Cosmoline
Member
Well I had time today to conduct the Red Green Memorial Shoot with my Winchester '94 .30-30 Canadian Centennial. I wrapped some duct tape around the barrel in honor of the late show.
This is the full size 26" rifle and was pretty much unfired when I shot it today. It had certainly never been sighted in. I fired a batch of Leverevolution and a batch of Fedearl 170 Powershocks as a control. Due to the shadow cast by the rifle range cover, I had to place the chrono out about five yards so velocities weren't quite as high as they would be at three feet.
LeverEvolution 160 grain
Published velocity at muzzle 2400 FPS
10 rounds fired
Average vel = 2368 FPS
SD 10.3, AD 8.7
Bullets hit 2" higher than 170 powershocks but on same vertical axis
Federal Power-Shok
Published velocity at muzzle 2200 FPS
10 rounds fired
Average vel = 2250
SD 11.0, AD 8.3
So they perhaps barely met the 2400 fps out of a 26" barrel, and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt by assuming some velocity loss in the few yards between the barrel and the chronograph.
BUT, check this out:
That's the fifty yard group off the bench with no orange dot and no attempt to zero in on a particular spot. The windage and elevation need adjustment, and I'm really not used to the buckhorn sights. The one flier is my fault. I have no doubt that I can have these through one ragged hole with a reference dot and some windage and elevation adjustment. Amazing accuracy for a .30-30. Just amazing. I'd say with that kind of group, what's 50 fps between friends?
To top it off, what should I see on the bench as I'm leaving but a little Canadian penny. That's the group size I'll be aiming for next time out.
This is the full size 26" rifle and was pretty much unfired when I shot it today. It had certainly never been sighted in. I fired a batch of Leverevolution and a batch of Fedearl 170 Powershocks as a control. Due to the shadow cast by the rifle range cover, I had to place the chrono out about five yards so velocities weren't quite as high as they would be at three feet.
LeverEvolution 160 grain
Published velocity at muzzle 2400 FPS
10 rounds fired
Average vel = 2368 FPS
SD 10.3, AD 8.7
Bullets hit 2" higher than 170 powershocks but on same vertical axis
Federal Power-Shok
Published velocity at muzzle 2200 FPS
10 rounds fired
Average vel = 2250
SD 11.0, AD 8.3
So they perhaps barely met the 2400 fps out of a 26" barrel, and I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt by assuming some velocity loss in the few yards between the barrel and the chronograph.
BUT, check this out:
That's the fifty yard group off the bench with no orange dot and no attempt to zero in on a particular spot. The windage and elevation need adjustment, and I'm really not used to the buckhorn sights. The one flier is my fault. I have no doubt that I can have these through one ragged hole with a reference dot and some windage and elevation adjustment. Amazing accuracy for a .30-30. Just amazing. I'd say with that kind of group, what's 50 fps between friends?
To top it off, what should I see on the bench as I'm leaving but a little Canadian penny. That's the group size I'll be aiming for next time out.