large groups at a hundred yards while he told his buddy about all the fine shots he had made on hog hunts. Watching some of these guys shoot dinner plate size groups at a hundred yards makes you wonder how they ever bring home any game. Their inability to shoot ef- ficiently is likely because of infrequent use of the rifle or to firing one with excessive recoil. Some seem to think an overly powerful rifle makes up for a lack of ability. They don’t stop to think they may be flinching each time they touch one off. Then there are others who can
shoot. For them, caliber is not an over- riding factor and when you see their target you know they understand what it’s all about and likely will be successful in the field. Match bullets generally aren’t rec-
ommended for game animals. Sierra’s 53-grain MatchKing hollow-point has proven to be an exceptionally fine bul- let for me, both for target shooting and hunting. An equally good bullet is the Hornady 55-grain Spire Point. These bullets are extremely accurate in our 22 centerfires and are well suited for both hogs and deer. (I can almost see some of you at this point shake your head and grit your teeth!) As you well know, any large animal hit behind the shoulder will often run 50 yards or so. It doesn’t matter if it’s hit with a 30-06 or a 222 Remington, they often run a ways. I bought a Model 7 Remington
that weighs 71/2 pounds with the scope. It’s a great little rifle, a 223 Remington that is fun to shoot and a pleasure to carry. Why choose a 223 Remington? It’s accurate and versatile, has very light recoil, brass is plentiful, and there is an unbelievable variety of 22 caliber bullets available for reloading. I use Redding size and seat dies for the 223. Winchester brass was prepared by sorting the necks with a ball micrometer to a variance of 0.011" to 0.012" and trimming 0.010" shorter than specs. After trying sev- eral bullets I again settled on Sierra’s 53-grain MatchKing hollow-point. This bullet proved to be very accurate for the little Model 7 with a load of 24 grains of Reloder No. 7 powder and Remington 7½ primers. Seating bullets to jump the lands 0.015" resulted in groups of a half inch and less at 100 yards. This 20" barrel gave me higher than anticipated veloci- ties. The 53-grain Sierra chronographed
at 3,452 fps with the maximum load of Reloder No 7. The loads mentioned in this article were safe in this rifle but are not recommended for use in others. As always, start with the lowest recom- mended powder charge in your manual and work up slowly to find the most accurate load. Hunting in my part of East Texas
is interesting because you never know what is likely to come out of the brush. We often see foxes, bobcats, coyotes, and hogs, as well as deer. Texas has a
whitetail population of more than four million deer. My last deer was taken with the 223 Remington. It was getting pretty late on a fairly cold afternoon the second day I hunted. A lone bobcat that frequents the field behind the lake was the only thing I had seen until a young buck crossed the creek and turned broadside at about 150 yards. With the scope’s crosshair behind the shoulder I touched off a shot. He ran about 40 yards and fell. The 53-grain bullet had pulped the lungs, and as with other
Made in the USA
Performance fi ring pin assy • 1 pc. replacement bolts • Sako extractor kits Custom ground recoil lugs • Bench rest speed screws • Tactical bolt handles 3 position safety shrouds • Bottom metal • Action tooling • Form tools • End mills Chamber reamers • Headspace gauges • Bench rest followers
Pacifi c Tool & Gauge
P.O. Box 2549 • 598 Ave C • White City, OR 97503 Phone: 1-541-826-5808 Email:
pacpes@medford.net
www.pacifictoolandgauge.com www.varminthunter.org Page 109
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