Oct 30, 2020 4 min read

It was one of those afternoons and the rifle range at the club was a busy place. I was thinking about that day because it was this time of year and everyone was sighting in before the big day. Of course, the big day was the opening day of deer season, or should I say the opening day of the old traditional deer season? At that time, there was the one and only season opening and even the preparedness was special.

Warm clothing and orange outerwear were dug out from the back of some closet and hung outdoors. Nights were cool and crisp with a certain smell and feel in the air, and nothing spelled deer season more than sight-in day. Just as meaningful in those days were the comparisons and disagreements of rifles and favored routines.

Joe was sighting in his 30-06 and passing it off as the first successful cartridge offered to the public. I listened and smiled, thinking of the 7MM Mauser, or as it is sometimes referred to the 7×57, a few years older than the 30-06. I believe the United States payed patent infringement penalties on the later Springfield and its chambering, the 30-06. In a sense the United States took a bit of a butt kicking because of the 7 MM and its outstanding performance during the Spanish-American War. The 7 was that good.

But back to the benchrest and those shooters. One fellow who knew that I was a walking encyclopedia when guns and ammo where the subject of the conversation inquired about the length of the barrel on a Ruger No. 1. I replied the Ruger was ordered in different barrel lengths but the most popular was the Model B, which sported a 26-inch barrel. The young man then said, “I got to get one of those. Last year, I shot my buck at 800 yards with a Ruger 77 that had a 24-inch barrel. I should at least get 200 yards more with that one.”

We all stifled a laugh, and I cannot help but wonder if the young man was spending this fall looking for a rifle with a 36-inch barrel.

Then there is always Ken, who worships at the feet of accuracy. His groups are great and his shooting techniques without equal. Ken says there are few, if any, bullets better than Berger sold in local stores.

It is not the yellow box that makes the Berger bullet stand out. Without the shadow of a doubt one cannot go wrong with the Berger if he or she is shooting in a bench-rest match. He told us the day before he had shot in a bench shoot in the northern tier of the state and took second place.

I have often said that today’s rifle will shoot groups we only dreamed of back then. Back then, if the rifle consistently shot 1-inch groups it was considered great shooting. Today, such a grouping brings tears and a trip to the store for some bedding material.

Shooters, as a whole, like to brag a bit about their rifles but not enough attention is given to the bullet. Powder and powder charge are important, but it is the bullet rotating at a tremendous speed that is most important. It is a miracle that the bullet stays together at such a spin rate. That is why, when Ken states that his brand of bullet is the best, I start to ask questions.

It all depends on what it is used for. In a target match, one needs accuracy to win. But more than accuracy is needed when the target is a living creature. In this instance the bullet must expand but stay together. Sounds like an oxymoron and in a sense it is.

I will always give up accuracy for good terminal performance when hunting. Accuracy is great, but better yet, when hunting it should be coupled with terminal performance.

Soon this day we were discussing bullets and no bullet is perfect for every hunting situation. The young man needed a bullet with a streamlined shape so it would hold its velocity and the long-range benchrest shooter needs extremely good accuracy for psychological reasons. Both need a bullet that penetrates and expands at various ranges.

Remember, the bullet is moving at various speeds at various ranges. So, when you are at the club and someone says they are using the best bullet just say maybe.