Hunting with the XCR!

13 Nov 08

Hunting with the XCR!

I just completed a wonderful Hunting Adventure with several colleagues at a Preserve in the Midwest. I used my Micro-Aimpoint-equipped RA/XCR in 7.62X39 and Cor-Bon DPX ammunition, an extremely deadly combination, as it turns out!

Others in our party used mostly 308 bolt-guns. One used a compound bow, with astonishing proficiency!

I shot a Dall Sheep and a Fallow Deer with my XCR. A colleague also used my rifle to take down a large, wild pig.

I hit the Dall Sheep at seventy-five meters and at a downward angle. He was in profile and was hit on the point of the shoulder, as is my preference. He dropped in his tracks, never taking even one more step! I saw him fall while still looking through my aimpoint. Barnes bullet went through-and-through, blowing out a two-inch exit wound. He weighed one-hundred pounds. My congratulatory guide commented on how rapidly he dropped!

The Fallow Deer was also one-hundred pounds, and I took him out as part of a culling operation, as he had been injured and needed to be "retired." He surprised us by appearing where we weren't expecting him! When I finally got a shot, he was in profile at 125m, and it was overcast and late in the afternoon. Light was fading, and I had to quickly turn down the Aimpoint by one notch, as the dot was too bright. It felt like a good shot, but I saw himstep forward and behind a tree after it broke, and I was not at all sure I had made a substantial hit.

My worries, as turns out, were unnecessary! He, too, was hit solidly on the point of the shoulder and only took that one step forward before dropping dead. I was thrilled and gratified with the accuracy and usability of my XCR, as well as the profound effectiveness of DPX ammunition!

My colleague then used my XCR to shoot a pig as the animal was crossing the trail twenty meters in front of him. It was a snap-shot! The Aimpoint made it possible for Dan to get on him fast, and the bullet hit low on the chest, shredding the pig's ventricles. It also went through-and-through.The pig ran ten meters and then rolled another ten, but was already DRT when he came to a rest.

Having now hunted with both calibers, it is my conclusion that the DPX round in 7.62X39 is at least as effective as the DPX 6.8mmSPC, probably slightly more!

I love hunting with my military rifles, as it gives me an opportunity to actually use them in an active circumstance. It is a recommended activity!

One bothersome note: Another colleague used a 308 "Steyr-Scout" bolt-gun, for which he had paid nearly $3,000.00. It gave him nothing but trouble!

He had a shot at a pig at relatively close range. As he pressed the trigger, the rifle went "click" instead of "bang!" He quickly pushed the bold handle up and down, re-cocking the striker, and immediately pressed again, only to hear another exasperating "click!"

The pig ran, but he got another shot at it seconds later. This time, he cycled the bolt completely, ejecting the recalcitrant round and chambering fresh one, having concluded he had been dealing with a dud. However, for all his trouble, he was, once again, greeted with only a frustrating "click."

He then changed magazines, cycled the bolt again, and continued the pursuit. He got another opportunity ten minutes later, at the same pig. This time, the rifle functioned normally, and he was able to make a fatal hit. However, he indicated to me that he was going to get rid of the rifle as soon as he got home, having lost all faith in it.

Neither I, nor he, was able to provide any kind of explanation for what happened. But, I mention the foregoing, because this is the forth Steyr Scout I' ve seen in action, having seen three others in Urban Rifle Courses. Without exception, all have been troublesome! None have run well. I don't know what the issues are, but I surely won't own a copy any time soon!

/John