This week we have some questions from a reader who wants to start hunting again after a long respite.
GEARING UP AGAIN
Q: After a 20 years absence from hunting, I’m now in a position to get restarted. Not wanting at my age to have an eight-gun arsenal as before, I think two rifles will cover all my needs. I’m tossing up between a .17 HMR and a .22 WMR, or even a .17 Hornet for the small stuff. Which one? I’ve decided on a .308 Winchester as my centrefire choice. I will be hunting rabbits, foxes, feral dogs, goats, pigs and fallow, red and sambar deer. If none of my choices is best suited what would you suggest? If I get a .308, would 130gn loads be adequate for goats and pigs, and 150gn bullets for the deer, or would you suggest one load for all? Which bullets, primers, powder etc?
John Kimpton
A: I’d go for the .22 WMR in preference to the .17 HMR. That’s what I did as find the .22 WMR to be more versatile and the .17 is a real bitch to clean. The .308 Winchester is a good choice, but I’d stick to just one load for everything, otherwise you’ll have to resight your rifle every time you change loads. My pet load is the 150gn Remington Core-Lokt bullet over 48gn of WIN-748 powder for about 2800 fps in a 600mm barrel, or you can use 46gn of AR2208 for 2850fps.I used my old Remington Model 600 Mohawk for many years with the 150gn Core-Lokt bullet with great success on deer from fallow to sambar, but for sambar would choose the tougher 150gn Barnes TSX and 47gn of AR2208 for about 2850fps.
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