West by God Virginia

[6pt-sika]

Went over to the Elkins WVA area sunday to check out my cousins vacation cabin to see if I wanna hunt it for deer this year . Let me begin by saying Route 33 from Stanardsville VA to Harrisonburg VA I always thought quite crooked over the Blue Ridge . But I’m here to say the road over in that stretch ain’t squat compared to Route 33 after Harrisonburg to Elkins over the Alleghenies that road darn near had you looking at your own rear bumper ! Took 3 1/2 hours one way via mapquest and usually I can do better , but not on this route . Seven hours roundtrip . It’s going to be Intresting when I go back in November with a trailered ATV in tow I took three pics from an overlook I’d stopped at to stretch , the pics on my phone don’t do it justice .

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[6pt-sika]

If what I saw yesterday is any indication I should have a positive hunt as I saw deer from 9 AM until I was heading home at 2 PM . Granted you usually see deer a lot more in the summer , but it still looks quite positive . Now I need to refine my 8 gauge slug load and have it along over there .

[6pt-sika]

I tried some .775” 730 grain slugs pushed with SR7625 in my Grade 1 top lever 10 gauge hammer gun with the 26” barrels . This gun left the factory quite open in the 26” barrels a kinda tight in the 30” barrels . WVA says no buckshot for deer but inside 35 or so yards the right barrel should drill a deer with the slug if I do my part . I shot three from a rest which I think caused it to shoot a bit high , tried one more offhand and it hit at POA . Now to fiddle with the same slug in my DH 8 and see if I can make it a bit better .

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[6pt-sika]

The makeup of these 10 gauge slugs I’d not tried in a 10 until I started messing with this very open gun . A Gualandi/BPI wad with the petals removed , five 1/8” 16 gauge card wads and then the .775” 730 grain slug roll crimped . Today or tommorrow I wanna try two from the right barrel offhand then the same from the left barrel .

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[gamekeeper]

Beautiful country but yes that highway looks more like what I'm used to here rather than USA.

[6pt-sika]

I think if I cut the petals on the wad I’m using or an SP-10 it would be about the same .

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[6pt-sika]

Beautiful country but yes that highway looks more like what I'm used to here rather than USA.

I like to travel at 70-80ish MPH but this trip was about 165 miles and took3 1/2 hours .

[Rockrat]

Looks like a fun ride on a motorcycle!! Beautiful looking country.

[Grizz]

The makeup of these 10 gauge slugs I’d not tried in a 10 until I started messing with this very open gun . A Gualandi/BPI wad with the petals removed , five 1/8” 16 gauge card wads and then the .775” 730 grain slug roll crimped . Today or tommorrow I wanna try two from the right barrel offhand then the same from the left barrel .E6D474B3-68A8-48C3-9245-178AF163C1B4.jpegA61A126F-D5FD-4BB8-8D02-EBD9392FB4AB.jpeg6B0D513C-8F0B-4704-BDEA-BCA237F02A39.jpeg

This is really interesting. Do you cast the slugs? Do you know the velocity? It looks like a serious hunting load. And thanks for the Hwy number, if a planned cross country develops i will try to visit that one on the way.

grizz

[6pt-sika]

The makeup of these 10 gauge slugs I’d not tried in a 10 until I started messing with this very open gun . A Gualandi/BPI wad with the petals removed , five 1/8” 16 gauge card wads and then the .775” 730 grain slug roll crimped . Today or tommorrow I wanna try two from the right barrel offhand then the same from the left barrel .E6D474B3-68A8-48C3-9245-178AF163C1B4.jpegA61A126F-D5FD-4BB8-8D02-EBD9392FB4AB.jpeg6B0D513C-8F0B-4704-BDEA-BCA237F02A39.jpeg

This is really interesting. Do you cast the slugs? Do you know the velocity? It looks like a serious hunting load. And thanks for the Hwy number, if a planned cross country develops i will try to visit that one on the way.

grizz

I have the mold for this slug and another that’s similar but only .735” but still 730 grains . Got them both from a friend on castboolits . I have used the .735” and killed a deer or two with it in tight choked 10’s . The .775” mold was made for an LC Smith gun that had cut barrels and no choke . I’d obtained the .775” mold for use in 8 gauge guns and it’s been promising as long as I wrap the slugs with about five wraps of masking tape . I’ve never clocked any of my buck , slug or ball loads . I would tend to think this thing is in the 1000-1100 fps range . I typically never take shots at deer over 35ish yards not saying they won’t do more just my self imposed limit . With rifled barrels and sabots I’m good to 150 to possibly 200 yards . But if I have a smoothbore double gun loaded with these slugs when I’m sitting a tree I’ll more than likely have a rifle with me as well , the shotguns are more of a I can say I did it thing .

[6pt-sika]

I’ve got period correct Winchester Rival brass 10 gauge hulls . They were meant for BP which I don’t care to use , so to get these bad boys to work I need to figure out a good way to make some plastic washers I made adhere to the bottom of the case around the protruding primer nodule . I bought a plastic dowel that’s .75” then drilled holes for the nodule I just am having trouble finding the correct thing to make them adhere . Hot melt glue is kinda a hit or Miss so I think I need to get some two part mix it adhesive . I think it would be kinda neat to have a slug in both barrels or a slug in the right and buck in the left but both loads in vintage brass hulls .

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[wvfarrier]

Have these guys in camera at my farm in Mon County WV
They are a little young but the poachers will get them if I dont

[6pt-sika]

WV Farrier , correct me if I'm wrong . As a non res I need the regular state hunting license for an initial buck tag as well as a conservation tag . I also purchased a second gun season buck tag and a antlerless tag . Is there anything else you're aware of I need to stay on the right side of the conservation officers ? Only other thing I might plunk would be a half dozen squirrels and a rabbit or two . I have no intrest in a bear which is in season when the deer gun season takes place in Randolph county . No worries about turkey as thats before I get there and my personal war against turkey ceased several years ago .

[wvfarrier]

WV Farrier , correct me if I'm wrong . As a non res I need the regular state hunting license for an initial buck tag as well as a conservation tag . I also purchased a second gun season buck tag and a antlerless tag . Is there anything else you're aware of I need to stay on the right side of the conservation officers ? Only other thing I might plunk would be a half dozen squirrels and a rabbit or two . I have no intrest in a bear which is in season when the deer gun season takes place in Randolph county . No worries about turkey as thats before I get there and my personal war against turkey ceased several years ago .

That looks correct but I am by no means an expert. The Conversation cops have a website with email and usually respond quickly. I would check

[wvfarrier]

Turkey season around here is dangerous. You darn near need to wear a bulletproof vest....people are crzy

[6pt-sika]

Turkey season around here is dangerous. You darn near need to wear a bulletproof vest....people are crzy

I’m planning on coming back over the Sunday before Thanksgiving hunt the first two days and the morning of the third day and get my butt back over the mountain hoping the whole time that there’s no great amount of snow to deal with .

[FLINT]

Went over to the Elkins WVA area sunday to check out my cousins vacation cabin to see if I wanna hunt it for deer this year . Let me begin by saying Route 33 from Stanardsville VA to Harrisonburg VA I always thought quite crooked over the Blue Ridge . But I’m here to say the road over in that stretch ain’t squat compared to Route 33 after Harrisonburg to Elkins over the Alleghenies that road darn near had you looking at your own rear bumper ! Took 3 1/2 hours one way via mapquest and usually I can do better , but not on this route . Seven hours roundtrip . It’s going to be Intresting when I go back in November with a trailered ATV in tow I took three pics from an overlook I’d stopped at to stretch , the pics on my phone don’t do it justice .005AA127-CD0B-4266-9BA9-770BEB061A94.jpeg27933996-8AB0-4273-A458-9AF6FEF6500A.jpegD01AE7F6-7D9E-48D9-81F8-C865BE9644B8.jpeg

Yes, beautiful country. I live outside Harrisonburg and spend all my free time on both the VA and WV side of Shenandoah mountain. Travel 33 lots.

[6pt-sika]

Decided to load a few to try with 0000 Buck (.380”) and a few with 00000 Buck (.395”) . Which unto itself is nothing new but in the past of gold crimped and used a mylar wrap as well as buffer . This time no mylar and the base part of the Gualandi/BPI wad also one 16 gauge 1/8” card under the buckshot . One for each barrel of the Grade 1 26” hammer gun and one for each barrel of the EH 28” gun . Loading without the shot cup and roll crimp allows an additional layer or two more pellets . So in the 0000 I have ten instead of the eight I’d gotten before and the 00000 has eight now instead of the six I’d gotten in the past . Hopefully I can give these a go this weekend .

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[Grizz]

now that's gonna make a mark ! have you ever shot gel or clay or newsprint with those rounds? that's some massive firepower!!

grizz

[6pt-sika]

now that's gonna make a mark ! have you ever shot gel or clay or newsprint with those rounds? that's some massive firepower!!

grizz

No I’ve killed deer with both sizes of buckshot in 10 gauges but with two less pellets both sizes . Also shot a deer with the same basic slug also 730 grains but only .735” in diameter . But ten of the 000000 buckshot (.415”) in my 8 gauge well wake you up . I’ve killed a couple deer with the 8 gauge one using the 000000 buck and another with a .795” punkin ball . I’m going to PA Wednesday for a four day SxS shoot but when I get back I’m going to see if I can get my 8 gauge slug load a bit better . I’ll use the same .775” slug but with five of more layers of masking tape to tighten it up in the bore .

[Grizz]

hope you limit out on your hunt, looks like a great project to develop those loads.

[6pt-sika]

hope you limit out on your hunt, looks like a great project to develop those loads.

To be honest I already have twenty five round boxes filled with each size of buckshot from #3 up to and including 00000 for the short 10’s . This was more a matter of me wanting to try roll crimped buckshot in the 10’s . The slugs thing is pretty much set , but I do wanna also try .775” punkin balls . Maybe I can cast a couple dozen of them this weekend .