I got the rifle...now what?

[jeca]

Hi guys,

Been reading the forums for a few weeks and decided to join and chime in.
I recenly purchased a Savage 111F .270 with a Leupold VX2 3-9x40 scope. It's a sweet little setup that I got for deer, hog and varmints. I live near Mojave, CA and am looking for a place that I can go to hunt varmints cheap or free

I also want to hunt a pig, but the prices to hunt around here are 500-800 dollars on top of all the licenses and fees.

Any ideas???

[samuel]

Sounds like you have a setup you can have fun with.Isnt that h***the property owner screaming like a baby over damage by hogs and varmints and charging outrageous prices to hunt when hunting is the cure for damage. samuel.

[JoeLee]

With living in the Desert I can be no help to you.Up here where I live horse and milk farms let us hunt varmint,horses and cows brake legs when steping in their holes.To apple farmers Deer are considered varmints,and the State lets them shoot Deer all year,but I don't.

[jeca]

Originally Posted by samuel

Sounds like you have a setup you can have fun with.Isnt that h***the property owner screaming like a baby over damage by hogs and varmints and charging outrageous prices to hunt when hunting is the cure for damage. samuel.

I guess it's great if your the property owner...lol
Land in CA is so darned expensive that becoming a land owner is out of reach for most. So the few who can, take full advantage of the rest of us.

[Midas]

Just about all of the Savage rifles I have owned have been very accurate, you made a great purchase.

[rdnckhnter]

ive heard good things about that savage model..how are ur groups?

[jeca]

Originally Posted by rdnckhnter

ive heard good things about that savage model..how are ur groups?

My groups were all over the place with the 150 grain winchester factory ammo. Scope adjustments made no sense. I would shoot 8 inches low at 100 yards, then make the adjustment of 32 clicks on the scope and end up 6 inches high.

I then tried the factory 130 grain and got a 4 inch group. I guess I found what my gun likes.

Now all I need are more bullets.

[toolman]

Brother, you need to come to Tx! Most of the folks around here will let you kill all the hogs you want for free. In some areas, you can also get permission from land-owners to shoot whitetail does for free (in-season, of course). as far as your rifle, it sounds like you might need to find the ammo it likes or put in a bit more trigger time and concentrate on the basics of breathing, trigger control, and not flinching. Your gun should group 1" or less @ 100 yds. without much effort. FWIW, there are some that claim that the .270 is inherently inaccurate but that is bull. I would try several different ammo manufacturers and bullet wieghts until you find what it likes. Start by picking a brand. Then, start at the low end of your desired bullet wieghts and record you group size. Move to another brand, and repeat the process. You should eventually find a loading that works for you. If you don't, you may have barrel problems. You could also try reloading, but that is a big expense and learning process for one gun.

[samuel]

What technique are you using to shoot?Are you using a mechanical device or sandbags to shoot of from?If you are trying to shoot offhand to sight a scope in you might be a while. samuel.

[frozentorso]

Tool mans right....come to Texas! I'm going near Amarillo tomorrow on business, and I always take a rifle and usually kill at least one hog at my favorite ranch. This time I'm taking a new freind(female variety, the wife and I seperated) to do the driving duties while I operate the light. Hopefully I'll have pics of dead animals to post tomorrow.

Who mounted your scope? I'd start completely over, tightening the bases 'till your fingers cramp. Mount a 1" dowel to align it the rings, lay the scope in, set propper eye relief, get the reticle on kilter, then tighten, but not too tight. Then bore sight and go from there. My best freind let Cabelas mount his scope, and some kid in back left the bases loose and over tightened the rings, tweeking the scope. Double wammy! His Ruger .257 usually drives tacks, but was all over the paper. We knew something was wrong with the mounting.
Your Savage should shoot great, so somethings wrong.

[jeca]

I was using sandbags to bench the gun. And I had the local gun shop mount the scope. Now I gather that the 3 possibilities are bullet weight and manufacturer and/or scope mounting issues and/or method of benchresting. I have only tried the Winchester brand of ammo so far. I suppose that remounting the scope would at least eliminate the scope issues. I've heard a lot of different ways to boresight a scope, but I have never done it. The sandbags were quite sturdy and I do practice good breathing. So I guess it's mostly the the first 2 possibilities.

Hey frozentorso, how is the weather down in Amarillo this time of year?

P.S. Thanks for all the great info guys.
jeca

[samuel]

If you have sandbags where you can get the rifle to stay in one place one system of bore sighting is to take the bolt out of the action,get the rifle firm on the sandbags,set a target not over 50yds,look through the bore at as small of a dot or target as possible,get it centered in the bore,and then look through the scope and center the crosshares on the dot.This is easier to do if you have someone that can hold the rifle firmly on the sandbags.Another system is have a large target with a small dot,put the crosshares on the dot,fire one round,Make sure the rifle is firm and the crosshares are on the dot,and then adjust the crosshares to the bullet hole.After doing this(whichever)set a target with a 1"bull at 100yds and fire a 3shot group.Then check your drop table and set acording to sugestions.this is usually 1 1/2"to 3" high at 100yds.This will give you a point blank to 300yds+ with a .270Win..This is assuming the scope and bases are all tight.I use quick detatch rings and fire 3shots and then remove the scope and check all screws,base and rings.If they were tight but loosened from recoil you may want to use locktite.Remember locktite comes in different types for different applications.The .270 was designed for 130gr bullets.I would sugest not going over 140gr. samuel.

[frozentorso]

The weather in Amarillo is pretty good now, windy and some rain. In Ft. Worth, we've been flooded all month. Shot this pig last night. I shot his runnin' buddy, but he made it into the thick brush and I was wearing flip flops.

[lefty o]

thats too funny, pig huntin' in flip flops!!!!!!!!

[frozentorso]

You gotta come try it, Lefty! Flipflops and a Hawiian shirt. Texas is awesome. I'll pick you up at the Amarillo airport. I took a gal I've been seeing and taught her how to shoot for her first time(gun safety first, of course). She ran the spotlight for me and had a good time. She also saw her first coyote. He was running through an alfalfa field in broad daylight. I whistled him to a stop at about 300 yards but just missed the shot low and away. We had a picnic and watched the sun set and the moon come up before hunting. Awesome! Last night will be hard to top.

[jeca]

When you can bring home the "bacon" in flip-flops and a Hawiian shirt....well it don't get any better than that.

Real nice pig though

I live in the desert and I'm getting pretty tired of it and CA. Too many restrictions and too darned expensive.

[ezearln]

Howdy jeca, you know I am finding it very hard to believe you cannot find a place to hunt on the cheap out in the deserts of the PRK, I lived out there for many years and did quite a bit of hunting in the Cleveland Nat'l Forests and out Near Anza-Borrego. Not to meantion up towards the Angeles Crest areas. Of course then again my Daddy took us boys to learn to shoot and handle a rifle when I was just 5 out around what is now Saugus. You go shooting a rifle out there now I hear they put you under the jail.
Point is there is so much more public/BLM land in California as compared to Texas I still would bet you could find somewhere to hunt. About 80-85% of Texas land is privately owned making it a lil more difficult for folks with little extra cash to spend to afford a lease to hunt on.