Here we go again!

For today's range session I took the Simmons 4X ProDiamond shotgun scope off of the Renegade and mounted a 3x10 Cabala's Powder Horn with the Bullet Drop Compensator reticule.

Started out loading her up with 95 grains GOEX FFg and the 465 grain .451 lead flat nose over an unlubed felt wad.



Got the scope pretty well adjusted with two shots at 25 yards and two more at 50 yards.

Then, sticking with the same load, I set a target at 100 yards and took four shots.

Here's that target.


The shot that's low and to the right of the bull was Shot #1. I had made an adjustment to the scope right before shooting this target, and wonder if recoil from the first shot after the adjustment settled the cross hairs, moving the next three shots up and left.

Anyway, after eight shots with the 95 grain load I was starting to feel the recoil a bit. So I wimped out and reduced the load to 85 grains for the rest of the session.

After adjusting the scope a bit to the right I shot five 85 grain loads at a fresh 100 yard target.

Here's that one.



Once again, the first shot after the scope adjustment was out of group. But WHOOEEE, those other four shots made me laugh out loud.

Couldn't help but make another scope adjustment to bring the group up and left and see if I can get it on the bull.

Took five more shots after that adjustment and got this.



Well DANG! I sure don't want to sneer at a 1-5/8" 100 yard group. But why are three shots in one place and two in another? I wonder if I'm changing my position behind the scope?

The reason for mounting the Powder Horn scope was to play with higher magnification and the BDC feature at longer ranges. So I set a target at 125 yards and took five shots using the first BDC index line below the cross hairs.

Here's that target.



Now that's got to be one of the strangest targets I've ever shot. YOU TELL ME WHY THEY STACKED LIKE THAT!

Time for one last target - five shots at 150 yards using the second BDC index line.



Not so hot, huh? Even though four of the five shots were within three-and-a-half inches, I was hoping for a little better. (Yeah, I know - still a dead deer on a broadside chest shot.)

But you can see from the way some of the holes on that target are cut, the bullet appears to be starting to yaw. Next time out I guess I'm going to have to try the hard kicking 95 grain charge to see if it remains stable out at 150 yards and beyond. Oh, how I suffer in pursuit of knowledge.

A FINAL THOUGHT: After another session or two with the Powder Horn scope, it's coming off and the ProDiamond is going back on. It's quicker to get on target, fits and looks better on the Renegade, is all I need for hunting, and I'll still be good for 150 yard shots on deer.