| Buchsemann |
| (.333 member) |
| 17/12/12 03:58 PM |
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WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Gentlemen,
Well it took a few years but I finally hit the field and bloodied my .280 Ross “clamshell” DR. This particular gun wouldn't have been my first choice for such a hunt but with the hunt being an event set up by fellow members of the GGCA (German Gun Collectors Association) it ended up being the thing to do. The gun was made back in 1916 for one Robert Muller Jr. of New York City. It has yet to be confirmed but there are a few that believe that the maker of the double was most likely Bernhard Merkel of Suhl. I have the gun shooting barrel distance apart (1.060”) at 100 yards using a combination of Horneber brass, CCI 200 primer, Hornady 139 grain Interbond bullet and 55.6 grains of H4831. Average muzzle velocity is 2538 ft/sec. Of course that’s pretty dang slow by .280 Ross standards but it’s easy on the gun and makes the old gem a tack driver of a double rifle. The shot distance wasn’t much over 100 yards (115 yards max) but not wanting to take any chances, given my lack of familiarity with the gun in the field, I took the high percentage lung shot. I hit the old buck exactly where I was aiming and had my first experience with seeing how far an antelope can run with a both lungs shot out. We didn’t range the exact distance the old buck ran but he ran a large arc back and past us, the 100 yards plus, and what looked to be at least another 70 yards before he fell over. More than likely the next time the old Ross and I hit the field we’ll be in search of a Wisconsin or Missouri whitetail.
Regards,
Mark
| tophet1 |
| (.400 member) |
| 17/12/12 05:48 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Fantastic. A perfect plains game double. Many thanks for sharing and good to see it back in the field.
| Mike_Bailey |
| (.400 member) |
| 17/12/12 06:10 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Nice story,nice rifle too ! best, Mike
| SAHUNT |
| (Sponsor) |
| 17/12/12 06:14 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Good story with a very nice DR. Thanks for sharing.
| Ripp |
| (.577 member) |
| 18/12/12 02:01 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Great story..and yes it is amazing how far they can run with the lungs gone..had very similar experience with the first antelope I ever shot using a 300 Win mag..it still ran about 80 yards before tipping over --and it had no idea I was there..was feeding when I shot him...
Congrats on the antelope..
Ripp
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 18/12/12 02:12 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Good show, Buchseman.
| Sasquatch |
| (.224 member) |
| 06/01/13 12:03 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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That is a nice old DR. I have never seen one in .280 Ross. Lots of Ross rifles still in use around where I live. It is a cartridge that was way ahead of its day............ and the bullets of the time as well. Not too many speed goats hammered with doubles every year.
| tinker |
| (.416 member) |
| 06/01/13 02:37 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Such a cool rifle, straight grip and all.
I'd wondered how you had done with it.
Cheers
Tinker
NitroX
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| 06/01/13 06:02 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Jolly Good! Or should that be Waidmannsheil if it is a German rifle?
Well done anyway.
I'm keen to know how the rifle shoots at longer range. Have you shot it at targets at say 200 yards? 250 yards? Just out of interest.
Lovely rifle and a different cartridge chambering.
| Buchsemann |
| (.333 member) |
| 07/01/13 03:59 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Thank you gentlemen.
I haven't taken the Ross DR out to the club where I do my "long range" (200 and 300 yards) shooting with my bolt rifles as yet. I have the feeling the gun is way more capable of shooting nice groups at 200 yards than I am with my eyes looking through the old Dr. Gerard fixed 4X scope. It may be as simple as me just spending more time with the gun and getting use to the sight picture, given it's so different than anything else I have. In particular I haven't been all that consistent at 100 yards holding the tip of the vertical post on the center of the targets I have been using. At 100 yards the vertical post is as wide as the eight inch black of the target so side-to-side alignment is easy. At 100 yards the orange center of the target is a little speck so as long as I can see the tip of the triangle in that little speck I'm good. At 200 yards I imagine it will be a little more of a challenge depending on the target I use but I won't know until I try. I currently have the gun zeroed with the tip of the vertical post in the center of the target at 100 yards. My ballistics calculator says that at 200 yards my previously mentioned load will have the 139 grain bullet dropping 4 ¾” and at 300 yards it will drop 16 ¾”.
Below is a substantially enlarged view of what my 100 yard target looks like:
Regards,
Mark (a.k.a. Buchseman)
| Buchsemann |
| (.333 member) |
| 17/12/13 04:20 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Gentlemen,
Looking for a bright spot in my all things hunting this year, after returning from a dismal Iowa whitetail hunt, I was thinking that at least the mounting of my Wyoming (Buffalo) antelope from last year worked out nicely. My wife and I have been engaged in a major house renovation project which included my clearing everything out of my den a while back so though I received the mount in mid-October it wasn't until a couple weeks ago that my first little "speed goat" was pulled out of the box and hung on the wall. They sure are pretty little things but I have to say that "little" was certainly underlined when I hung the critter next to one of my Iowa whitetails from a better year:
I am also very pleased that my bride, a very good cook, has figured out ways to make the naturally sage laden meat of the antelope taste rather good though we did have one God awful experience with a batch of tacos … won’t do that again
Happy Holidays!
Mark
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 17/12/13 07:28 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Seen this post at the start and enjoyed it.
Didn't know until now that you hunted in Buffalo, which I live, too bad we couldn't/didn't meet up.
Your pronghorn looks good and very representative for the area.
As to eating them, I will say it is our favorite meat of any sort, bar none. I have way more "bad" Elk, Moose, Caribou than ever Pronghorn.
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 17/12/13 10:11 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Excellent, well done.
I would like a Pronghorn, not too taken by White tails
but pronghorns got my attention.
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 17/12/13 12:43 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Stop by in October and I can help. Edwardian era rifle or bore only, some exceptions for muzzleloaders.........:):):)
| Buchsemann |
| (.333 member) |
| 17/12/13 01:01 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Thank you 500Nitro.
Caprivi,
Unfortunately your living in Buffalo didn't ring any bells for me until after I returned and entered the post of my hunt. Heck, we hung out at the Occidental Hotel for ten days so I would have had plenty of time to say hi and tip a few with you; the hunt was only one day. The rest of our time was spent checking out the town (Buffalo) and doing a few day trips to the Cody Museum, Custer Battlefield, Fort Phil Kearny and Don King's Saddlery. If you have any antelope recipes that you'd care to share we would sure like to see them; variety is good.
Regards,
Mark
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 17/12/13 03:45 PM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Hey Mark,
You hit the high spots to visit, well done. There are worse places to stay then the Occidental. I don't "tip" anymore but the Bar is a shrine of drinking and western history. The bullet holes alone are worth attendance.......:):):)
Many recipes so to speak, but as with all wild (Lean) meat the answer is always small cuts a rare as you can stand. As Pronghorn are small they are easy to provide small medallion cuts.
Using those medallions, say a 1/2lb for my wife and I, marinate with teriyaki or a acidic you like, little garlic/basil/minced onion..... grill on very high for about as long as it takes to place 15 or so pieces on the grill, then turn, then remove. They will be rare, but to me the best red meat you will eat.
Serve with strong veggies like Fiddlehead or Asparagus. Creamed spinach can work as well with some smoked Gouda shaved over it. All three on the plate is heart smart, better health, live longer, hunt more......:):):).....for a starch I prefer Turnips, chestnuts, parsnips, artichokes or even tree nuts. Potatoes are Satan
| Buchsemann |
| (.333 member) |
| 18/12/13 01:30 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Caprivi,
A coffee at the Busy Bee next door would work just as well; I liked their buffalo sausage too (breakfast).
Thank you very much for your culinary suggestions, we'll give it a whirl.
Mark
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 18/12/13 01:40 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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"but the Bar is a shrine of drinking and western history. The bullet holes alone are worth attendance.......:):):)"
Interesting.
Can you expand !
| Caprivi |
| (.375 member) |
| 18/12/13 02:07 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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A coffee at the Busy Bee next door would work just as well; I liked their buffalo sausage too(breakfast).
Indeed it would.
Was thinking of your load and the terminal performance. At this velocity, which is fine as it works for you, I think I would look at a much softer bullet. Any normal bullet will perform well at 2500-ish fps. Actually "better" on a small targets than the tougher bonded styles in vogue today. The 140Sierra or 140Hawk RN are soft, accurate and give good expansion at lower velocities.
500,
Buffalo was a drinking town on the edge of a Military Fort. Hence in the territorial days things got a little "Western" in town. Still can on Parade day. The discharge of firearms in public while drinking was a rather normal occurrence, shooting ones decide Foe was not unheard of either. Buffalo was (still is) great melding pot of all walks of life, Ranchers, Outlaws (the Hole-In-The-Wall is only 50miles south) Presidents of USA, Bankers, Gamblers, Sheep Herders, Highway Men......all types stirred together with alcohol and working girls..............
| 500Nitro |
| (.450 member) |
| 18/12/13 02:09 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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OK, thanks.
Sounds typical Wild West !
| Buchsemann |
| (.333 member) |
| 18/12/13 03:15 AM |
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Re: WY Antelope meets .280 Ross Clamshell DR
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Caprivi,
I hear what you're saying about using a softer bullet and it was the intention for the hunt. I used the Hornady 139's because they are what I had on hand at the moment. I had dragged my tail ordering a couple boxes of Hawk 140's thus they didn't arrive until I returned from Wyoming. I have since picked up a box of Woodleigh 140 gr RN as well. I have wondered if the Hawks would have kept the old goat from running as far as he did. For being double lunged he sure covered some ground.
Mark
BTW, it was my first trip out to the Cody Museum as well. The museum alone was worth the road trip from Wisconsin. It was a long trip with a lot of nothing in between but once we got there, the Buffalo area and Cody, we had a great time.