Happy Easter! I had the day off today, being Good Friday, and boy was the wind blowing this morning! Had plenty of chores to do, and by late afternoon the wind seemed to let up. Listening to the NOAA weather radio, we're suppose to get 1-3 inches of snow tonight; I gather some of you have already gotten it. Figured I maybe ought to try and shoot a few today. Called the range..." if you can get here by 5:30, we'll be leaving, but you can stay 'till sundown if you want". Enough said.
I was the only shooter and may know why. The range is oriented shooting West.
I fired a Squib load to foul the barrel; around 30 grains with an overcard. Loaded a 300 Sabertooth and threw one at the 50. Low. Don't know what else to say. Swab and load another. 2, a bit higher. 3,4 by 1, then tossed 5 overtop. Hmm, not thrilled.
5 shots, 3.5", 50 yds., open sights, 300 Sabertooth, 90 Pryro Select, Cabela's Hawken 1:28
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Then, broke out the .40 200 XTP's and 40/50 sabots, moved to the upper left quadrant. Not bad.
5 shots, 1.375", 50 yds., open sights.
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Well, the cheeks getting use to being "punched by the fatman", so I move the baby sandbags to line up for the 100. Eew, the suns even worse now. Had polarized sunglasses on for the 50, but question the value. Pull the ball cap down lower; lose the glasses. First shot upper right; 'bout where I'd have extrapolated from looking at the 50 results. 2 similar, 3, this is looking good. Oops, in my excitement I send a sabot/bullet down into an empty bore. Super. Pull the xtp, can't get the scew into the sabot. pull the nipple, add some "fuel", close it up. Pooof! I aimed at some sand, saw sparks and the sand "splashed". Never saw or found the wad, but the range rod found "metal" when I probed, so I loaded #4. Yukk. Elle Stinko. #5 returned to order.
I didn't think of it 'till later; I didn't swab after I popped the sabot out with powder through the nipple. I shot a squibbed-fouled barrel. Maybe that's just an excuse for a lousy shot. Keeps us coming back for more I suppose.
5 shots, 100 yds., open sights, .40 200 xtp, 90 pyro select, Cabela's Hawken 1:28
5 shot group 6.625"
4 shot sub-group 2.1875"
It was, as usual, a blast!
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