I' m not against going to a lighter bullet, however the 165' s have historically been the most accurate in the rifle.
The reason muzzle blast comes into play is due to the design of our local shooting range. The benches are boxed in with plywood on the sides and a roof up above. Forward of the bench, they have a crude attempt at baffles to help dissipate the blast, but it only seems to help reflect it back in reality. Typically when I' m shooting my standard 06 loads, I feel the pressure (shock) wave in my face and upper body (I' m not talking recoil).... and anticipating this phenomena has made me flinch a time or two prior to the shot. The first time I shot the 06 at that range with my girlfriend in attendance, the side blast caused her to think I blew the gun apart [
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