Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Seeking a flatter trajectory
I have a .243 for roe but want a rifle to shoot red deer because the .243 Win 100-gr loads do not have a flat trajectory. Can you offer any advice?
You state you want a flattershooting cartridge for red deer, presumably in Scotland, where the bullet minimum for red deer is 100-gr. If your rifle with a 3,000fps velocity is zeroed at 100 yards, then at 200 yards it will be -2.6in low and at 300 yards it will be -10.5in low.
If you up the rifle and calibre to, say, a .308, 6.5x55mm or .270 Win, then a 125-gr to 130-gr bullet from each, zeroed at 100 yards, will still drop -2.5in, -2.9in or -2.2in at 200 yards respectively. All these are excellent performers. The new 6.5 Creedmoor with a 123-gr SST bullet at 2,950fps drops -2.6in. In other words, there is not a lot of difference between them.
If you really want that flat trajectory and shoot beyond 300 yards then you need to go for a magnum round such as the .300 Win Magnum. In this rifle a 125-gr bullet zeroed at 100 yards Toy dogs don’t get much cuter than the coton de Tulear, a supposedly ancient breed that originated in Madagascar. Also known as the royal
coton de Tulear will drop -1.6in at 200 yards and -7.7in at 300 yards. The .264 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag are flat shooters too.
Personally, I would alter the zero on your existing .243 Win rifle to 200 yards so at 300 yards your 100-gr bullet will only drop -7.5in at 300 yards and only be 1.4in high at 100 yards.
If you really need flatter than that and shoot beyond 300 yards, remember that bigger cartridges recoil more but a lighter bullet can expand quickly and cause more venison wastage too. BP dog of Madagascar, it was first imported into Europe in the 1970s, with the UK Kennel Club giving it official recognition in 1990. Today its popularity
92 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE is growing fast: in 2008 only 101 puppies were registered in the UK, but last year the figure had risen to 336.
Looking like a cross between a bichon frise and a Maltese, the coton has a coat that bears a closer resemblance to cotton than it does to fur, hence its name. Even though the coat is non-shedding it requires daily brushing; however, it has the advantage of being non-allergic. The breed has bright black eyes and a black nose. Most are pure white and can weigh up to 18lb. My dog frequently drags his backside along the ground. I am told this is a sign that he needs his anal glands emptied by a vet. Why is this a recurring problem for him when other dogs don’t seem to suffer to the same extent?
The anal glands are small oval-shaped sacs found on each side of a dog’s rectum just inside the anus. Each time a dog passes a stool it voids a small amount of foul-smelling serous or pasty liquid, secreted by these glands, that coats the stool and is believed to play some part in territorial scent-marking behaviour.
If, however, the dog’s stools are soft or small, the sacs may not empty completely and if this continues they fill up and become uncomfortable for the dog. Dogs will try to relieve this discomfort by licking or biting their rear end or dragging their bottom along the floor (“scooting”). If left untreated the anal sacs
(glands) can then become impacted or even infected.
Some dogs have particular problems and require their anal glands to be emptied frequently. If this is the case with your dog — and it sounds like it is — check the consistency of your dog’s faeces. If he isn’t generally passing large, firm stools you may have to modify his diet accordingly. Try adding bran in the first instance. Add a couple of teaspoonfuls to the feed each day initially and increase a little as necessary to “bulk up” the stools. If your dog is overweight, reducing that weight can also help.
With a little practice and patience you can empty your dog’s anal sacs yourself, but the smell of anal gland fluid is so unpleasant that most people prefer to take their dog to the vet for this procedure. If the situation cannot be easily ameliorated and becomes difficult to control and problematic for your dog, your vet might recommend permanent removal of the anal glands and the associated anal sacs. TB