Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2013 9:02:02 GMT -8
Yesterday was the conclusion of an 8 year wait for a Pronghorn permit here in Utah. My son Cory had been trying to draw a permit for 8 long years. After he found out that he was successful in drawing a tag the work started. Cory wanted to use a AR but was a little apprehensive about it. The unit he drew the tag is known for giving you LONG shots, it's pretty flat. He had 4 months to get proficient at shooting long. ( Guess who was the coach ) After burning through more than a few boxes of bullets and a couple of pounds of powder, he was ready.
We started early Saturday morning. Up at 0400 and were off, for a two hour drive. As soon as we got into the area where the permit was for, we started seeing Pronghorns. This went on for hour after hour. We had seen and glassed 30 different bucks. They were to small, to far, no way to get closer. We just kept looking. I knew sooner or later we would find the right one. Finally at 1600 yesterday afternoon we found what looked like a shooter buck. He was with a doe and was not paying any attention to us. I was looking at him through the spotting scope trying to size him up, while Cory had the range finder on him. 646 yards was the distance. We came to a mutual decision, LETS SHOOT!
Cory started going through the checklist just like I had taught him. Rifle on his backpack and rock solid, recheck the range, run the numbers on the ballistic calculator, check the wind, run the scope up 12.75 MOA, adjust the parallax. This was coming together like a Swiss watch. One more check with the range finder, charge the rifle and he's ready.
The buck had been feeding while we were going through the motions of getting ready. He still wasn't paying any attention to us, but had moved unit he was at a slight quartering away angle. The doe was getting nervous and was starting to move. I told Cory it's now or never, because if he starts to walk hold the shot. I hadn't even got the words out of my mouth when the rifle went off. It seemed like forever for the bullet to get there, but when it did I could tell by the buck's reaction he had made a good shot on him. The buck took two steps and went down.
I had to be the proudest dad in Utah right now. The 646 yards seemed like inches. When we got to the buck I could see why he went down the way he did. The bullet had entered behind the left front shoulder. I couldn't see an exit hole, but after dressing and skinning I found what was left of the bullet under the hide on the off side shoulder. It had entered hitting a rib, took off the top of the hart and went through the off side shoulder, coming to rest just under the skin. Cory had made the perfect shot.
Now comes my part in all this. Being the typical son, Cory decides to try one of my AR's. We went back and forth about which cartridge to use. I wanted him to use the 6X68. Everything was fine with that until Carl ( the owner of Black Hole ) sent me a 24" 264 LBC barrel. The boy saw that thing shoot and I had to do some fast talking to convince him again, the 6X68 would still do the job! This is the reason you have seen a lot of targets being posted from these two calibers. I also need to say thanks to Greg for all his help with testing the big bullets and spending the hours it takes to work up loads for a wildcat cartridge.
I finally settled on a load for the 6X68. The biggest variable I found is seating depth. Get the bullet started in the right spot and they shoot. I have found this through the entire range of bullet weights. The load Cory was shooting was:
31.2 grains CFE 223
CCI 450 primer
SSA 6.8 brass
Berger 90 grain target BTHP seated at 2.290 OAL
This load clocks at 3090 from a 22" 1 in 10 twist Black Hole barrel.
This load is on the warm side, I caution you to work up to it slowly.
The rifle used was one of the original 6X68's we built to test with.
22" Black Hole 1 in 10 twist barrel
BTE adjustable gas block
Free float hand guard from Young Manufacturing
BCG is a nickel boron plated from R Guns
Scope used is a Burris 4X16 Black Diamond in a RR mount
Here is Cory and his 2013 Pronghorn
This is a picture of the recovered bullet and an un fired Berger 90 gr HPBT
We started early Saturday morning. Up at 0400 and were off, for a two hour drive. As soon as we got into the area where the permit was for, we started seeing Pronghorns. This went on for hour after hour. We had seen and glassed 30 different bucks. They were to small, to far, no way to get closer. We just kept looking. I knew sooner or later we would find the right one. Finally at 1600 yesterday afternoon we found what looked like a shooter buck. He was with a doe and was not paying any attention to us. I was looking at him through the spotting scope trying to size him up, while Cory had the range finder on him. 646 yards was the distance. We came to a mutual decision, LETS SHOOT!
Cory started going through the checklist just like I had taught him. Rifle on his backpack and rock solid, recheck the range, run the numbers on the ballistic calculator, check the wind, run the scope up 12.75 MOA, adjust the parallax. This was coming together like a Swiss watch. One more check with the range finder, charge the rifle and he's ready.
The buck had been feeding while we were going through the motions of getting ready. He still wasn't paying any attention to us, but had moved unit he was at a slight quartering away angle. The doe was getting nervous and was starting to move. I told Cory it's now or never, because if he starts to walk hold the shot. I hadn't even got the words out of my mouth when the rifle went off. It seemed like forever for the bullet to get there, but when it did I could tell by the buck's reaction he had made a good shot on him. The buck took two steps and went down.
I had to be the proudest dad in Utah right now. The 646 yards seemed like inches. When we got to the buck I could see why he went down the way he did. The bullet had entered behind the left front shoulder. I couldn't see an exit hole, but after dressing and skinning I found what was left of the bullet under the hide on the off side shoulder. It had entered hitting a rib, took off the top of the hart and went through the off side shoulder, coming to rest just under the skin. Cory had made the perfect shot.
Now comes my part in all this. Being the typical son, Cory decides to try one of my AR's. We went back and forth about which cartridge to use. I wanted him to use the 6X68. Everything was fine with that until Carl ( the owner of Black Hole ) sent me a 24" 264 LBC barrel. The boy saw that thing shoot and I had to do some fast talking to convince him again, the 6X68 would still do the job! This is the reason you have seen a lot of targets being posted from these two calibers. I also need to say thanks to Greg for all his help with testing the big bullets and spending the hours it takes to work up loads for a wildcat cartridge.
I finally settled on a load for the 6X68. The biggest variable I found is seating depth. Get the bullet started in the right spot and they shoot. I have found this through the entire range of bullet weights. The load Cory was shooting was:
31.2 grains CFE 223
CCI 450 primer
SSA 6.8 brass
Berger 90 grain target BTHP seated at 2.290 OAL
This load clocks at 3090 from a 22" 1 in 10 twist Black Hole barrel.
This load is on the warm side, I caution you to work up to it slowly.
The rifle used was one of the original 6X68's we built to test with.
22" Black Hole 1 in 10 twist barrel
BTE adjustable gas block
Free float hand guard from Young Manufacturing
BCG is a nickel boron plated from R Guns
Scope used is a Burris 4X16 Black Diamond in a RR mount
Here is Cory and his 2013 Pronghorn
This is a picture of the recovered bullet and an un fired Berger 90 gr HPBT