The Last Deerhunter
04-11-2013, 02:03 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Anne Arrundle County, Maryland
Posts: 1,672
The Last Deerhunter
I've had this one for a while now and just got around to taking it to the range today. It's a .50 caliber Traditions Deerhunter percusion sidelock.
It is The Last Deerhunter model rifle that I need to sight in. Before I sighted in the scope I wanted to do a little setting of the regular sights so I started at 25 yards and shot this using 80 grains of fff Goex under a 180 grain .44 caliber Sierra Hollow Point in a green MMP sabot. I don't know what happened to shot #3 but the others are from me adjusting the sights after every shot.
I decided with open sights I would try shooting closer and hoped it would speed up the sight in process, so I moved the target in to 10 yards. I took shots 1 and 2 and moved the target out to 50 yards and took the other 3 shots adjusting the sights as I went. After the 3rd shot at 50 yards I figured that was good enough.
So I moved the target back in to 25 yards and put the scope on.
The scope was adjusted after every shot.
That seemed good enough to hit paper at 100 yards so I moved the target to the 100 yard distance and shot this with scope adjustments between shots 1, 2, and 3. I also switched to a 180 grain XTP in the green MMP sabot.
Shot 3 and 4 looked good so I switched to a 240 grain XTP In the same green MMP sabot and shot this one. With the heavier bullet I had to take a few shots and adjust the scope up to bring it into the bulls eye.
That was sweet. I was hoping I could continue to keep it shooting like that so I set up another target at 100 yards and shot this.
I don't know what happened on shot #2 but Shots 1 and 3 looked good so I tried a fourth shot without cleaning the bore. A bad idea I guess.
That was looking good for deer hunting but needs improvement to win a shooting contest. I was getting tired and wanted to quit but I wanted to try another bullet I had so I shot one more target using 80 grains fff Goex and a Traditions APB 200, 275 grain bullet in the supplied sabot at 100 yards. This bullet sabot combo seemed a little loose going down the bore which might explain the poor performance.
Oh well, A bad day at the range is better ten a good day at work anyday.
It is The Last Deerhunter model rifle that I need to sight in. Before I sighted in the scope I wanted to do a little setting of the regular sights so I started at 25 yards and shot this using 80 grains of fff Goex under a 180 grain .44 caliber Sierra Hollow Point in a green MMP sabot. I don't know what happened to shot #3 but the others are from me adjusting the sights after every shot.
I decided with open sights I would try shooting closer and hoped it would speed up the sight in process, so I moved the target in to 10 yards. I took shots 1 and 2 and moved the target out to 50 yards and took the other 3 shots adjusting the sights as I went. After the 3rd shot at 50 yards I figured that was good enough.
So I moved the target back in to 25 yards and put the scope on.
The scope was adjusted after every shot.
That seemed good enough to hit paper at 100 yards so I moved the target to the 100 yard distance and shot this with scope adjustments between shots 1, 2, and 3. I also switched to a 180 grain XTP in the green MMP sabot.
Shot 3 and 4 looked good so I switched to a 240 grain XTP In the same green MMP sabot and shot this one. With the heavier bullet I had to take a few shots and adjust the scope up to bring it into the bulls eye.
That was sweet. I was hoping I could continue to keep it shooting like that so I set up another target at 100 yards and shot this.
I don't know what happened on shot #2 but Shots 1 and 3 looked good so I tried a fourth shot without cleaning the bore. A bad idea I guess.
That was looking good for deer hunting but needs improvement to win a shooting contest. I was getting tired and wanted to quit but I wanted to try another bullet I had so I shot one more target using 80 grains fff Goex and a Traditions APB 200, 275 grain bullet in the supplied sabot at 100 yards. This bullet sabot combo seemed a little loose going down the bore which might explain the poor performance.
Oh well, A bad day at the range is better ten a good day at work anyday.
Last edited by pluckit; 04-14-2013 at 04:25 AM.
04-11-2013, 03:26 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Anne Arrundle County, Maryland
Posts: 1,672
I'm kind of stubborn about loads. I like to keep them the same for all my rifles to try to avoid any confusion. I know it's stupid but if I can get acceptable hunting accuracy out to 100 yards I can grab any rifle that shoots Goex and pour 80 grains of fff Goex down the bore with a the correct size bullet and sabot on top of it and go. I try to do the same with my rifles that I shoot with Blackhorn 209. They are all .50 caliber rifles so the bullet/sabot selection is narrowed down to just one.
04-11-2013, 05:42 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
I'm kind of stubborn about loads. I like to keep them the same for all my rifles to try to avoid any confusion. I know it's stupid but if I can get acceptable hunting accuracy out to 100 yards I can grab any rifle that shoots Goex and pour 80 grains of fff Goex down the bore with a the correct size bullet and sabot on top of it and go. I try to do the same with my rifles that I shoot with Blackhorn 209. They are all .50 caliber rifles so the bullet/sabot selection is narrowed down to just one.
Thinking about it, just about all of my hunting loads - PRBs and sabots - .45 to .58 caliber - are either 85 or 95 grains of GOEX FFFg. I could probably go with either one for all guns and live happily ever after.
Last edited by Semisane; 04-11-2013 at 05:45 PM.
