My new .45-120 at last!

[miyata]

Or as I prefer to call her .45 x 3.25" Nitro.

I picked her up from the dealer this afternoon, even though my 28 day waiting period was up a week ago, the couriers had misplaced her.  :-(

So it was straight off to my friends workshop for a quick ream to 3.25".... dead easy.

Back home to load up some ammo.

Off to my private range (the bottom paddock), for some quick testing before it got dark.

BTW, the bipod is only there for the pics, it came of one of my weatherbies, just to make photography easier.






That last pic shows some 500gr Woodleighs that I loaded up ready to try, but there isn't enough freebore, so I now need to order another reamer tool thingy I guess.

So far she has had ten rounds through her, all 350gr cast in front of a case full of Trail Boss, giving me about 1650fps.  Very mild.

I plan to work up some loads over the weekend to get the 350gn to 2250, which will produce about 3900 ft-lb.

I really want 405gn cast at 2100fps, giving the same energy.... this is the load I need to be able to compete in The Big Game Rifle Club competitions under Category 2, it has a minimum calibre of .400 and a minimum bullet weight of 400gr and a minimum muzzle energy of 3900ft-lb.  And I can get there at about 32000psi with this little baby.  Yes I will add some lead to make her heavier.

Oh yeah, that's a new Redfield scope in 2-7..... very nice, very much a leupold with some cosmetic changes.  Optics seem at least as good as my VXII's, I love the 5" eye relief.... just perfect for this rifle.  The rings came with the rifle.... yeah I know, I wasn't expecting it either. Weird.

I'm happy.

[quickdtoo]

Noice! 

Tim

[Swampman]

I'm still thinking of reaming my Handi to .45-90.

[AtlLaw]

Or as I prefer to call her .45 x 3.25" Nitro.

WOW! GREAT!       When you decide to do something you sure don't waste any time!     And I see you took my "name it what you want to" attitude to heart!   

That last pic shows some 500gr Woodleighs that I loaded up ready to try, but there isn't enough freebore, so I now need to order another reamer tool thingy I guess.
-and-
the 350gn to 2250,
-and-
405gn cast at 2100fps,

Be sure to share your load development info with us.  I'm especially interested in the 500 gr. bullet wt. loads.  Hi-ebber, and day always be a hi-ebber...  since the NE loads excede SAMMI spec's for the 45-120, I wouldn't post the charge weights here on the forum.   

Oh!  like I said in the other thread, give Tyler a shout.  You'll nead an extension to throat that 45-120 and he's got the one I made.  Shipping souldn't be much, even to Oz... 

So far she has had ten rounds through her, all 350gr cast in front of a case full of Trail Boss, giving me about 1650fps.  Very mild.

Now that's good stuff right there!     It's always interesting to hear about first hand experience with loads for a favorite cartridge that you've not had any experience with yourself.

that's a new Redfield scope in 2-7.....

I'm going to have to check them out.  I put a a Leupold 2x7 on my 45-120 and never once worried about getting cut.  Even from the bench!     And so far I've heard good things about their new Redfields.

I can't wait to get home so I can see the pictures you posted!   

[Datil]

 That is nice nice looking stock and for arm you got there.
  Good shooting. Datil

[briannmilewis]

Water buffalo, camels and horses will not take one step if your shot placement is on the money? Would play havoc with the dingos and wild dogs. You could send pigs, goats and donkeys into the next century! If they were lined up behind each other, a la "Quigly Down Under", you could take out an entire mob of roos with a single shot!

[miyata]

Well, worked up some loads using AR2209... started low, worked up about 5gn more to get to my target of 2250fps with the 350gn RN (from the Hawkesbury River Bullet Company).

The little rifle seemed to take it just fine, yes it kicks at these loads, but others have gone far higher.  I weighed it at 3.9kg with the scope, reckon it would be very pleasant with 1kg of lead added somewhere... plenty of meat in the butt to add lead.  I was going to get a muzzle brake, but I don't think it's necessary..... I'll see how I feel after a 20 shot competition round.

Off to te mainland next week, so some 405gn RN's are in my future.

[miyata]

Water buffalo, camels and horses will not take one step if your shot placement is on the money? Would play havoc with the dingos and wild dogs. You could send pigs, goats and donkeys into the next century! If they were lined up behind each other, a la "Quigly Down Under", you could take out an entire mob of roos with a single shot!

You seem to know what's on offer here.... are you from around these parts?

Actually I'm hoping to bag a bunny with it very soon.... should be interesting to see whats left over.

[briannmilewis]

You'll have vaporized bunny guts spread over an acre or two I would guess.

Born and raised in Melbourne, spent many holidays in the country while growing up, left for the US in 1981, live in Missouri these days. Got interested in coyote hunting a few years back and happened to come across the wild dog and dingo problem in Queensland and other parts. Have done a boat load of research into the biology similarities between coyotes and dingos and also how differently they are hunted on each continent. Upon retirement I may move back to Qld. and shoot for bounty using coyote calling techniques. Yep, they even work on dingoes, I am surprised that dingo/wild dog calling has not taken off like wildfire there yet.  I know some are doing it, but its common usage still does not rise to the level of the most effective way to hunt them easily in daylight hours, as it is here with the coyote.

[miyata]

I'm curious now... I'll have to google coyote calling.  Sounds like it may have some application here.

Do you remember the Victorian number plates that stated "Victoria - on the move".  I always thought it meant "on the move to Queensland"....LOL

I grew up in Melbourne, left in 1984.

[Rustyinfla]

  Miyata,
   
     Forgive the somewhat off topic part here but since you did mention bunnies. I heard on the radio here last week about the measures folks down under are taking to try to get rid of the little cotton tails. Could you offer any insight on this?

   I seem to remember an Englishman imported rabbits into Oz years ago so he would have something to hunt and they got out of hand. Is that how that part of the story goes?

  Just how out of hand are they? Enough to hunt?

   Thanks, Rusty <><

[Mitch in MI]

You'll have vaporized bunny guts spread over an acre or two I would guess.

[yt=425,350]9WypbzC6mi8[/yt]

[briannmilewis]

  Miyata,
    
     Forgive the somewhat off topic part here but since you did mention bunnies. I heard on the radio here last week about the measures folks down under are taking to try to get rid of the little cotton tails. Could you offer any insight on this?

   I seem to remember an Englishman imported rabbits into Oz years ago so he would have something to hunt and they got out of hand. Is that how that part of the story goes?

  Just how out of hand are they? Enough to hunt?

   Thanks, Rusty <><

Miyata, please correct me if I am wrong, I am not on the ground like you are.

Rabbits were brought to Australia on the First Fleet, so that was about 1788. They spread throughout the land very quickly, as there was only the dingo, a single higher level predator. Hawks and eagles too obviously, but they bred like crazy in the east first, then they actually travelled 2000 miles west in the early 1900s and invaded the previously rabbit free Western Australia.

They introduced Mixomatosis in the 1900s, a rabbit disease that makes them go blind and starve to death. This did not curb the numbers much. More recently they introduced a hemoragic disease and they ran the experiment on an island off the South Australian coast, in a controlled environment. Well, someone who hates rabbits, a rancher most likely (there are so many they compete with sheep and cattle for grass), went to the island and picked up a bunch of diseased rabbits and brought them to the mainland to infect the general rabbit population before the results of the experiment were in. It has spread quickly, but it still does not seem to have a really big impact on the rabbit population yet. There were/are so many rabbits in Australia that even when I grew up in the city, we got wild rabbits from the deli each week for dinner. Hunting rabbits would have to be and still is the most popular small bore hunting.

As an example of how many rabbits there were and the plagues they create: My in-laws visited us in 1980, we drove thru to South Australia from Victoria. Northwest Vic and Northeast SA had a rabbit plague. There was a stretch of blacktop we drove stained red with the blood and bodies of rabbits for 30 miles!!! No bull, it was amazing.

[Rustyinfla]

  Thank you, I didn't realize it went all the way back to 1788. Hardly in the area of what you might call scientific experiments then. Maybe a bounty system would help where the Gov't would pay for each one killed.

[miyata]

Yes the bunnies have been a problem for a while..... we've had a few other disasters, like foxes were introduced by the early gentlemen settlers so they could duplicate the English Hunt, and are now a major pest causing the extinction of many native marsupials.  More recently the Cane Toad was introduced on purpose for some reason (something to do with sugar cane I guess), it too has become a major pest and has migrated thousands of kilometres south.  There are plenty of other examples too, including birds like sparrows and starlings, and a huge variety of northern hemisphere plants that have become noxious weeds causing huge damage.

We seem to be good at getting it wrong.

Yes bunnies would make up 99% of the animals "hunted" in Oz.  The .22lr of 12g being the favoured weapons, but plenty of people use centrefires too.

They are good eating.  The bunnies, not the centrefires.

[041gun]

Yes sir rabbits are almost all over OZ they were even smart enough to camoflage themselves like Hares and get into Queensland. And yep there good eating.

Back on track love what youve done with your H&R

[tykempster]

You're gonna have too much fun with that thing!

[Rustyinfla]

  I live in florida here in the states and we are having problems of our own with non native species. Our Everglades are becoming over run with Pythons and boa's. The Miami area also has more than it's fair share of Iguanas.

[briannmilewis]

  Thank you, I didn't realize it went all the way back to 1788. Hardly in the area of what you might call scientific experiments then. Maybe a bounty system would help where the Gov't would pay for each one killed.

Many Queensland counties have good bounties - $25 - $200 for dingoes and wild dogs. You just have to have permission to hunt and the land owner must sign an affidavit to the fact that you got the varmints on their land. The hunter then has to take a strip from nose to end of tail and turn it into the county (shire) person in charge of pest management. You have to have an Australian tax #, and they will cut a check on the spot. If someone had some smarts, they would set up hunts in counties with high bounties for US shooters, and the bounty would help offset the cost of the hunt...that is one of the ideas I have for retirement.

The last time I surveyed the counties the bounties were such:

[Rustyinfla]

  That's kind of what I was thinking about when I asked about the rabbits. That might be some vacation. If you shot enough bunnies your expenses could be paid for.

[AtlLaw]

You're gonna have too much fun with that thing!

Kiss up to him Tyler!  Maybe he'll invite us down for a 45-120/450-3¹/₄ inch/450 Sharps Express buffalo hunt!  

Wouldn't that make you the envy of your class!  

And I doubt that things have changed much (socially that is) in Oz since the 60's!    You see, at that time it was a favorite R&R spot for troops from the RVN.  Reason being that the Aussie girls loved american men because we paid them a lot of attention!  The guys down under cared more about doing fun stuff with their "mates."  

Heck, after seeing how good the men had it down there I wanted to immigrate!      My wife wouldn't let me though...  

[miyata]

LOL.

Things haven't changed much down here.