Monthly Archives: February 2018

The .375 Ruger; just plain fun with Speer 235 grain Hot-Cor and reduced loads!

Posted on by

Just when I get in a Rifle rut, I pull out my Ruger M77 in .375 Ruger with medium to low power loads that I load myself. This female red deer was taken with a low power load and just crumpled. The .375 Ruger is geared for the largest game on the planet but you can tame it too.

Not any more powerful than my 50 cal muzzleloader shooting 300 grain bullets and 100 grains of Pyrodex and recoil is similar and tolerable too. What is so cool is that with a 235 grain Speer Hot-Cor and reduced power loads you can still shoot accurately and pack a deer and black bear killing wallop with 2200 fps.

Speer Hot-Cor Rifle Bullets .375 cal .375" 235 gr SEMSSP 50/ct

The bullets group well at 150 yards. See below. 1st shot set for 100 yards and low. I raised the crosshairs and the next 3 shots were around a 1.5 inch group.

On a bench rest I had to use a thin neoprene pad to tame the recoil. I wrote this below article about powder a while back in 2014.

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2014/09/05/375-ruger-reduced-loads-and-powder-are-here/

Natchez is offering the 235 grain at a very low price so stock up my 375 shooting friends.

https://www.natchezss.com/speer-hot-cor-rifle-bullets-375-cal-375-235-gr-semssp-50-ct.html

You might like this article below too.

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2014/06/27/the-375-ruger-cartridge-a-handloaders-dream-cartridge/

 

©2018 All Rights Reserved.

 

Florida Getaway and Fishin’

Posted on by

It was hard to take, loads of sunshine, time with the wife at the Naples Bay Resort. Not too shabby where you can step onto your boat within feet of our bedroom suite with kitchen. (yes a bit pricey but we wanted luxury). Wow!

We rented this seven passenger pontoon boat at Rose Marine on Marco Island for the day ($300). All smiles we got our fishing license and headed to sea. We were restricted to shoreline areas and not open ocean but I was happy with that. I was the Captain you see.

My wife was gleeful as she tanned on the bow.

We caught some weird fish like this  2 foot bonnet head shark and released them. We thought they were young hammerheads until we were educated by locals.

But finally hit on a Pompano below with a bucktail hook and a small piece of shrimp on the hook.

You can see the sunshine on my smiling face and this keeper Pompano (must be 11 inches to the inside of the tail fork). This one was around 12.5 inches. Good fighting fish too!!

We dipped the fillets in egg and fish batter and fried them up in our resort kitchen. Sides of Tartar Sauce and Lime for garnish. A nice chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc made it spectacular. Wow!!

Later in the week we did an Airboat Ride in a Mangrove swamp with Captain Jack. down Hwy 41 to the Everglades. Spectacular!! Can you say fast!!

And some Alligators…

We did stop at a local resturant serving alligator and blue crab. The gator was fried and tasted like chicken with an ocean flavor. Nice! The crab serves as a crab cake did not do service to the crab.

While grocery shopping I found the fish was expensive to buy but found some lesser expensive grouper cheeks (small nuggets of grouper) an fried them up to top our pasta dinner with Parmesan cheese.

I like to cook as you can see. Fried Grouper Cheeks Marinara. Wow were they good!!

Coming back home all smiles and sunshine!

Copyright 2018 All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

Coyote Hunting Gear – SIG Echo I Reflex Thermal Scope -by Ed Hale

Posted on by

Yes Persistence pays but just not yet. I’m tryin’ in daylight.

Night hunting with thermal scopes can be very effective. One such thermal scope on the market that I have seen but not yet tested is the SIG Echo I for around $1150 instead of $3000 to $9000  for other brand models.

Sig Sauer ECHO1 1-2x Thermal Reflex Sight w/Batteries, Graphite, SOE11011

You can see the SIG Echo 1 at the SIG Pro shop in Epping/ Exeter NH.

If I can get one to test I will write an article. See NHFG for requirements for night hunting below.

http://www.eregulations.com/newhampshire/hunting/furbearer-hunting/ 

 

Night or day you can make mistakes!

Here is a website that may help us all.

https://www.realtree.com/predator-hunting/articles/8-mistakes-rookie-coyote-hunters-make

Good Hunting!

 

Familiarity with my AR-15 in the Yote Woods Helps!

Posted on by

I am first and foremost, a hunter, more specifically a big game hunter. The AR-15 in .223 with a 55 grain pill does not add up for me as a big game weapon, but for Coyotes it is fabulous if you can get these smart song-dogs to stick their head out. My son gave me a Colt upper back in 2016 and I wrote lots about combining it with a Mil-Spec. lower unit. I disliked the stock trigger so I added a 2 stage Timney Trigger and tested it. See below. Wow! What a difference the Timney made!

http://www.nhrifleman.com/2016/03/21/new-timney-trigger-install-on-my-ar-15/

I put a scope on recently for yote hunting that had low rings and was uncomfortable with my cheek line up. I did not want to spend money on more rings so I put my best scope, a Leupold VX-6 3-18 and Leupold MK2 IMS mount for 30mm tube back on it as you see this photo. “LOVE MY LEUPOLD” As before sent some factory 55 grain FMJ pills down range at 100 yards at sub-moa groups. Since I have been out in the woods just three times this winter with my AR, I find that I am more comfortable in my handling practices and a sling. Taking the AR for a walk helps me know the best way to handle, cradle or sling it as I hunt.

Just got to get a Yote in my sights. They are not stupid here in New Hampshire. And yes they have some wolf genes!

Note: An AR-15 is a fine rifle for self-defense and home protection provide I train with it and shoot it regularly. There are lots of clubs offering training as do my friends at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. Check them out and see the add I have for them on my front page!

Soon off  on some well deserved vacation in the sunshine state and will swap a rifle for a fishing rod, sun block and time with my lovely wife.

Good Shooting!

© 2018