"Ask the Rabbi" by R. Mermelstein
I started hunting 2 years ago and bought my first rifle last year. I did as much reading and asking questions etc. before making my purchase. My choice was a Winchester Model 70 Pre-64 300 WIN MAG. At the time the Winchester Ballistic Silver Tip was getting a lot of good press so I tried them and was very impressed with their accuracy in my rifle (180 gr). The frustration started when I shot through both whitetail I shot at last year at 100 to 125 yards. Very little blood trail never found either deer. (Thoughts on this round?) I do not hand load or know anyone I would trust to do so for me. Surely there is an off the shelf selection of ammo suitable for Arkansas white tail. I know a couple of hunters that shoot 150 gr and are successful. My rifle has not liked 150 as of yet.
Can you offer any and all suggestions you may have. I want to make sure that it not only shoots well but also does the job needed.
Where I hunt shots could average anywhere from 25 to 500 yards.
HELP!!!!!!
Thank You in advance for your time.
Rob
Construction of controlled expansion bullets has been the topic of many magazine articles. You'll agree that it is asking quite a bit of any bullet to expand in a controlled manner at both 25 and 500 yards. At 25 yards, the .300 Win. Mag will shoot through any white tail deer even if the heavy shoulder bone is hit. As for 500 yard shots, the 180 gr. spire point bullet as loaded by the factories has a muzzle velocity of 2960 fps. We can round that up to 3000 fps. With a 100 yard zero, the bullet will drop 48" at 500 yards, or four feet. Perhaps one man out of 1000 has the expertise in range estimation and shooting ability to attempt such a shot. A happy medium, whereby the bullet will expand over a wide range of distances is probably the Nosler Ballistic Tip. It has a thinner jacket than the Winchester Silver tip, and with its polycarbonate point to facilitate expansion it is a far better choice at .300 Win. Mag velocities. There are many premium controlled expansion bullets available to the handloader, but since you don't handload, Federal Cartridge, I believe, loads the Nosler Ballistic Tip in your caliber. If you haven't found the accuracy of 150 gr. bullets acceptable it can only be because you've only tried a few brands. My Winchester Model 70, post '64, will group inside of 1 1/2 inches with whatever it's fed. Every rifle is a law unto itself. The Federal rounds loaded with 150 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips may very well surprise you. They have a reputation for superb accuracy. The Model 70 is also very touchy about the tension on the three guard screws holding it in the stock. Here's a little trick: the front and rear screws should be very tight. The middle screw should only be tightened to 40 foot inches of torque. Since you probably don't have a torque wrench that measures in foot inches, use a very short screwdriver and just tighten it snug, but not very tight. Too much tension on the middle guard screw will warp the action and adversely affect accuracy. I've changed the guard screws on all my Model 70 rifles to Allen head screws. Holding the short end of the Allen wrench and tightening gives right about 40 foot inches of torque. You might also consider having a gunsmith free float the barrel. See if you can slide a dollar bill between the barrel and stock barrel channel. If you feel resistance, the stock is applying uneven pressure to one side of the barrel. An application of Acraglas bedding compound in the areas of the action and recoil lug mortise will also help the rifle shoot its best.
Sincerely,
R. Mermelstein
