Ammo

The pair of hogs popped out of the South Texas mesquite over 100 yards away and made straight for the deer feeder. I shifted in my seat and got ready for a shot—and for my first hunting experience using the new 350 Legend cartridge from Winchester Ammunition.

Bullet design and performance is a favored (and occasionally heated) discussion wherever hunters gather. Debates rage, stories are told, and facts presented. Which brings us to the question: What is good bullet performance?

2:52 PM, a couple miles west of Brady, Nebraska, and I less than three hours away from a hearty serving of Tag Soup. I was on Day Five of a November 2018 deer hunt in Nebraska’s Lincoln County, and though I’d put in many hours I hadn’t seen a buck of any size—antlers or body.

For all of you waterfowl hunters born after 1992, the idea of steel shot is something you accept without hesitation. Reaching back ten more years would capture even more hunters still too young to remember. According to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation’s 2016 report, just over two million of almost 12-million hunters seek waterfowl. While I am spitting out stats, I might as well add, migratory hunters spent 16-million days on 15-million trips and spent over $2.3 billion in 2016.  While this includes doves it most certainly is heavy with geese and ducks hunters.

I managed to get my hands on Seekins’ new Havak Element in 6.5 PRC soon after it was announced, and immediately put it through the hardest tests that I could think of: I brought it with me on several hunts including Idaho mule deer and whitetail deer.

Next time I am in Texas for a fall or winter deer or hog hunt? I’m bringing along my Remington 870 20-gauge. Grilled Dove Poppers are excellent!

Accuracy is crucial in a self-defense situation, of course, but the odds are small that you’ll ever need a firearm for self-defense. Hunting, on the other hand, combines the frequency of competition with the ethical import of life and death.

Barnes Bullets just released a new loading in 6.5 Grendel as well as a new 6.5mm bullet for reloaders who load their own 6.5 Grendel ammo.

The bottom line is it was an amazing trip. The service, facilities, staff, food, professional hunters, animals, weather, and just the overall welcoming and accommodating attitude of everyone associated with Marupa Safaris was fantastic.