Range Report
 

Hey guys,

Headed out to the range yesterday. I haven't been since last year. I've been remodeling. Cut me some slack.

With that out of the way.

The Win 70 in .308, called Mother, shot the doors off the place with under 1/2" groups. To be expected since she is the best thing that ever happened to me. I didn't even need to fondle her scope knobs. Funny thing is I just had some trigger work done on her earlier this year and still the scope didn't need any tweaking.

The Ruger 300 WM, floated with a timney. Still name-less. Didn't even have it bore sighted. Got it on paper in one shot at 25 yards. Second test shot resulted in two touching. Immediately went out to 100 yards where I placed two shots within 1/2" of each other. Moved the scope a bit and set her 1" high at 100. I shot two more groups. One at 3/4" and another at just over 1.25". I'll call that 1" at 100 for now. I'm shooting my own home brew. She'll be the first one out this year. She needs a name.

TC Omega .50 Cal Muzzleloader. I shot her at 25 yards and she was dead on from where I set her last year. I just got this one last year. I realized my scope mount was loose after a second shot at 100 yards. I tightened up the scope mount but I was shooting a very large pattern the rest of the day. I gave up and left the range.

Is it possible that I damaged the scope by shooting it twice with loose scope mounts?

The scope is a simmons Aetec. I have another scope to try but I don't have the time to go out and shoot it.

Tom

RE: Range Report
 

Guys,

Do you think my scope could be come damaged?

Tom

RE: Range Report
 

Hmmm. Simmons........it can become damaged by merely LOOKING THRU it...........

RE: Range Report
 

..............

RE: Range Report
 

Ok Comedians! LOL.

Will a scope typically become damaged from being fired in a loose scope mount?

Tom

RE: Range Report
 

I just don't know if it would seriously deamage it, but I'm sure it wouldn't do it any good. I do feel that the only way you're gonna know for sure is to mount the other scope securely and actually check it out.

RE: Range Report
 

Yeah I figured as much buttime is a major issue right now. I'll have to make the time.

Shooting the smoke pole isn't cheap either.

Tom

RE: Range Report
 

Did you clean the gun between shots? It could simply be that your barrel was fouling and your shots where opening up. I know that mine does that after a couple of shots. It has only taken me about 200 rounds to figure that out, but I have finally learned lol.

RE: Range Report
 

I would hope that it wouldn't foul up badly enough between 4-5 shots to be effected. I usally clean every five. Was yours moving a lot and were you shooting much more than 5 shots?

Thanks

Tom

RE: Range Report
 

my brother cleans after every shot. he says he notices accuracy problems after 2 shots if he doesnt clean.

RE: Range Report
 

DING DING DING DING DING

WE HAVE A WINNER!


I would also definitely have to say you need to be cleaning after every shot. A lot of the powder doesn't burn, plus you get plastic fouling pretty quick from the sabots. I have read in several places where they state that this is a must when shooting groups.

As to the Simmons scope, the Aetec is a pretty decent set of glass. It may be the only decent one they make, but that doesn't really matter much. As to hurting the scope, I would suggest pulling off the top ring of the one that was loose. Look to see if there are any serious scratches or dings. If there is none, I would say it is probably fine. I had a base come loose on a 338 Win Mag once, and it didn't hurt that scope at all. And I fired 7 rounds before noticing it.

Good luck.

RE: Range Report
 

You know if I were shooting to see if my gun was 1" or 1.5" I'd agree with you. I was shooting roughly 8".

I'm going to mount a different scope and give her another run. Not till two weeks from now though.

Tom

RE: Range Report
 

I think that if I had to clean after every shot or suffer severe accuracy problems, I'd be replacing that gun or load with something that would actually work like it should. JMO.........

RE: Range Report
 

i want to see the magical muzzleloader/loadyou have that you can shoot without cleaning more than 3 times and not have your groups open up from 2" to at least4".


good point...a tight fitting sabot is important too

RE: Range Report
 

Savage 10ML-II with smokeless powder, but it's not exactly magical.

I've shot both Vihtavouri N-110 and Accurate Arms 5744 with excellent results (with 5744 preferred), and I don't swab between shots ever. I've shot as many as 50 shots at a sitting without swabbing, and the accuracy is as good with the last shot as it was the first.

With 41gr AA 5744 and a 250gr XTP with MMP black sabot it'll shoot 1.5" average 100 yard groups all day long.

Mike

RE: Range Report
 

Well, there's not much magic to it, as far as I'm cocerned. A low-class CVA Wolf with two 50 gr. Pyrodex pills and shooting 245 gr. Powerbelts does it for me. Have you polished out your barrel? Also, in my mind, FAR too many folks try to overpower their bullet and cause extreme fouling and poor grouping. Just my humble experiences. I can usually shoot 5 shots before accuracy takes a swing without cleaning.

RE: Range Report
 

8" is a bit much IMHO of swing to put it on not swabbing between shots. Also given the fact your routine prior was to clean every 5, one would assume you came up with that by trial and error. Given your mention of the other guns accuracy I don't think shooter is to blame here either, unless fatigue may have been a factor. It is possible to have sabot failure by to tight (fouling) or loading when hot and grooving. I have seen some weird results due to sabot related problems in both sub shooting and smokeless shooting ML's.

A friend of mine had a mount come loose on his 300wm recently and it pooched his 4200 elite...so that is certainly a possiblity. It also may be your mount or ring is damaged as a result as well. I would inspect them closely and if they appear GTG try a verified scope to see if the problem goes bye bye.