Hey, gun nuts!

[Ishmael]

Test 2

OK, bad day at the range. Wind was brisk and variable. I expected the rounds to be strung out horizontally, and they were except for my fuck ups. I went from a sand bag rest to a bi-pod. BIG mistake on my part. The bi-pod was a little wobbly (needs to be shimmed to match the stock contour), but I learned anyway.

Again I was shooting 150 gr. Spire Points. I was pushing them with IMR 4831 hand loaded and each round weighed to within a tenth of a grain. I started with 72.5 gr. and loaded up to 75.5 gr in 1 gr increments. My holds were, respectively, 6 o'clock bottome edge of black, 3 O'clock edge of black, 9 O'clock edge of black, on the center.

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/Ishmael13/media/002_7.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee483/Ishmael13/002_7.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

Four shot strings @ 200 yds. As can be seen I had two low 'fliers' with the 74.5 loading and the 75.5 loading. The 73.5 string had two bullets going through the same hole (almost), that is the hole on the 7 ring @ 10 O'clock. That was not skill, just dumb luck.

Again no chronograph so going by the 'book' my velocities were from 3000 to 3200 fps +50 for the increased barrel length. (The increments are NOT 100 fps.)

Overall the harmonics seemed to favor the 3150 (73.5 gr) and 3250 (75.5 gr) fps loading's best. This needs to be reconfirmed. In theory the 74.5 and 75.5 loading's should be similar. With a lighter barrel I might expect the anomaly but my barrel is .82" at the muzzle and shouldn't be subject to such slight variations. But each rifle is a beast of it's own so only further testing will confirm or refute my suspicions.

I once again learned only to change on variable at a time, the bi-pod was a BIG mistake (did I say that before?).

More on the wind point. The wind was blowing from approx. 135 (+/- 7) deg. relative to my position and variable from 10 to 15 mph. The berms, relative to the wind, had the effect of exaggerating the direction and intensity. Once more confirming that all weather is local..............very local.

Ishmael

 

[Hard_Rom]

Loved the reap peep sight on a C1. Found a pellet gun with an Olympic style peep sight. You can shoot flies with it at 50'. Most cheap scopes for pellet guns are worthless due to sheet metal mounting brackets. Lay it down even gently and it is off by a mile.

http://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0612/23/canadian-fn-c1-c1a1-rear-sight_1_6c76d6d18e2be9ab07cc12a2cf8318cc.jpg

 

[thør]

http://www.rifleshootermag.com/files/2010/09/rsbig_0401_470f.jpg

I always enjoyed shooting with this site.

 

[Ishmael]

As a side note to my previous post, I find it interesting that the higher velocity loading (75.5) is noticeably to the left. Ecept for the low 'flier' the group is adequate. ~ 1 MOA. The wind didn't all of a sudden become more consistent in either direction or force. And what with all the other little problems I didn't all of a sudden become steadier. That narrows it down to the loading.

At 75.5 grs with that powder and bullet I'm approaching max. pressure. Although the cases were showing no signs of over-pressure. Soooooo, I'm going to push it a little harder to see whether the rifle does indeed like the higher velocities.

The muzzle break arrives tomorrow and my gunsmith will thread the barrel for installation this weekend. While the break, in and of itself, won't make the rifle more accurate, the reduced recoil will help me.

That leaves me with changing the trigger out and resolving the bi-pod issue. Until the bi-pod issue is resolved I'm going back to sand bag rests.

Ishmael

 

[Ishmael]

The rifle in question is at the gunsmiths being threaded for the new muzzle break. In the meantime I'm 'doctoring' the bi-pod to eliminate the 'wiggle.' Not a major ordeal, just the judicial application of some rubber strips. I'm also working up the new loads. New powder, new bullets. Like starting all over again.

Ishmael

 

[Ishmael]

Back from the gunsmiths.

This is the 'beast' I'm building up.

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/Ishmael13/media/001_9.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee483/Ishmael13/001_9.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

The smith did a great job on the muzzle break.

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/Ishmael13/media/002_8.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee483/Ishmael13/002_8.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

And I got the bi-pod issue squared away.

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/Ishmael13/media/003_5.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee483/Ishmael13/003_5.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

So back to the range.

Ishmael

 

[richard_daily]

Love the ballistics on 6.5 Creedmore... But I'll have to wait a few weeks to do anything other than appreciate the math on it. No rest for the wicked.

http://2poqx8tjzgi65olp24je4x4n.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6.5-Creedmoor-Diagram.jpg

 

[Ishmael]

Love the ballistics on 6.5 Creedmore... But I'll have to wait a few weeks to do anything other than appreciate the math on it. No rest for the wicked.

http://2poqx8tjzgi65olp24je4x4n.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/6.5-Creedmoor-Diagram.jpg

The 6.5 has always been an inherently accurate long range projectile. Goes all the way back to the 256 Newton (which was in reality a 6.5). A hunting guide that I hang out with recently took an Ibex @ 385 yds with his 6.5 Creedmore. He swears by it. The guy that does my gunsmithing also has a 6.5 Creedmore that he's impressed with it as well.

That's not what I'm building. the virtue of the 6.5 is high velocity with a long bearing surface on the bullet. The same can be achieved with a 30 cal with the proper bullet design. Hornady has a 225 gr 30 cal offering with a .777 BC. Launched at 3000 fps it's still supersonic (and this is critical for any cartridge) at 2 miles. The 300 WinMag is capable of that velocity (so is the Weatherby.....at a cost).

Ishmael

 

[thør]

The 6.5 has always been an inherently accurate long range projectile. Goes all the way back to the 256 Newton (which was in reality a 6.5). A hunting guide that I hang out with recently took an Ibex @ 385 yds with his 6.5 Creedmore. He swears by it. The guy that does my gunsmithing also has a 6.5 Creedmore that he's impressed with it as well.

That's not what I'm building. the virtue of the 6.5 is high velocity with a long bearing surface on the bullet. The same can be achieved with a 30 cal with the proper bullet design. Hornady has a 225 gr 30 cal offering with a .777 BC. Launched at 3000 fps it's still supersonic (and this is critical for any cartridge) at 2 miles. The 300 WinMag is capable of that velocity (so is the Weatherby.....at a cost).

Ishmael

30 cal works for lotsa stuff. Grandpa's 300 H&H put anything down he aimed at.

 

[Ishmael]

30 cal works for lotsa stuff. Grandpa's 300 H&H put anything down he aimed at.

I used a 300 H&H in Vietnam. (Old story buried in here somewhere.) Experimentation with what may be "the best." It's still going on today. It all reminds me of the old Moody Blues song, "In Search of the Lost Chord."

Ishmael

 

[richard_daily]

The 6.5 has always been an inherently accurate long range projectile. Goes all the way back to the 256 Newton (which was in reality a 6.5). A hunting guide that I hang out with recently took an Ibex @ 385 yds with his 6.5 Creedmore. He swears by it. The guy that does my gunsmithing also has a 6.5 Creedmore that he's impressed with it as well.

That's not what I'm building. the virtue of the 6.5 is high velocity with a long bearing surface on the bullet. The same can be achieved with a 30 cal with the proper bullet design. Hornady has a 225 gr 30 cal offering with a .777 BC. Launched at 3000 fps it's still supersonic (and this is critical for any cartridge) at 2 miles. The 300 WinMag is capable of that velocity (so is the Weatherby.....at a cost).

Ishmael

I know this is hard to believe, but I wasn't talking about you.

 

[richard_daily]

30 cal works for lotsa stuff. Grandpa's 300 H&H put anything down he aimed at.

You need a lot of power behind a .30 cal to have it be effective at long range.

I'm looking at shooting flatter trajectory rounds... That's why 6.5 has a lot of appeal to me.

 

[thør]

You need a lot of power behind a .30 cal to have it be effective at long range.

I'm looking at shooting flatter trajectory rounds... That's why 6.5 has a lot of appeal to me.

I'm generally only looking to to kill something to eat. 500m is pretty far for dispatching table/freezer fare. It's also comforting to be able to load up with some heavy bullets when walking through the brush and trees. No use giving too much advantage to the big brown rats. Currently, the .338WM is my go-to.

 

[Ishmael]

I'm generally only looking to to kill something to eat. 500m is pretty far for dispatching table/freezer fare. It's also comforting to be able to load up with some heavy bullets when walking through the brush and trees. No use giving too much advantage to the big brown rats. Currently, the .338WM is my go-to.

That it is. When taking game I make every attempt to stay within 300 m/yds.

The guide I mentioned that took the Ibex at 385 yds had worked up his loads, chronographed them, then had a custom BDC ring made for his Leupold scope. ($100 for their line that has that option.)

I have a Ruger 77 in 338. I've been very happy with it, but it's a light rifle and I need to get a muzzle break on it too.

Ishmael

 

[Weird Harold]

That it is. When taking game I make every attempt to stay within 300 m/yds.

Rule of thumb: Never shoot any game that is not on the same mountain as you.

(It may only be a 150-200 yd shot, but a mile or more down and back up to your game -- if you can find it.)

 

[Ishmael]

Rule of thumb: Never shoot any game that is not on the same mountain as you.

(It may only be a 150-200 yd shot, but a mile or more down and back up to your game -- if you can find it.)

Ummm, to a point. As an example (and I'm going to use round numbers here) if the measured range to the target is 500 yds and the shot is at a 45 deg. angle the ballistic range is ~350 yds. (cosin of the angle)

Ishmael

 

[thør]

That it is. When taking game I make every attempt to stay within 300 m/yds.

The guide I mentioned that took the Ibex at 385 yds had worked up his loads, chronographed them, then had a custom BDC ring made for his Leupold scope. ($100 for their line that has that option.)

I have a Ruger 77 in 338. I've been very happy with it, but it's a light rifle and I need to get a muzzle break on it too.

Ishmael

I shot a caribou at about 400 with stock Federal Premium ammo loaded with 210 Noslers launched by my cheapo Ruger 77. We were both on the same mountain side, but the draw between me and the game was too open, plus, they were antsy. Plus, I was on snowshoes, dragging a sled.

 

[thør]

Rule of thumb: Never shoot any game that is not on the same mountain as you.

(It may only be a 150-200 yd shot, but a mile or more down and back up to your game -- if you can find it.)

I always count how many days it might take to get the meat out. My hunting partner and I were sitting on the mountain side in Ship Creek valley when we spotted a huge moose on the other side of the creek at about our same elevation. A quick calculation told me that it would take us 4 days to pack that damn thing out to the car. We were hemming and hawing about it when the weather intervened and shrouded us in a white cloud. We thought to wait it out, as we couldn't see 6 feet in that soup. After about an hour, we got bored and decided to feel our way back to the car. I'm still thankful that the cloud came in.

 

[thør]

http://www.tundracomics.com/thisweekstundra/10-08-16.jpg

 

[Ishmael]

http://www.tundracomics.com/thisweekstundra/10-08-16.jpg

There's a trip back to the far side.

Ishmael

 

[Chelz789]

I still havent fired a gun, really want to

 

[Ishmael]

Back to the range.

OK, lot to talk about here.

First the target.

[URL=http://s1230.photobucket.com/user/Ishmael13/media/002_10.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee483/Ishmael13/002_10.jpg[/URL][/IMG]

The morning was overcast with no wind..........so no excuses.

First of all the muzzle brake is like magic. The recoil is more on the order of my 25-06, a reduction of over half of what it was before. Previously the rifle would make the bi-pod jump making a follow through all but impossible. Now the follow through is just great.

Re. the bi-pod. I'm still not happy with it even after the tuning. I'm going to have to go to a rail system to get what I want.

Specifics. Federal 180 gr Spire Points @ about 3000 fps. (Still no chronograph yet.) No wind, overcast so no mirage. 200 yds.

The first shot is the one way up high. When I sent the rifle out to the gunsmith I lubed the barrel pretty well. Further I had him re-crown the muzzle to a target style crown. (If you don't know what that is, go to a shop that sells Anschutz rifles and look.) Consequently I knew there were going to be some micro-burrs so I just pointed in the general direction of the target and pulled the trigger to clean the lube out and maybe some of the micro-burrs.

As a side note the scope had to be dismounted so the rifle would fit in the lathe. I locked down the left windage screw on the mount (Leupold two piece) before I gave him the rifle. I remounted the scope with no adjustment and was pleased that the original zero held.

The first group is the one on the left. The hold was 9 o'clock on the edge of the black. The shot to the extreme left is me and all me. I saw the sight drift to the left and I forced the shot anyway. The other shot to the left is anyone's guess. It felt good but there it is. The two strung out vertically are about right.

I then went to a center hold and the results are the 3 shots top center. I adjusted the scope down 1/2 MOA and took the next two shots just below the 3 shot group mentioned previously. From the ballistic tables that should put me dead on at 300 yds. That is the next test.

Bottom line is that it is now shooting just under 1 MOA so overall, so far, so good.

Ishmael

 

[Ishmael]

FWIW, this is a target crown.

http://www.ct-precision.com/images/1022_crown.jpg

Ishmael

 

[Ishmael]

As a side note the flood gates are about to open re. CMP available guns. By act of congress the military is gong to empty ALL of it's storage inventory (a few hundred thousand) of 1911-A1's into the program. Further about 70,000 M1's are going to be made available as well. So it may be worth going through the qualification to have access to the firearms. AND, this is going to have an effect on the open market prices of those firearms as well, prices that have been overly inflated for several years now.

Ishmael

 

[thør]

Ish,

Are you pursuing the F-class competitions?