Out on the range???
 

I had to be nuts I told myself, but I could not look at that rifle sitting there and not being shot. So I bundled up and went to the range anyway. It was cold out there. In my hurry I grabbed the wrong spray bottle for swabbing. I grabbed some window cleaner instead of my 50/50 mix. Now how cold was it?? In fact it was so cold, the bottle of window spray after fifteen minutes, the sprayer froze shut and could not work.So I hauled that back to the house and brought out a bottle of straight isopropyl alcohol. I figured that would not freeze. Even though my fingers and toes were trying to.

I took out some .452 300 grain XTP's and some 300 grain Shockwaves. I also took out three different kinds of sabots. Some harvester short petal and some long petal, and then some crushed rib in case it loaded hard. Shot #1 in the A group was on a clean barrel. I was a little surprised as I was holding on the blue X and figured it would have hit the plate. So I swabbed and shot the other three, swabbing between shots. (this is where the window sprayer froze).

I then swabbed extra good and shot group B. I was surprised that they shot a little higher with the Pyrodex P. I did not really expect them to do that, to be real honest...

I swabbed again and this time loaded 120 grains of Pyrodex P and a shockwave and shot the first shot. It too was somewhat with the group B. So to test my theory, I aimed the second time for the top of the white paper plate and shot the second shot.

I thought about taking my gloves off and adjusting the sights, but my nose was running like a cheapWal Mart faucet, my fingers were a little cold, and my big toe was just plain numb. I decided I had enough for the day. I was only out about an hour or maybe a little longer. Maybe when it warms up I can play some more. It was -23 below last night and is supposed to get colder tonight. So we will see what tomorrow brings.

RE: Out on the range???
 

good shooting there. bet you can't wait until it gets warmer to get in a range session that does not require setting in front of the fire for half hour (not a problem in my mind)

ever thought about an heated shooting shed ;)

RE: Out on the range???
 

Dang Cayugad! When you want to shoot, you shoot. That's all I can say -DANG!

RE: Out on the range???
 

When I extend my garage maybe this spring, I am going to make a heated shooting station on the back end of it. Also a place to clean my rifles in the wood working shop so I do not have to bring them into the house for that. I want to bring the two buildings together to form an L shape building and then I will have more room in my wood working shop for more tools that I never use. You all know what I mean.

RE: Out on the range???
 

NOW yer talkin!! :D

RE: Out on the range???
 

Nice shooting. I never could have done that with open sights and shaking from the cold, but then again I'm a southern boy. We hope its under 65 or so in november so the deer will move a little bit.

RE: Out on the range???
 

Hey Dave, so what do ya think of the gun. were ya happy withit and do ya think it will be a shooter? Was -31 over last night. Man I hope it isnt colder tonite. Kerry

RE: Out on the range???
 

:DI like that cheap wal mart faucet remark but I have worse luck with the [:@]Delta stuff.
Any way ya proved it can shot thru the hoar frost for sure.

:)

RE: Out on the range???
 

They are talking -25 tonight so we will see. This weather has to break pretty soon I hope.


I think this rifle is going to be a good one. I was not real impressed with the groups today, but for the first time out and playing with one kind of bullet basically. I did not expect much. AZlthough I was surprised the group opened as much as it did. I was more concerned with ignition, and ease of loading, etc. The red primer discs loaded perfect, even with gloves on I could load and unload it with no tool. That will be a big plus when muzzleloader hunting in December around here.

I think once I find the right powder charge and bullet this rifle will be a good one. I also think this rifle likes a powerful powder charge. But there is little to no recoil with this rifle. Even with 120 grains of Pyrodex P which I would consider a magnum load, I can not say it was uncomfortable to shoot at all.

Time will tell. I have a lot of things to try and am really looking forward to seeing what others find accurate in their rifles...

RE: Out on the range???
 

That's what it's really all about. I find load development and experimentationinteresting and fun.Of course, with the number of guns you have you need a data base to keep track of loads.

RE: Out on the range???
 

Lots of notebooks...

RE: Out on the range???
 

A fellow named Ozark, has an enclosed shooting hut, with a coffee pot and plenty of room for two guys to shoot out the Window. I will try to find it and that may give you some ideas for your expansion.
Chap

RE: Out on the range???
 

I'm not brave enough to walk 1/2 mile to set in the snow at the bench right now.
Took my son fishing after school yeasterday, and today the roads are asnow/sleet/ice covered mess. It's been right at 70°F hear earlier in the week, and now a winter storm warning with a predicted low of 12°F for tomorrow night. By the middle of next week it may be warm again. :D

RE: Out on the range???
 

cayugad

Dave, do not know if this applies with your gun but while playing with mine, assemble and disasemble i did notice the barrel and the action getting somewhat caught in the stock. In fact the reciever portion had a single linerub mark along both sides. The barrel seemed to to hanging a bit on the edge of the stock also. From the end of the flutes out to the end of the stock it was floating.... Anyway when I felt the upper edge of the stock (on both sides) there was a very sharp lip (edge)on the stock.This edge did not allow the receiver to sit properly onto the receiver support rails in the stock.As I put the barreld action in and out of the stock I could feel it catch on those edges. When I put the action in and tightened the single screw I could see the action pull down into the stock, but at the same time it did not rest right + you could lift the barrel and pull the stock under the barrel and it did not always go back done where it should. Because of the gun only having one recoil lug, and the rear tang of the receiver does not rest on the stock lip... I am hesitant to float the whole barrel and I definitely want the reciever tight in the stock. Because of these two thoughts my first modification the gun was to sand the sharp edges of the synthetic stock away. What i beleive i accomplished was now the action sits in the stock on the support portion of the stock as well as the barrel. It does not get caught any longer and the rub marks do no appear on the sides of the barreled action.

Still have not shot it yet, hopefully early next week, but i really think this will steady POI. In addition I have a couple of other thoughts, easy fixes,that may provide a even more secure seat for the receiver.

Just sharing some thoughts...

RE: Out on the range???
 

I checked mine and it sits nice and deep into the stock. There was one small black spot on the locking lug end of the barrel. So I cleaned that up last night and it sat flat today. But that is something I will have to watch. I might chalk the barrel and see what gets marked... thanks for the heads up.

RE: Out on the range???
 

I took the rifle out again today to try some other things. I also decided to try the bullets that came with the rifle. I started on on a clean barrel shooting 110 grains of Triple Se7en 2f and some 200 grain Shockwaves. Again, all the hits are about 3-4 inches below the POA which seems strange for a rifle that has the rear sight set half way up the ramp. Next time out, I am going to raise the sight and see how much it changes. The shockwaves did pretty good, but not as good as I want them to be with open sights. I was swabbing between shots. There was no development of a crud ring at all using the red primer jackets and Winchester W209 primers.

After swabbing I decreased the powder charge to 80 grains of 2f and shot a shockwave. It his almost six inches under the POA. Again, no reason it should do that. So to check it, I aimed for the top of the cardboard and it hit about five inches low, under the POA. So I broke out the all lead sabots that came with the rifle. I swabbed between shots. They too were hitting far below the POA but did group well with only the 80 grain load. I thought I had shot five but find six holes from them so there must have been six sabot/bullets as I shot them all off and accounted for every shot after shooting. :eek::eek: Something is different with this rifle but we will get it figured out.

RE: Out on the range???
 

cayugad

Dave, you did not say but assuming this is a 50 yard target.... Just for the heck of it I did put the laser bore sighter in mine and sighted on the old coocoo clock some 15 yards away as I center on the dot of the clock hands the red laser dot was on hitting just above the 12 on the clock. My sight is "like you said" about half way up the ramp. Usually that should indicate that I would be pretty darn close with POA/POIat 50 yards. Still have not be able to get out and shoot mine yet... Hopefully - mid week...

RE: Out on the range???
 

yes all my shooting other then free hand is at 50 yards.. [&o] my bench is kind of stuck there.. I am going 3/4 up the ramp next time out and take some Nosler Partition 260 grain I believe they are.. What sabot would you think I should try in that barrel. I also tried to load a Bull Shop .503 and there was no way I was going to get that into the barrel easy....

RE: Out on the range???
 

Well I am glad I moved to AR, I was out shooting my pistols friday and thought it was pretty chilly because it never got past 53 degrees. Walleyes are moving in Greers Fairy Lake so I wont be doing a whole lot of shooting for a while. Lee

RE: Out on the range???
 

cayugad

Probably the short black regular Harvester... that will be my first try with the shorter bullets, them HPH-24 with the 300 grain bullets.

Shoot - just read your last sentence - the .503 did not want to go - I do not like that... OK I am going to take my breech plug out right now and try some different loads, but if the 503 would not go - then you are looking at a "crush rib" or 3p...

Give me five minutes.... and I get back...

RE: Out on the range???
 

cayugad

OK... I removed the BP and shoved some bullets down...

First to go down was a Bull Shop .503/460... I did start it with thumb pressure, but it was more difficult than loading my GM-LRH barrel and the 50 cal Renegade barrels. But it did start inand once the whole bullet was clear of the muzzle it dropped to the breech really easily. Next I dropped a .503 No Excuse in from the breech. Once it was started into the riflelings - It dropped all the way to the muzzle and just took the weight of the range rod to push it out the muzzle. Onboth bullets the lands createdengraving butthere were no marks indicating that I had hit the bottom of the grooves...

From each of these two loading I think if I were shooting conicals it, I would have to go to .504's and again the GM-LRH uses .503...

Next I put a .452/250 grainSpeer GoldDot in a Harvester short black and loaded it. It was a little tighter than I thought it mightbe but nothing I would change sabots for. Next, same bullet in a HPH-24 sabot... tight start, but still able to start it with thumb pressure and it pushed down justwith about the same pressure as the Harvester.

I am sure the 3p would reduce loading pressure a little and still be a very able sabot, but I am not sure that you if you moved to the "crush rib" that you mightleak gas with it.

OK as long as I have it open I am now going to trya .504 Bull Shop...
Needed to use a short starter to get it started in but once in it went down the pipe very easily. Looking at it I might have just barely reached the depth grooves the grooves but could not be sure of that.

It really seems to me that the muzzle even just the crown is the tightest part of the barrel - after that everything is very uniform. A visual inspection of the crown - it looks good....

mike

RE: Out on the range???
 

Out there I tried to load a .503 and using my thumb could not get it onto the muzzle. I was thinking.. should I take a ball starter and drive it in or just forget it. Since I was out there to shoot sabots, I decided I would stick with what I was doing. I have some of the MMP HPH-24 and some crushed rib. I will give each of them a try. I also have some of the standard Nosler sabots which might work real good...

RE: Out on the range???
 

If the Nosler sabot you have does not have the stair stepcup that the MMP's have, you have actually got a Harvester short black... or if the Nosler has a smooth cup and is shorter than the HPH-24.. you have a Harvester...

Prolly makes no difference to you, but I could not get the Pink tape to work right had to go to White tape to get the right wrap on the breech plug....