http://www.taosnet.com/ctgillio/antelope.jpg

Here's a picture of the antelope that I took in Colorado a week ago with my 458 Socom.  

It was a crazy trip, with my upper arriving a few weeks before my elk bow hunt here in NM.  After that hunt, it was a crazy scramble to get my loads worked out, and the gun right.  The weekend before my hunt, I broke a scope and a red dot.  I found the last decent scope in town, a silver Nikon, and checked it one last time before I left, on Friday.

The hunt went very well, almost too well.  One perfect stalk, and I found myself within 75 yards of the buck, and his 12 ladies.  Almost bayonet range (I'll have to talk to Marty about a lug on my next upper).  75 yards is almost too close for that many antelope eyes. The buck dropped at shot, a 300 grain Rem. HP.  Maybe the Swan Sleeve and flip up sights might be worth practicing with :^)

I even had a pleasant experience with the Colorado Division of Wildlife.  After explaining what the gun was, and after watching the male officer try and cram more than 3 rounds into my 10 round BM 223 magazines, we had a nice chat about the caliber, as the female officer just smiled, and watched me.

As I told Marty, I have nicknamed the gun my BB gun.  I found that when shooting at prarie dogs, you do not have let them clear their mounds to take a shot.  Just aim for the mound, at center of body mass, and launch a Bunker Buster at them.  You can even see your hits, once all of the dust settles.

I picked the last cactus needle out of my knee a couple of days ago.  I think that I will spend more time working on my sitting position.  I found that the prone position in antelope country can be a little dangerous, if you get my meanin'.

Craig

Thats sweet!

No .458Socom yet, but thats awsome! Thanks for the post.

That's pretty cool! I'm a bum and havne't reloaded anything yet. I have everything needed except the job to pay for it!

Nice pic, Craig!! I'm sittin' here in envy!!!!

Good JOB!  I've got all my ammo loaded and ready to do barrel break in and load work up.  Now all I need is a decent day with little wind and no rain and I'll find out what that Tromix upper is capable of.  

oops...sorry, thought I could highlight just the sentence I wanted to quote. Craig, what did you come up with for a load in your gun with the 300 hp? Big bore, what load & procedure are you going to use for break-in? Upper should be here any day. Hoping to be ready for early doe season in 2 weeks.

Bearbait1,

Great report!  I was wondering if you could give us some more info about the wound and the bullet.  What did the 300 HP do inside the animal?  Did you happen to take any pics of the entry & exit (if there was an exit...)?

Thanks!

Fellow Shooter,

The load was a 300 Grain Remington, with an appropriate dose of H110.  If any of you want to discuss load numbers, I will, but I just do not like to post powder levels on the main board.  Just drop me an IM.

I have to admit, it was a great killing shot, but not a great aimed shot.  They were so close, and things happened rather quickly.  I was zeroed for 200 yards, and the shot was aimed perfectly for a 100 YARD SHOT.  Consequently, I hit him high, in the spine.  Needless to say, he dropped like a brick.  There is not enough width on an antelope to stop any bullet, so I have no idea what the bullet did, other than the fact that it did it's job.  He was not quite dead when I got to him, so I put a finisher in him, through the heart.  Another pass through.

I will probably be switching bullets to a Nosler Partitiion.  Not because the Remington will not work, but because I might end up pointing the gun at a bear or muley or elk, and I want to make sure that I have a premium bullet.  I will play with the Barnes bullets this winter, and see how they work.  I am still unsure as to whether the BC gain in the 300 XSP will be worth it for me.  It has a narrow expansion window, and it might be acting like a FMJ beyond a few hundred yards.  Fine for paper, not so good for critters.

I have had my best groups using H4227, but the velocity is well off where I should be able to get with my 20 inch barrel.  I actually had a 3 shot 100 yard group that measure less than a quarter of an inch with the H4227.  I have not found a great grouping load with H110.  I picked up a couple of pounds of H4198, and that is my next project.

As to barrel break in, I am a little unsure about that.  I am an avid accuracy shooter, and know the drill.  I just am not sure if it is worth it with a premium barrel.  There is certainly nothing to loose, by doing it.  I had very little time and brass to do it with this upper, so I opted not to.  It does not seem to have caused any issues.

All in all, am am very pleased with Marty's creation.  He did a wonderful job on my upper, and is an absolute joy to work with.

Gotta run, I have a new Aimpoint that that I need to get on my upper.  I would suggest that any of you who are thinking about any optics for your 458 that are not "premium" might want to rethink it.  I have a broken Bushnell Red Dot, and Vari-X II that did not make the grade.

CRaig

That is a nice lookin "speedy goat"