HuntingNet.com Forums - Model 97 White 22" barrel w/Bushnell 3200 scope

It seems to have been a long winter. And I have been itching to shoot more but have too many irons in the fire right now. I was going to shoot yesterday but an ice dam backed up on the roof so I spent that afternoon shoveling the roof. I was determined to get out there and shoot today. I wanted to try the new Bull Shop Conical Bullets in my White Model 97.

Rifle: White Model 97 with the 22 inch stainless barrel
Caliber .451
Scope: Bushnell Elite 3200 2-7x32mm

Projectile: Bull Shop Conicals 488 grain all lead
Powder: Triple Seven 2f
Weather: 38 degrees, windy gusty at times, overcast
Distance: 50 yards

Originally I was going to shoot at 75 yards but that snow is well over knee deep in places and my bad knee decided that 50 yards was a better distance and that the spotting scope could be used today.

The rifle is sighted in at 50 yards with 80 grains of Triple Seven 2f and a 460 grain Bull Shop conical bullet. So I really did not expect too much of a elevation difference in the POI between the two. Well I got a little surprise.

I started out shooting 70 grains because the conical bullet was heavier. Then I went to 60 grains and finally 80 grains. The results were surprising.

The 70 grain group was hitting what I figured almost an inch and maybe a half low. I shot nine rounds into that large hole and then to see if it was me, the rifle, or what I adjusted and aimed for the upper ring and shot #10. It was about as perfect a bull as I could ask for. So I thought... what about 60 grains.

You can see the X and that was the point of aim. Now that five shot group is almost two inches low. Again.. could 28 grains make that much difference? Perhaps the scope was loose. Nope I checked the rings.

So I loaded up 80 grains. The first three were beautiful. Right on the X and then for some reason the last two sunk on me. But over all I was pleased with that group.

At no time did I swab the bore of this rifle for all 20 shots. I then walked out to the target and considered trudging back to 75 yards with it, but decided to call it a day, break out the snow shoes next time, and just enjoy the fact I got to shoot today instead of work.

That 488 shows a lot of promise and that caliber and rifle is a heck of a squirrel rifle.

This really shows the groups. Like I said, I have been busy around the house. I remodeled the kitchen and bathroom and then put in laminate floors in a couple rooms. Those left over chunks of laminate floor make a good back stop.