Deer hunt

[homebrew .357]

Hi All, I have a deer hunting trip booked and I`m thinking it will be a good time to try my Hawken plains rifle that I made out in the bush. I will be flying in to the hunting block in the Ahimanawas staying in a hut and the deer are Jap sika. Will be trying a load in my .45 of 70grs fffg, 270g fn lead bullit, this is bush hunting so a 50 yard shot is a long one, will this load be ok, any idea of mv?, I`m thinking 1.200/1.400 fps. It work well at the range, three shot clove leaf 50ms, so I`m hoping it will poleaxe the Sika. :wink: Cheers, Homebrew.357.

 

[Ben K]

Mate, I'm not an expert, but I'd bet on it working an absolute treat! Good luck, and enjoy your hunt! Have you got a link to pictures of the rifle you built out in the bush? Sounds cool!

 

[Flint311]

I use 70gr. Of fffg in my .45, but with prb and it works great. So at 50m it should do well as long as you place your shot well. Good luck and get pics! :thumbsup:

 

[Britsmoothy]

Those sika are tough to stop but your combo sounds bad medicine for them indeed :hatsoff:

Take a camera!

B.

 

[Herb]

Lyman's "Black Powder Handbook & Loading Manual" doesn't list your load. A close one is in a 28" barrel with 70 grains of GOEX 3F (is that your brand?) and a 245 grain Lyman Maxi. Velocity is 1544 fps. With 285 grain bullets they used 2F.

 

[Patocazador]

Sikas are smaller than whitetails and that combo should poleax a deer.

Good luck on your hunt. Don't forget the photos afterwards.

 

[James Stella]

hat sounds great. post pic when u get back.

 

[homebrew .357]

Hi All, thanks for the heads up, Herb I have Goex 2f, Curtis`s @ Harvey canister no 6, which is same grain size as the Goex 2f, and the 3f is Thunder shot black powder. I made this Kiwi Hawken for hunting with cast bullet, it has a 1-33" twist, but I found it shots P/Ball ok as well. The barrels not perfect, but seams ok for b/powder shooting at 50mts. I lean more to the 270gr bullet, I feel it will have more nock down stopping power, but at this time it has only puched paper. Hi Ben K, and you all, when I build it I took lots of pics, and Ben the build is on the "Australian Hunting Net forum", look in " Classics of Yesteryear" The Hawken plains rifle is in, September, 15/16th, 2014 and August 2014, "At the range", or just search, Homebrew.357. As a second project I`m also building a The Quigley 1874 Sharps rifle in 45-70 cal. So yes, this is the first I will be hunting with the Hawken, and as they say if you talk the talk :yakyak: ,you have to walk the walk, :nono: , so I will be walking very quietly in the bush . Homebrew.357. P S, I find it hard to post pics,"URL LINK", I`m on onedrive".

 

[Ben K]

Just saw the pics of the Hawken, and of the one you're building now! Really excellent stuff!

 

[Kapow]

Keep your shots broadside or slightly quartering away. Finding him after the hit will be your biggest concern. Getting that projectile through both lungs and exiting will help emensely. Do you whistle them in or just stalk them?

 

[homebrew .357]

In N Z we just stalk them and in the rut you can roar in both red and sika deer but at this time of the year It`s stalking and the mark one eye boll. I just cast some soft lead bullets and put a hollow point in them, hopping this will drop them quickly as you don`t get a second shot. Will be aiming for the lungs, heart area for a clean kill. The hunting block is private land and Chris Crosse is the pilot who has the hunting lease on it, so should be a few more animals around. Will go to the range in the week end and check it is shooting minute of deer, :thumbsup: , Homebrew.357.