Spent the day from 9 to 2:30 at the range, shot the .22-250 Fluted Ultra Varmint, .25-06 Ultra Hunter, 280 Rem Handi and .45-120 BC.
Best 3 shot group for the .22-250 was .941” shooting the 50gr Vmax with H4895 at ~3520fps which was my start load, next best with the same powder but at ~3780fps was a 2 shot group at .334” with a 3rd shot putting the group out to 1.12”, dunno if it was me or the rifle needs some more work with the forend, I already floated it from the stud out, I need to go back and work with that same load again when my eyes aren’t so tired and the barrel is a bit cooler, it looked real promising!!
I’m shooting factory ammo in the .25-06, the Federal Vital Shok 117gr Sierra GK BTSP didn’t shoot bad, but had the same problem as with the other factory ammo, first 2 shots right beside each other, then the 3rd making for a 1” group, so it’s going to get an RTV bedding job. I also shot some Winchester 115gr Ballistic Silvertips that I bought from Mac, they shot real good in his rifle, but 1½” 3 shot groups were the best I could get.
The .280 Rem was shooting acceptable with the 140gr Rem Cor-lokts with 2 shots ¼” apart, but the 3rd not wanting to join the rest, so it too will be getting the RTV bedding job before it’s next range trip. I also shot some handloads with the 140gr Nosler Accubonds and VV N160 since I had a 2lb bottle of it to waste!! Accuracy wasn’t good until I got to a near max load, then I started getting the 2 shots close and a 3rd away again, so that load will be returning on the next trip after the bedding job.
Shooting the .45-120 was probably the most successful of the day, I shot some 405gr Rems at 100yds and the 525gr BTB Piledrivers at 100 and 200yds. I also tried the Smith ladder sight which I’m disappointed in, the hole in the peep slider is just too close to the edge of the slider, for all intents and purposes, it looks just like a notch sight to my eyes and I can’t shoot with it accurately at all, it’s just too course. I think I’m going to drill and tap the slide to accept a standard screw-in aperture so it will work for me.
After experimenting with it using the 405gr Rem 5744 loads that I know are accurate, I gave up on the Smith sight and re-installed the Williams FP target sight and got down to business.
After shooting several 3 shot groups with H4895 and the Piledrivers, I got a 3 shot group of 1.085” at 100yds that with my poor eyes and I was real happy with, velocity was right at 1690-1700fps. Then I posted a 100yd military target with a 6” black bull at 200yds, raised the sight 10 clicks and got on the paper at 200yds, after a few adjustments, I ended up with a 3 shot group that measured 3½” with 2 shots less than an inch apart, which like I said, is pretty darn good for my old eyes.
All in all, it was a pretty good day, I got my $15 worth, that’s for sure.
Tim
Follow up report on the .280...http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/smf/index.php/topic,96622.0.html
