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Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag

Posted By: wvhitman

Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 2:48 PM

What crazy times we live in. Never seen anything like it except the Cuban Missile Crisis of '61 or '62. Stores sold out, every one scared to death. Nuclear missile drills in school
hiding under our desks to protect us from radiation!! Our gov.
issued stay at home, social distancing like most other states.
All I'm doing now is groundhog hunting. I called the local game warden to see if this qualified as exercising. He said I was good as long as I was by myself.
I figured I'd add a little bit of safety for me and by groundhogs by setting a 50 yd. safety zone. Started first with my 5 1/2" Ruger Redhawk which really likes lead bullets. I did a big walk around at a large chicken house complex. Saw this 'hog sitting on his hole jest beside the tree in the photo.

51 yds. offhand, 265 gr. SWC. Head shot with Ruger Express sights.
That satisfied me. Next I switched to my 10" Taurus .500 Mag. I really want to use it in Sept. on my bear honey hole farm. Shots are from 130-150 yds. Since I did my brown bear at 129 I figured the gun was up to. I wanted to use the new Win. 400 gr. Platinum Tips. Franchise was good enough to sell me some of these as well as some 400 gr. Woodleigh Weldcores. I put both of these plus a 375X and 400 Cast Performance in a 1.45" group at 100. So much for my cheap inaccurate Taurus.
I had a couple places with holes in my needed distances, but I needed to be a little flexible. Quickly, I found one at a hole at just 110 yds. A Platinum Tip glued him to the ground

Internal damage was not great, but he's not bulky enough to provide much bullet resistance. Hit him exactly where I was aiming.

Next, was this guy I came up on at 90 yds. I switched to a 400 gr. Sierra FP. Hit the artery in the neck for a lot of damage. Accurate bullet ,too.

I had this one upper spot where the hole was 139 yds. from where I set up for a ground shot off my backpack. The other shots were off my PSR.
Took a few visits before I saw him. Bottom line , I missed him 3 times!! 1st-400 gr. Platinum Tip 2" low (must have pulled it), 2nd.- 1-2" over him with a 400 Sierra (trying to save my few Plat. Tips), 3rd.- 375X, 1" low. I thought this shot burned him and didn't expect to see him for a while.
Two days later I sat for 20 minutes and he showed! He only stuck his head out of his escape hole, first time he used it. I waited a good while and he never moved. I set up on the backpack. The head was awful small in the Bushnell Elite on 6X. I finally got impatient waiting and got ready to shoot holding the crosshair at the dirt/head junction. Just as I was pulling the trigger he raised up just a little.

The 400 Woodleigh got him right in the shoulder. It lifted him out of the hole! See the fence in the background with the open gate area. This is where I sat 8 days, up to 1 1/2 hours at a time in 40-50* temps. I was persistent I was going to get him after those misses. I do hold grudges.
I retired the .500 after this. I'll try to do a few crop damage deer with the Plat. Tip, Woodleigh, X, and Sierra out to 150-160. The .500 will go on the bear hunt.
My social distancing continues as well as my exercising. My even pull the trigger a little. Last 3 days I did 3,7,3.
Stay safe out there.
Posted By: karl

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 3:49 PM

Nice write up and fun way to spend some time. Thanks for sharing.
Posted By: 45MAN

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 4:21 PM

DOC: WTG. I LIKE THE WAY THE SIERRA 400gr FP's LOOK, AND THE WAY THEY SHOOT IN MY 8 INCH BFR 500JRH BISLEY. I WANT TO USE THEM AS A SUB-EL MAXIMO LOAD FOR FERAL HOGS AND AOUDAD EWES AT RANGES UP TO AROUND 75 YARDS. THE FP SHOULD HIT HARD. DO YOU HAVE MUCH EXPERIENCE WITH THEM ON GAME? AND AT WHAT MV AND DISTANCES?
Posted By: Drycreek3189

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 6:17 PM

Two things in your story jump off the page. Well, I guess three things. First and second, you have a PSR, and I want one. Next, you?re a hellava lot better shot than I am ! I need to practice more......
Posted By: jamesfromjersey

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 8:18 PM

Now is the time I should have came down..... Are those the same bino`s you had in Missouri?? The Taurus is a keeper...
Have you seen the prices there asking for one of them on GB??
That`s when you can find one..
Posted By: Russell

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 9:15 PM

Way to go, Doc. Can't keep a good man down.
Posted By: Franchise

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 9:57 PM

Doc, I knew that you would put those .500 bullets to work. I'm not surprised one bit that the 400 gr Woodleigh Weldcore FP flipped that whistle pig the way it did. They are just AWESOME! I can't wait to see what the 400 gr Platinum Tips do on something a little bigger. As always, GREAT WORK DOC!
Posted By: wvhitman

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/01/2020 11:56 PM

Rey, I've used the 400 Sierras only on groundhogs and deer. They do awesome damage on deer, especially when you do a double shoulder shot. I've used it on deer out to 120/130. You being in TX, I wouldn't hesitate to do a TX heart shot on any of the animals you mentioned. Very unlikely you'd recover one! If you want to get really brutal on deer size game try 350 gr. Sierra HPs. Damage is beyond ugly. Stay away from bones.
DryCreek, the PSR is beyond awesome. I'm making shots now in terrain where I couldn't lay down and use my backpack. I've carried in on 100% of my out of state hunts plus Africa making shots I just dreamed about in the past. I have several PSRs. They have a weak spot in their manufacture. Broke one. It was fixed by a friend that made it as stable as concrete. I use it 100% in WV 7 my others on out of state/country hunts. Best shot I ever made off it was on perfectly flat ground on crop damage deer at 587 yds. Thought I missed it due to recoil hiding the deer. I about swallowed my tongue when the deer was laying exactly where it stood (6.5/.284 Encore, 143 gr. ELD-X.
James, same binos. They're so good I have a backup pair I got new at half price!! I love all my Taurus'- .41, .454, .500. THey usually get a bad name, but mine shoot great and have been very dependable.
Franchise, you da man for getting me those Platinums and Woodleighs. I've been looking like crazy for more and can't find any. Sexy bullet and should perform like crazy on big stuff being that they are Black Talons in disguise. Thanks.
Posted By: dave thomas

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/02/2020 1:56 AM

nice shooting Doc! 1/2"er on whistle pigs, what a hoot!
Posted By: racksmasher1

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/02/2020 11:08 AM

Doc, you?re spending your time wisely
Posted By: jcp161

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/02/2020 1:28 PM

Always a pleasure to read your stories Doc. Thanks for sharing them.

And please enlighten me as to your choice of binoculars...

John
Posted By: wvhitman

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/02/2020 11:01 PM

I was a bino hoarder for decades, not pleased with anything. When the monster size Bushnell rangers came out I bought them. Way too big and not practical. Then Bushnell came out with the smaller 10X42 rangers. They were pretty good, but I destroyed 3 pairs by crawling with them in sand on hippo, croc, and plains game on 3 separate hunts.
Bushnell replaced the first pair for free. # 2 at half price. #3- nada. I said screw them.
I sucked it up and bought a set of Leica 10X42 rangers. El primo. Love them. No complaints at all. Two years ago Cabelas had a sale on them for their card members- 1/2 price. Now I have a backup. I use them during WV deer season and #1 pair rest of the year. By the way, I sold all the other binos I had which basically gave me the Leicas for free.
If I'm hunting, from squirrels to elephants the Leicas are always on.
Posted By: dave thomas

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/03/2020 2:14 AM

i have a buddy that has a leica. very nice glass and the rangefinder is great. recently on my elk hunt both the guides had ranging binos, one pair odf vortec and one pair of
sigs. both pairs run about 1000-1200 bucks based on where you buy them. i could definitely see a pair in my future.
Posted By: jcp161

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/03/2020 6:42 PM

Thanks Doc! I'll have to keep my eyes open for one of those sales next time it comes around.
Posted By: karl

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/03/2020 7:44 PM

I've been very pleased with the image stabilized binoculars from Canon. IMHO,the stabilization does more for me to sharpen the image then better glass and coatings. Between my parents and I there are 3 pair that are 4 and 5 years old. Yea, if you sit or brace your self well you can hold conventional binoculars still, but these let you do it one handed from any position. On a smooth road, you can use them effectively in a moving car. One down side is that you have to go the the L-series units (>$1000) to get water proofing.

One benefit is they also take care of the "big buck shakes" when the huge buck walks out of the woods.
\:\)
Posted By: BIZZMO

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/04/2020 1:43 PM

Hey,you're not wearing a mask! Just kidding!Great shooting!!
Posted By: wvhitman

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/04/2020 3:16 PM

Hey, Bizzmo, tests show my groundhogs don't have the virus. I'm not associating with humans, so no mask for now.
Posted By: Franchise

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/04/2020 6:41 PM

I still hope to be able to social distance and test the .44 caliber Woodleigh Weldcore 280 gr out of my 445 Super Mag Encore on a big feral/russian cross boar. It's supposed to happen in mid April....only time will tell
Posted By: cmnash

Re: Social distancing/.44 Mag/.500 Mag - 04/05/2020 1:07 AM

Ya' just don't see that many Raging Bull .500s, but you keep putting yours to good use. VERY IMPRESSIVE!
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