All in the Rock Pit...

It has been a long summer so far - been working most every day, but today I really needed a distraction. Terry was headed to a big volunteer social event all day (serving free ice cream for the Moscow Historical Society) - I decided I needed to shoot - even though it was hot and dry.

InRecordBookBuck's Omega z5 was standing in the corner (still waiting for his stock to back from the camo operation) so I grabbed it and the gear and headed to the Rock Pit - really hard to start a fire in the Rock Pit.

Couple things I wanted to check anyway with this gun. I had installed a new Swift Reliant Scope on the gun for testing purposes and I wanted to make another run with it. The glass is really clear and I really like it. The Ballistic Recticule is really simple and easy to see through. I do not know this but I really think it is built just like a Swift Premier but does not have a 'life time' warranty so they can afford to sale it for less money. Using it again this morning proved to be great - it guided the bullets right where I was looking... I am impressed.

The Omega z5 that IRB sent out also worked as designed. I just gotta say the Omega really is a good rifle whether it be a z5 or a regular SS model. They just function well - not to mention they shoot great and are easy to handle.

Lastly... the last time I shot ths gun I did not shoot any Lehigh/Bloodlines from it and a few wondered how it might do with them. I was able to load the full variety of bullets down the barrel without a problem. The gun did have a very tight bore before the JB treatment that I put it through.

It was 65* when I got tot the rock pit @ 8:30 and when I left @ 10:30ish it was in the low 80's - hot - hot - hot - I hate hot!

Anyway @ the pit everything went well - set up 6 birds to peck away at. Decided to start with the .452-250 grain Lehigh/Bloodline, so I shot 3 of those then I got brave and went to the 40-200 grain in a Blue MMP sabot - probably the thickest 40 cal sabot on the market. I was prepared for a very difficult push down the tube - but it went right down smoothly and snug.

After dispatching the 6 birds with 6 shots, I then began the hunt and peck routine shooting peices of the broken birds that I could see through the scope... which again seeing through that scope even in the bright sunlight is an easy thing to do.

After hunting and pecking for another 6 shots - thought I really should try some 458-300 grain Lehigh/Bloodlines. Walked 3 new birds out to the rock wall and loaded up... Of the 3 three different bullets shot this morning the .458 in the Orange sabot was the most diffiucult to get through the crown. Once through the crown they went down fine. The knurlings on the bullet do make the bullet just slightly larger than .458 but as soon as you compress them into the sabot as it passes through the crown -every thing goes well.

Here are some pictures from this mornings adventure...

I think those swift scopes are pretty good for the money. In your opinion are they better then the low end Bushnells and tasco's?

Easily better than the low end of the TASCO line.

Mechanically - i do not know about the comparison with low end Bushnell - but glass wise I would rate the Swift better... I really like the view through it...

I really like my Swift Premier wide angle. 60ft FOV at 100 yards on 2x and great glass for the money. Eye relief is a tad close though.

USA Made, BaK7 Schott Glass

Scott I really think this is a the same thing as a Swift Premier, but they have taken the life time warranty away and replaced it with a 3 year warranty.

By doing that some actuary someplace computed they could reduce the price to ???

The glass is outstanding!

Sabotlaoder, i bet you are correct. Just like some of the Redfields are cheaper than the Leupolds but nearly identical on some models. Did the Reliant come with a Sunshade like the Premiers? They used to but im not sure about now. I got mine 2nd hand in like new condition but didnt get the shade and want to try it.

I shot my best 200 yard group with that Swift 2x7x40 in my Elite. The Redfield 2x7 even though i like it too, does not have the same clarity at that range.

Thanks for a great report.....I am so happy that you have made progress with this ML, I really like it and did not want to get rid of it. Them lehigh's shooting that well, I might have to spend the extra money and buy them for a hunting round.....Just haven't been sure how I feel about a bullet that is supposed to fragment or seperate, whatever you want to call it.......Especially when I know the SST will knock'em down and stack'em up.

I really can't wait to see the camo job and am so glad you mentioned it to me.....i would have never sent it out, otherwise. and man that scope really looks like a decent scope......What is the eye relief, on it??

Sabot it sounds like you had a lot of fun checking out your bullets, scope and rifle. And I really don't want to come off as being picky but I am wondering how all these bullets would shoot on paper. You really can't get an accurate reading as to which shoot better by smashing clays. But I will give you credit, it seems every one of them will cleanly dispatch a deer out there at 100 yds. as they are all hitting in a 3 1/2" circle (clay diameter). And, that is a fne looking rifle you have there. And sounds like a real shooter.

I really do not spend much time shooting paper anymore but believe me these Lehigh/Bloodlines shoot well. Once I have got the rifle sighted in shooting paper has really lost its fascination. I am more interested in shooting a viable target as in a hunting situation. The least expensive thing I can shoot and get the 'hit' sensation are clay birds placed in different places with different angles.

Paper testing of these bullets was done along time ago by myself and others, shooting breakable targets is much more fun and can create a different challenge depending on how and where you place the birds. One forum member on another forum asked about the same question. I know that this was a light hearted answer but this is really what I was kinda thinking as I was shooting these birds.

It really is fun... but... see when I look through the scope I do not see a clay pigeon - I see the red heart spot on one of the nicest big bull elk you can imagine. Today I got 9 clean shots on those big bulls in the end of the rock pit + some pick up shots on some small deer laying in the rock rubble under the wall... It was an exciting day...

Even had some guys on four-wheelers stop by and watch but they didn't know I was shooting elk and deer...

This target might give you an example of how these Lehigh/Bloodlines shoot paper. But it was not from this rifle...



And this one from my elk gun...



You can see the Lehigh/Bloodlines can shoot very well, now think what a better shooter than I could with them, especially if you had the right equipment and were really wanting to shoot paper for money.

I have always liked the Omega run of guns... they are simple and accurate. Really good hunting rifles...

Sabot - yes that is mighty impressive. And I know what you mean about shooting breakable targets. I purchased a pack of water balloons at the Dollar Store recently and I am going to fill a bunch of them up and put them in a 5 gal bucket. Then hang them on the tree branches at my shooting area at different ranges. That ought to be a blast (pun intended) watching them explode when hit.