November 20, 2009
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September 2006 Barnes Bullet-n
I’ll be leaving for Africa the end of September. If I remember right, this will be my 30th African hunt. I love my job!
A number of people have told me they’d love to go on an African hunt, but didn’t think they could afford it. They’ve limited their hunting to less exotic locations closer to home.
Many don’t realize they could travel to Africa and shoot plains game at a cost comparable to what they’d pay for a guided North American big game hunt. All-inclusive African hunting packages are available in the $4,000 to $5,000 price range. These seven to 10-day hunts allow you to take up to a half dozen different species—not just a single trophy. Add another $2,000 for air fare, and you’re still looking at a dream hunt most of us can afford by saving up for a couple of years.
If you insist on hunting dangerous game like lion, buffalo and elephant, prices go up—sometimes way up! A mixed-bag hunt including a few of the “big five” can easily run between $50,000 and $75,000. If a Cape buffalo is the only animal on your list, you may get by for as little as $10,000.
Taxidermy fees are other expenses some hunters fail to plan for. Full shoulder mounts of your trophies can quickly add up. A far more economical way to bring memories home is to have the hides tanned, then made into throws or rugs. European-style mounts consisting of a bleached skull and horns also make low-cost trophies.
The premium months for hunting Africa are June, July and August. September and October mark the beginning of the rainy season. Hunt then, and you’ll really feel the heat (PHs call October “Hell month”). On the other hand, that’s when game tends to concentrate around water holes. Finding trophies is easier then, if you can stand the heat.
I once shot an elephant in the Zambesi valley, the temperature stood at 128 degrees Fahrenheit. I later learned I was in the second-hottest place on the planet that day.
I never tire of going to Africa. This game-rich country is heaven to hunters and offers exotic experiences available nowhere else. You can hunt Africa at any time of year (February is the only month I’ve missed), but the most popular season is July through August.
Africa is expensive—but it could be more affordable than you’ve thought it was. By the same token, I love hunting North American game and you can’t beat the challenge of taking that trophy whitetail or mule deer of a lifetime.
Next month I’ll report on the experiences of my upcoming African hunt. Meanwhile, give some thought to having your own African adventure.
Good Hunting,
Randy Brooks
Hunting season is finally here, and the summer heat is behind us. It’s time to think about getting ready to hunt!
I’m pretty excited because from September 11th through September 16th I’ll be hunting in a great area called Thousand Peaks in northern Utah. The hunt is with Red Creek Outfitters and Garrett Woolstenhulme—a good friend, guide and outfitter. I’ll be hunting mule deer. I haven’t done all that much hunting in Utah lately, so I’m really looking forward to it. The hunt will be filmed for the American Hunter television show. I’m hoping to get a lot of good footage and, of course, a great trophy deer.
For a change, I won’t be carrying my favorite .338 Winchester—my long-time partner and dependable one-shot-kill gun. The .338 has helped me take many great trophies, but for this hunt I’ll be using a Kimber rifle chambered for the .308 Winchester. I plan on using our 180-grain TSX bullet in Federal factory ammunition. If I miss, I can blame Federal and Kimber. (Just Kidding!)
Kimber 84M Classic Rifle
In the hunting party will be Drew Goodlin from Federal Cartridge, Aaron Cummins from Kimber, Scott Olmsted from American Hunter magazine, Lee Hoots from Guns & Ammo magazine and Dave Scovill of Wolfe Publishing. Dave is editor of Handloader, Rifle and Successful Hunter magazines. Another hunting partner will be John Orloff, a long-time good friend to Randy and me.
I don’t know when I’ve looked more forward to a hunt. I’ll be in my own state, hunting prized mule deer with my good friend and guide Garrett, along with other wonderful friends from the industry. What more could anyone ask for?
I’ve experienced some pretty rough luck in the past few years of hunting, This time I’m banking on better luck and good shooting to end my dry spell. I hope to come home with some real bragging material.
I hope to give you a full report in the October newsletter, along with pictures from the hunt. Even if I don’t shoot anything, I’m sure I’ll have some good stories to tell because each and every one of these guys are full of fun and excitement.
I wish all of you great success with whatever hunts you’ve planned.Whatever you’ll be hunting, I hope you’ll be using Barnes Triple Shock, MRX, Barnes muzzleloader or XPB handgun bullets. If you don’t handload, remember that Federal and others offer our bullets pre-loaded in factory ammunition. For a complete listing of factory ammunition featuring Barnes Bullets, go to our website, click on Bullet Talk – Catalog, and scroll to page 11. There you’ll find a detailed list of ammunition manufacturers to choose from.
Thanks for your business. Be sure to send us your own hunting pictures and stories.
Coni
Yes! Hunting season is upon us once again!
Recently we discussed different rifle and bullet options suitable for big game hunting.
Now we’re going to step it up a couple of notches. I’m going to focus on the biggest, meanest production pistols on the market. Yes, you know what they are—Smith & Wesson’s .460 and .500 magnums. This is going to be a handgun shoot-out! Were going to talk about these two fine revolvers and the Barnes Bullets that make them the most potent hunting handguns available.
Let’s kick the tires and light the fires!
First, the .460 S&W produces higher velocities than any other revolver. Pushing the 200-grain XPB Bullet to an advertised 2300-plus fps using Cor-Bon ammunition, this baby is no slouch. If you’re looking for a flat-shooting, hard-hitting big game handgun, this is the one!
For something even more potent, the 500 S&W is the king! No other production handgun packs greater punch. It has the ability to take all sizes and shapes of game with ease, including elephants. This bruiser takes both hands to tame and is not for timid shooters. With available bullet weights ranging from 275 grains to 375 grains in the Barnes line, there’s no need for heavier bullets!
Both the .460 and .500 S&W weigh in at 4 ½ pounds or more, depending on barrel length. That heft, along with the muzzle brake at the front of the barrel, helps reduce recoil and muzzle jump. Both models come with Hogue grips that give you the feel of comfort and control.
The .460 Smith has a variety of Barnes bullets to choose from. In .451 caliber, we offer two bullets specifically for the .460 – the 200-grain XPB and the 275-grain XPB. We also offer 185-, 225-, and 250-grain XPBs suitable for a variety of applications. The .460 Smith is a very versatile handgun that can also accept .45 Colt and .454 Casull ammunition. I’ll go into more detail about its versatility in another edition of Ty’s Tips. Today I’ll focus on the 200- and 275-grain XPBs.
For the .500 Smith we offer 275-grain, 325-grain, and 375-grain XPBs. All are suitable for hunting both deer and elk. The large 325-grain and 375-grain bullets are capable of taking whatever gets in your way, including animals that would have you for lunch.
Testing these two bruisers was a lot of fun. The .460 has more bark than bite, while the .500 lets you know your pushing over a ton of energy out the muzzle. Using a shooting glove is a must, and actually made firing these hand cannons quite pleasant.
As you can see in the accompanying photos, both revolvers give minute-of-deer accuracy. Some groups were absolutely astounding! I had no idea these pistols could be such tack drivers. The .460 Smith firing 200-grain XPBs turned in a 2.003-inch group, while the 275-grain XPBs produced a very similar 2.079-inch cluster.
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| 460 S&W |
The 500 Smith made a 1.880-inch group with 275-grain XPBs. It punched a tight .330-inch one-hole group with the 325-grain XPBs! The 375-grain XPBs went nearly all in one hole measuring just .860-inch across.
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500 S&W
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All groups were 4 shots fired at 30 yards. Tests were conducted in the Barnes tunnel from a bag rest.
In the theme of stepping things up a notch, I just had to shoot some ballistics gelatin. The gelatin used for these tests had been previously shot. Nonetheless, I was very pleased with the outcome. Since gelatin is expensive and the supply was limited, I used only the heaviest XPB bullets at top velocities from each revolver.
The results? The .460 firing 275-grain XPBs at 1679 fps gave 24 7/16 inches of penetration. The .500 produced 25 5/8 inches of penetration with the 375-grain XPB bullet at 1523 fps. Gelatin was placed approximately 15 feet from the muzzle. Considering the .460 has 210 foot-pounds less energy, I was very impressed with its penetration.
XPBs have been designed with the serious hunter in mind. Their all-copper six-petal design gives excellent accuracy and 100% weight retention. As I’ve demonstrated, they give great overall performance. At Barnes we are dedicated to bringing you the best-quality products possible. Whether you’re putting your life on the line or hunting non-dangerous game, they’ll give all the performance you need!
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We Aim to please. Reloading is a great hobby—enjoy it!
Dick Butler
Hunting with the Collingwood brothers in north central British Columbia in October, 2005, I took a beautiful trophy grizzly. I was using a .375 H&H rifle. From 100 yards, I shot the bear through the shoulders with a 270-grain Barnes Triple-Shock bullet. The bear went straight down and never moved. While looking at the bear, I noticed a roughed-up spot on the riverbank behind the bear. I dug around, and sure enough found the bullet. I thought you might be interested in how it performed. The bullet expanded to .794 inch and weighed (as you can see on the scale in the picture) 268.3 grains! I have hunted Mongolia, Africa, all over Canada, and most of the western United States. I could tell you all kinds of stories about Barnes Bullets and their wonderful performance, but I’m sure you’ve heard them all before. — Happy hunting.
Dick Butler
There are three species of wolves in the world: the gray wolf (Canis lupus), the red wolf (Canis rufus) and the Ethiopian (or Abyssinian) wolf, (Canis simensis). Some researchers believe the Ethiopian wolf is not a wolf, but actually a jackal.
Wolves usually live in packs which consist of the adult parents, referred to as the alpha pair, and their offspring of perhaps the last 2 or 3 years. The adult parents are usually unrelated and other unrelated wolves may sometimes join the pack.
Pack size is highly variable because of birth of pups, dispersal, and mortality. Generally, a gray wolf pack has from six to eight wolves, but in Alaska and northwestern Canada some packs have over 30 members. Red wolf packs are generally smaller than gray wolf packs and usually have 2 to 8 members, but a pack of 12 is known in the wild.
The gestation period of gray and red wolves is usually around 63 days
The average length (tip of nose to tip of tail) of an adult female gray wolf is 4.5 to 6 feet; adult males average 5 to 6.5 feet. The average height (at the shoulder) of a gray wolf is 26 to 32 inches. The average length (tip of nose to tip of tail) of an adult red wolf is 4.5 to 5.5 feet. The average height (at the shoulder) of an adult red wolf is about 26 inches.
Adult gray and red wolves have 42 teeth, while adult humans have 32.
The massive molars and powerful jaws of a wolf are used to crush the bones of its prey. The biting capacity of a wolf is 1,500 pounds of pressure per square inch. The strength of a wolf’s jaws makes it possible to bite through a moose femur in six to eight bites. In comparison, a German shepherd has a biting pressure of 750 pounds per square inch. A human has a much lower biting pressure of 300 pounds per square inch.
Gray wolves can survive on about 2 1/2 pounds of food per wolf per day, but they require about 5 pounds per wolf per day to reproduce successfully. The most a gray wolf can eat in one sitting is about 22.5 pounds. Red wolves eat an average of 5 pounds of food per day, but have been known to eat up to 12 pounds in one sitting.
Gray wolves in the wild have an average life span of 6 to 8 years, but have been known to live up to 13 years in the wild and 16 years in captivity. Red wolves in the wild have an average life span of 8 to 9 years, but have been known to live up to 12 years in the wild and 16 years in captivity.
Wolves will travel for long distances by trotting at about five miles per hour. They can run at speeds of 25 to 35 miles per hour for short bursts while chasing prey.
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Tom Cusworth took this wolf with a |
Recipe
of the Month
Roasted Pheasant
1 pheasant
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
3 lemon slices
3 stalks celery
1/3 cup melted butter
6 bacon slices
1 med. onion
1 (3 oz.) can mushrooms
1 chicken bouillon cube
Wild rice
Sprinkle salt and pepper on pheasant. Put bay leaf, lemon slices, and celery in bird’s cavity. Place breast side up in roasting pan. Dribble melted butter over breast and place bacon strips on top of bird. Mix onion, mushrooms, and reconstituted bouillon cube together and pour into bottom of roasting pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes per pound or until bird is tender. Serve with wild rice. 4 servings.
From the Lab
Question: Hello Ty. I am working on a load for my son’s .30-06 using a 130-grain TSX. I want to get a little LESS velocity (and recoil) than is shown as a starting load for a standard 130-grain XBT in manual #3.
Specifically, the manual shows 48 grains of IMR 3031 (as I recall) as the lowest powder charge for the 130 XBT. I want to drop down to 44 grains, as that should give me approximately the velocity I want. My other option is to load down a similar amount for the 150-grain XBT and get around 2500-2600 fps.
I am counting on the 130-grain TSX at around 2700-2800 fps (or 150-grain XBT at 2500-2600 fps) to give similar performance to standard 165- or 180-grain lead-core bullets, respectively. I am limiting his shooting to 150-200 yards tops, based on his ability at this point.
Certainly, this is adequate for the mule deer we may see, but what about elk? I questioned M.L. McPherson years ago about loading the 130-grain XBT in a .308 Winchester as being too light a bullet for elk. He responded with a letter back to me (via RifleShooter magazine). Now look at what I am trying to do!
Any thoughts from your end?—Howard Bonser
Answer: Hi Howard:
Thanks for the great question. This is an excellent topic I’d like to share with others in my "From the Lab" column. I hope you don’t mind.
I’m happy to see you stepping down a load in the .30-06 for your son. In the past I’ve done as most fathers have. I bought a smaller-caliber cartridge for my young son. Had I done as you have, I could have saved myself the trouble and expense of buying another rifle when he gets older and wants to hunt larger game at longer ranges. Light 130-grain bullets from the .30-06 starting off at 2800 fps and impacting at 200 yards could be compared to the very common .270 Winchester 130-grain full-house load smacking an elk at 350 yards–a very acceptable practice. The 150-grain TSX would also be an acceptable load for elk within the distance limitation you’re imposing.
As for reducing the charge to 44.0grs of IMR 3031 using the 130-grain TSX, this is a touchy subject as not all powders can be reduced in this manner. Cross-referencing other manuals, I’ve found this bullet weight, powder, and charge is recommended. In this particular case, you should be fine. Anyone who has questions about a specific reduced charge should contact the powder manufacturer for specific instructions. The Lee #1 manual has more in-depth suggestions for reduced loads, if you’re interested.
Wish your son the best for me.–Ty
We Aim to please. Reloading is a great hobby—enjoy it.
Barnes News
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Look for these ads in upcoming issues of your favorite magazines
including American Hunter, Safari Times, Black Powder Hunting,
Predator Extreme, Shooting Times, Handloader, Rifle, and Shooting
Illustrated, to name just a few.
Congratulations Garry Powell!
Garry Powell from Biloxi, Mississippi is the winner for the month of August.
He won the Match Grade Gun Maintenance Center from Gunslick ® .
I am 60 years old and retired. I am married and have three grown sons. I am an avid hunter and also love to fish. I’ve been a Life Member of the NRA since 1973, and a member of Coast Rifle and Pistol Club. I reload and love Barnes Bullets. —Garry Powell |
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