Windy again today, but from behind, over the right shoulder. Overcast and misting. Only one other shooter at the range sighting in a center fire for a Fall trip to Alaska for a Kodiak Brown. He commented when he saw the old Hawken "you don't see many guys shooting those anymore. Shooting the modern muzzle loaders is like shooting a single shot center fire. I have an Omega with a ?x-12x scope on it." I said "This isn't exactly what it looks like. She carries a fast twist Green Mountain barrel". "Nice barrels" he says.
This was last weeks 50 yard target in the strong left to right wind. Note the Noslers. All Pyrodex.
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Today, I started at 50 yds. loading 90 T7 and a 250 Nosler JHP in the clean barrel. It is the upper left hole.Then I went to 90 Pyrodex RS, no swabbing to simulate field conditions. #2 was the nearest to the T7 in the dot. Then went to normal routing damp/damp/dry/dry for the rest of my range time.
50 yds., open sights
90 T7, 90 RS
With clean bore shot 2 5/16"
Without 1 3/4"
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Then went to the 100 yd target. This was last week in the crosswind, Noslers circled.
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This week, I recycled a used 200 yd target for this with a 2" red center dot. The dot was tough to see but my first shot found it (far right in dot). Imagine my horror when I looked through the spotting scope and saw #2 low left 5 inches away. I muttered something and the other shooter said "what's wrong"? I said "I can't understand how my shot could have been so low left when everything felt just right. This barrel rarely does that with this load combination." He said "Maybe it was the shooter
" (good point) I said "I guess we'll find out". You can see where the next 3 shots went.
100 yds. open sights
90 RS, 250 Nosler JHP
5 shots 4 7/8"
4 shots 1 3/4"
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He looked through his scope at my target when I finished. He said "I'm impressed. My gun can't shoot any better than that with the scope on 12X". I have to confess that was really nice to hear!
Thank you Green Mountain!
Range work
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