Finally! The range I belong to posted that the creek was low enough to get across with a 4x4, so the rifle range was open.
The far edge of the water was flowing about 10” deep straight down the road, while the main channel flow went straight across from right to left. It was about 20” deep at the main channel part, so any vehicle that was shorter than my F350, like a Subaru or smaller AWD SUV, would have had running water above the lower door sill.
So, it was pretty much empty. Maybe 10 shooters using 75 bays. I was solo on bay 25, no one else from about bench 15 to 50
.
Range is 109 yards. I am so rusty at rifle craft that I wasn’t expecting much, especially with a few guns/scopes that did not yet get zeroed.
I did not disappoint myself
.
I zeroed my new-to-me Ruger No. 1 .223 with Win 55 gr and 64 gr soft points. It took several shots to get POI close to POA, but it’s pretty good. This is the best I could do with the 64 gr load, 3 shots touching and a fourth just low. Impact on these was about 1.25” right from POA. I adjusted by moving left but none of my later shots touched like these did.
With the CZ 550 in 6.5x55 shooting S&B 140 gr SP, I kept shots close, but not very great. The top shot ruined what could have been an ok set.
The Ruger 77 RSI .243 did not shoot well for me today. This constellation was shot with Federal 100 gr SP.
And this is a hand load with the Ca friendly 85 gr Barnes XBT over 37.2 gr IMR 4895. Two were ok, my third made it…meh.
I shot three types of .22 WMR through my Ruger American. It took me a bunch of shots to get this on paper, the first shots were almost 12” high/right.
The Armscor load shot a bit low, but it did a little bit better than the other two.
Then I get a total fluke. I loaded four rounds into my Marlin 1895CB; a 405 gr RNFP over 30.4 gr IMR 4198 and a 450 gr coated RNFP over 40 gr IMR 3031.
With a peep sight, somehow both of the 405 gr shots went right where I wanted them
. The two from the 450 gr load hit 8” lower and a bit to the right.
A couple of observations that most of you more experienced riflemen already know:
My cheekweld is not consistent. I saw movement in POI when my position wasn’t the same for every shot. I need to get scopes all set properly and I need to set up the same way every time. This is issue #1 I need to work on so I can improve.
I hate shooting rifles with prescription glasses. My glasses were driving me nuts, pressing the stock, cutting vision off and just plain getting in the way. But I am not shooting without something between my eyes and a firearm, so that is something I just have to deal with.
Recoil from shooting on the bench is not fun after a bunch of shots are fired. The 50-odd .223 were easy. The 20 or so .243 and 20 6.5x55 weren’t awful, but the kick was getting noticeable. The 1895CB from the bench was… stout. By the end, 4 shots was enough.
My lead .45/70 load was just a bit too long. It cycles in my 1895G, but not in this gun. Too bad, this load has always been accurate but I will need to alter the length to keep the 1895CB running.
I had one FTF from the Win 40 gr fmj. Two hits didn’t set it off, so it was dumped in the dud bin.
Stay safe.
shot this group with the Stevens
oh and shot my Pietta 1851 navy too
Took my new to me Argentine Mauser out to see if it functions, also did a little breaking in of the Zastava M70. My nephew came along to shoot his Glock 43x and let him try a few more of mine. Let him shoot the Mosin M44, Henry All Weather .357 and the Henry Golden Boy. 22. Going to have adjust the sights on the Zastava and they Henry. Henry was way left at 50 yards.
