X7 -- Cold
12-08-2013, 10:39 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
X7 -- Cold
Well it has been quite cold around here lately. Hunting has been not as fun as it could be, but not too bad. My rifle was loaded about a week ago, and the muzzle taped. Today, it seemed watching the NFC West game would be worth staying home from hunting, so i figured it would be good to shoot my hunting rifle in the cold this morning, before the game.
It was 2 degrees, which seemed kinda warm compared to the negative temperatures we hunted in. The load was 90g Blackhorn, 270g Deep Curl, green crush rib sabot, W209 primer. The first 5 shots were at the top target, and were made from about 100 yard. The first shot disappointed me, and i wondered if the tape over the muzzle made it fly so high and wide. After the second and third shots were the same, i realized that is where my rifle was aimed. The scope was adjusted, and shot 4 and 5 taken.
After seeing shots 4 & 5, the elevation dial was re-zeroed. A move was made out to 200 yard, and the elevation dial turned up 7 moa. Shot 6 was taken, and i realized i should have only turned the dial up 6 moa. However, it is hard to be sure about the 200 yard target, because the reticle completely hides the paper. Then the move was made back to 100 yard for shots 7, 8, and 9, which were taken after turning the elevation dial back to zero. After shot 7, the rifle was laid on the ground for 15 minutes, before taking shot 8. Didn't seem to have much affect. It doesn't seem the cold really changed much, but of course more shooting is needed.
It almost seemed i should adjust the scope back up after shots 7,8, and 9. However i believe that is what i did the last time i went shooting, prior to hunting season. The windage dial was adjusted right. My guess is the rifle hits higher when shooting from a cold clean barrel. Hopefully my guess is correct, if we don't get a chance to shoot again, before rifle and i go hunting.
It was 2 degrees, which seemed kinda warm compared to the negative temperatures we hunted in. The load was 90g Blackhorn, 270g Deep Curl, green crush rib sabot, W209 primer. The first 5 shots were at the top target, and were made from about 100 yard. The first shot disappointed me, and i wondered if the tape over the muzzle made it fly so high and wide. After the second and third shots were the same, i realized that is where my rifle was aimed. The scope was adjusted, and shot 4 and 5 taken.
After seeing shots 4 & 5, the elevation dial was re-zeroed. A move was made out to 200 yard, and the elevation dial turned up 7 moa. Shot 6 was taken, and i realized i should have only turned the dial up 6 moa. However, it is hard to be sure about the 200 yard target, because the reticle completely hides the paper. Then the move was made back to 100 yard for shots 7, 8, and 9, which were taken after turning the elevation dial back to zero. After shot 7, the rifle was laid on the ground for 15 minutes, before taking shot 8. Didn't seem to have much affect. It doesn't seem the cold really changed much, but of course more shooting is needed.
It almost seemed i should adjust the scope back up after shots 7,8, and 9. However i believe that is what i did the last time i went shooting, prior to hunting season. The windage dial was adjusted right. My guess is the rifle hits higher when shooting from a cold clean barrel. Hopefully my guess is correct, if we don't get a chance to shoot again, before rifle and i go hunting.
12-08-2013, 08:38 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Nice shooting Ron. But anyone who goes out in two-degree weather just for a little "shooting fun" is nuttier than a Snickers bar. I hunted this morning in thirty-six degree misty fog and thought I was crazy.
12-08-2013, 09:58 PM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Memphis
Posts: 12
Last edited by GailCrawford; 10-01-2018 at 01:25 AM.
12-13-2013, 10:54 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
35 degrees
Today, we took time off from hunting so to get the alternator replaced on the hunting truck. Went up to see where the bullets would hit today at warmer temperatures. The gun has been loaded not so very long with the same load as before. First two shots were at 100 yard. The first shot was through tape on the muzzle.
Then a move was made out to 200 yard. After the elevation dial was turned up 8 moa, two more shots were taken. Then a move back to 100 yard was made; the dial turned back to zero, and the final shot made.
Then a move was made out to 200 yard. After the elevation dial was turned up 8 moa, two more shots were taken. Then a move back to 100 yard was made; the dial turned back to zero, and the final shot made.
12-13-2013, 11:23 AM
#6
Spike
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 83
ronlaughlin,
Your load, .44/270 Deep Curl, Harvester .44/50 Green Crush Rib, and BH209 is one of my accuracy favorites. Mine uses 82.5 gr. volume of BH.
How is your terminal performance on game?
I've found this to be a tough bullet, a real penetrator, on deer. For rib to rib shots, it seems that it may not expand. One deer, downhill and quartering away, was hit above center near the back of the ribs, with an exit low and just touching the opposite shoulder. Deer went 200 yards and needed to be dispatched an hour later. Bullet appeared to pencil in and out. Since that, I've waited for quartering angles and tried to hit bone. One buck this year entered at the last rib and exited through the ball of the opposite shoulder, breaking off the end of the blade and the top of the leg bone, then passing through leaving about a 1/2" hole. Shots have ranged from 105 to 125yards. I estimate a 100 yard velocity of about 1385 fps.
A post on a .444 Marlin forum said, "Speer told me that there could be noticeable box to box differences in expansion based on manufacture date." The .444 guys seem to be pushing it over 2100 fps and use it for elk. Then there are .44 mag hand gun guys using it at velocities below our muzzleloaders. All seem to praise accuracy.
Your load, .44/270 Deep Curl, Harvester .44/50 Green Crush Rib, and BH209 is one of my accuracy favorites. Mine uses 82.5 gr. volume of BH.
How is your terminal performance on game?
I've found this to be a tough bullet, a real penetrator, on deer. For rib to rib shots, it seems that it may not expand. One deer, downhill and quartering away, was hit above center near the back of the ribs, with an exit low and just touching the opposite shoulder. Deer went 200 yards and needed to be dispatched an hour later. Bullet appeared to pencil in and out. Since that, I've waited for quartering angles and tried to hit bone. One buck this year entered at the last rib and exited through the ball of the opposite shoulder, breaking off the end of the blade and the top of the leg bone, then passing through leaving about a 1/2" hole. Shots have ranged from 105 to 125yards. I estimate a 100 yard velocity of about 1385 fps.
A post on a .444 Marlin forum said, "Speer told me that there could be noticeable box to box differences in expansion based on manufacture date." The .444 guys seem to be pushing it over 2100 fps and use it for elk. Then there are .44 mag hand gun guys using it at velocities below our muzzleloaders. All seem to praise accuracy.
12-13-2013, 12:23 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Posts: 3,732
My experience using this bullet on deer is not like yours. Myself, i do use more powder than you do, and i have used a way more powder than i am using now. It doesn't seem to me this bullet is 'hard'. The bullet has killed more deer for me than any other bullet. No deer ever went very far when hit by this bullet. Never have i recovered a bullet from a deer. One year a deer fell to this bullet pushed by 105g of Blackhorn, out about 230 yard. Here is a picture of the bullet captured by water jugs, and phone book at 100 yard. At 100 yard with the load i was using that day, it was moving at about 1634 fps.
Here is a link to the thread about the capture of the bullet.
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...270-grain.html
The terminal performance of this bullet is what i have always liked most.
Here is a link to the thread about the capture of the bullet.
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...270-grain.html
The terminal performance of this bullet is what i have always liked most.
