1 It can account for the temp stability factor of powders. Some popular ones are already in there, or you can figure your own and input it in.

[@diggernash1]

@@hornady That is fantastic. I've got a new bolt gun that I will use to get into the weeds. Already enjoy the app alot, but missed this feature entirely.

[@ryancrazy1]

Did you guys ever do a zero angle podcast?

[@codymitchell8077]

Well I know your not running 7mm08 around the clock. I think 6.5 Creedmoor is good

[@michaelkaylor6770]

F'n Marines! You never change!

[@stevenboswell4524]

How are you using the app on a hunt? The app won't open for me if I don't have cell service...which is kind of useless for me because I never have service when I'm shooting.

[@hornady]

The app doesn’t need service to run

[@stevenboswell4524]

@@hornady that's odd, because I have tried it several times with no success. Thanks for the reply though, now I know for sure that it's either my device or service provider. I love this podcast and as much as you guys talk about the app, I've been eagerly awaiting the chance to try it out.

[@barryfroelich3526]

Did the inexpensive red dot thing on the 308. 😢disappointing shooting adjustments,put on the bore sight it is on . Shoot again in the dirt above the target . Junk , looked good . Lesson learned .

[@mr.mr.3301]

Is it awesome to work at a place that is your passion?

[@hornady]

It really is!

[@georgelza]

Please explain the zero angle

[@georgelza]

@Hornady Manufacture, please confirm the above is real

[@johnmyers3930]

@@georgelza it's not

[@flatriveroutdoorsman7015]

@George Leonard - Seth covers it all right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX65fJ6onLWjack

[@marvinstubbs]

What the name of that app

[@hornady]

Hornady 4DOF ballistics calculator

[@marvinstubbs]

@@hornady thank you

[@Pew_pewchronicles]

Precision Hunter Ammo is hunting ammunition precision is not!! The statement about you can’t out perform factory ammunition is false you’re just sucking up to the Hornady company.

[@larryvollmar8763]

OMG!!!! This is the first time I’ve ever heard anybody mention my favorite cartridge. The 338-06. Nobody talks about it on Podcasts or KZbin shows. Nobody will discuss it at all!! Is there like a moratorium on it or you’re not allowed to talk about the 338-06?

[@Pew_pewchronicles]

How does Ben go hunting? Being such big guy . Maybe Nebraska is table top flat