I have an opportunity to hunt an open field this year. And the owner of the place claims there are deer all over the place. But he has said that other years and I sat for a long time, reading a book, or watching the grass wave in the wind. But I decided to check my rifle to make sure it would do the job.
The rifle would need to be longer range as in some places I could shoot out to 150 yards.
Rifle: Remington Genesis .50 caliber stainless steel 1-28 twist
Scope: Nikon Omega 3-9x40mm with tradition mounts
Powder: Tested Triple Seven 2f, Pyrodex RS, and Jim Shockey Gold 3f primers are Winchester W209
Distance: 50 yards (for now)
Projectiles: 350 grain Hornady FPB, Hornady "Low Drag" SST 250 grain, Barnes 250 grain MZ Expanders
Weather: 60's cloudy, slight breeze.
Swab Solution: Rusty Duck Black Off
I put up the target and got readings of 52, 50, and 51 yards so I called it 50 yards. I wanted to try two new bullets today. The 350 grain Hornady FPB's and the Hornady Low Drag SST 250 grain. I have shot the Barnes MZ Expanders before with very good results. I knew this rifle was sighted in for 100 yards and last time the Barnes hit about two inches over the bulls eye.
I started with the Barnes MZ Expander 250 grain bullets..
The Barnes hit right at two inches high. Also they did a real nice group other then that one that for some reason slipped out of the group. And you know who is to blame for that but we will not name names... Also I checked the measure and it was really 105 grains of Pyrodex RS but I never knew that until after I marked it. The one Barnes next to the bull was me.. making sure I could do it.
I then switched to the 250 grain Hornady Low Drag projectiles. I shot them also with 105 grains of Pyrodex RS. Something I immediately noted was they were really easy to load. I was a little worried that they might be too easy to load actually. The next time out I am going to change out the red sabots that come with them for some black short harvesters and see if that does not tighten the group. That shot that has the X through it is not part of the SST group. That was from another test I conducted that really opened my eyes up.
Now I wanted to test the Hornady FPBs in 350 grain. From reading the other people that shoot them, some of you like Triple Seven, so I decided to start with that. I used the rusty duck and swabbed the barrel clean, and I mean clean. Then I dried it and loaded 100 grains of Triple Seven powder and one of the FPB's.
Shot #1 was on a clean barrel. And I was shocked when I looked through the scope and saw what I thought I saw.
Observations: Reading the instructions that come with them, it said not to swab the bore between shots. Now this caused me some concern right away with the Triple Seven powder. But like all things, I play by the manufacturer's recommendations and see what happens. Also getting these FPB's into the crown of the rifle was a real chore. I had to smack the short starter like you'd do a roundball and patch. Once they were in the bore I could feel them pushing the fouling down the bore. Also there was a lot of smoke when I fired the Triple Seven. More so then I normally remember. I was real uncomfortable not swabbing. So much so that after #5 shot... I refused to load the rifle again, without swabbing the bore.
If that first shot is not a key hole, then I am not seeing that right. Has anyone had any similar results with an FPB? It kind of surprised me.
But the rifle with that load did shoot well even with no swabbing.
I then swabbed the bore of the rifle clean!!
I then loaded 100 grains of Pyrodex RS and shot at the upper left corner target. I did not swab between shots. And the group was nothing special but no bad. So I then decided to shoot 150 grains of loose Pyrodex RS powder and the FPB's
That was an experience.
I then swabbed the rifle clean again.. this time I wanted to try some JSG 3f because Frontier Gander seems to have such good luck with this powder. I dumped 100 grains of the 3f and compressed the charge real good and hard with the projectile.
If you look back at the first pic, I was aiming at the top left bull. When the first shot hit, I was a little shocked. I could not understand how the rest of them were hitting pretty much dead on and this powder dumped the shot. So then shot two was taken. When I walked up to the target and found that hit.. I knew that this powder was good for my black powder revolver, but not for this rifle and shooting the FPB. Why that powder shot so bad, I could not understand.
I then took the target down, and loaded some 250 grain XTP and set firewood up at 100 yards and was shooting that down with no problems at all. So I think I will hunt with the Barnes MZ if I do hunt the field. It is sighted in at 100 yards, so at 150 I still have to figure the drop, or just hope it walks closer...
Genesis and assorted projectiles
