Been many, many years....

stovepipe · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 9:50 am Post subject: Been many, many years....

....since this rifle has seen light!

Rifle: "Shorty"! (love this gun...) HOWA 1500, .308W, 20" bull bbl. POS Hogue stock and Niko Nigheater 16x scope.

Load: 41.7gr RE15, 168gr SMK, FGMM brass, FEDERAL primer. 2.80 OAL, trim 2.11. LEE dies and Factory Crimp. (new load, reduced by 0.3gr., I like to shoot the low end of my OCW for a lot of reasons)

Conditions- Temp: 35-50*, elev: 5000', winds: switchy/constant @ 5mph, gusts to 10mph+, Flags were all over the place. Shot from bench to get first zero with scope issues, then prone on steel.

100y: took 16 rounds to get on paper. UGH!!! I was off the map completely! The clickers were not working and I chased my tail until the light bulb came on. It took a shot to knock the reticle loose after an adjustment. The POA didn't change until after a shot or two. UGH! I put the rifle in the sun and that helped. Finally on paper. Nice touching shots. Add 2" UP.
200y: first shot, hit. Center/Center. + 10 clicks.
300y: first shot, hit, 4 o'clock low. +4 more. Center/Center. Then - 10 clicks.
200y: back on the plate, first shot hit. Two more shots. Then +10 clicks.
300y: back on the plate, first shot hit, add a couple more UP....Center/Center pretty much.

Summary: Sun was right smack on my objective lens at first so I had to wait for it to pass, shooting was impossible. Total white-out on the lens, need a shade. My load is a little slower than Factory base on my DOPE. About 1-2" low at 300y, +/-. If there's no wind it's a sub-MOA load, the rifle is a tack driver. Touching hole groups is easy @ 100y. After the sun and my issues were over with, at 100y it came back pretty fast. It got routine after 25 rounds and it was "boom! ping!" at will with the scope @ 10x. Didn't need full power at all. Need a longer range (max is 300y here) and to bring the 4" swinger next time. Overall really happy with the load. Would like to try it at 600y w/ no wind and see how it holds up. My scope is a joke, but like the wet noodle stock, just do my part and shoot around it...no big deal.

1- sniper ready?!?!?!?
2- 6" plate @ 200y (VERY breezy L-R there....)
3- 12" plate @ 300y. 5-shots. Pretty calm down there. But had to shoot past some bad, switchy crosser's.

stovepipe · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 9:51 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

6" plate @ 200y

stovepipe · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 9:52 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

12" plate @ 300y, 5-shots. Nasty, switchy breezes on the way out...

stovepipe · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 9:54 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

DOPE notes spring-clipped to the rug, second box of hand-loads with a different crimp...spring-clips are lifesavers! Had the place all to myself.

Happy turkey day EVERYONE!

Vince · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:31 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

WOW...great range report mate...that is outstanding shooting Stovey. Nothing wrong with your scope mate, not with results like that...it's doing it's part buddy.

Gil Martin · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

I like a story with a happy ending. Well done. All the best...
Gil

slimjim · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 3:54 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

Great, stovey. My range session this morning had unpleasant surprise. Came home and but them on the shelf to tackle another day.

Vince · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2016 5:21 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

slimjim wrote:

Great, stovey. My range session this morning had unpleasant surprise. Came home and but them on the shelf to tackle another day.

Soooo Slim, what was your "unpleasant surprise" mate?

stovepipe · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 12:07 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

slimjim wrote:

Great, stovey. My range session this morning had unpleasant surprise. Came home and but them on the shelf to tackle another day.

Yeh, WTF man?

Suzanne · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2016 4:51 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

Musta shot himself.....

(hollerin) SLIMJ!!!! YOU ALRIGHT???

not hearin nuthin.....SLIM!!!!!freekin J!!!!! WHAT'S GOIN ON????

don't see any blood anywhere.....hmpf...

save im a beer
he might
need it

Suz

PaulS · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2016 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

Maybe he is spending time with a loved one....

slimjim · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 12:07 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

No, not that bad. I took some reloads with a new 120 grain MKZ bullet I just received from a guy I have been helping to design/develop for a new business out of Montana called Cavity Back Bullets. I was hoping it would group well and I could take it in my 6.8mm SPC on the cow elk hunt in NM that I left for the next morning (Friday). I must have done something wrong with my loads because it did not group well at all - I've never had a load do this poorly. That was my "unpleasant surprise". (I know, I know. Trying to develop a new load for a new bullet the day before you leave for an elk hunt is not using common sense).

Well, to make a short story longer, I took his lighter bullet, a 105 grain MKZ, with me as it grouped at 3/4 MOA. I planned to use the 6.8mm if the elk was in closer than 250 yards but still had my .270 Win with 129 LRX if the hunting set-up was longer range. The good news is, I harvested a 500-lb cow elk at 200 yards Saturday morning. The 105 grain MKZ bullet did way better than expected. The cow took 3 steps and went down will massive blood loss. I am still excited and having trouble sleeping (its 5am here).

slimjim · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 2:45 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

Here is the link to my elk hunt. Things turned out well after all.

www.huntingnut.com/ind...424#150424

stovepipe · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 4:58 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

What? All that over a poor group? Most of my loads on long throated hunting rifles end up with 1 or 2 recipe's that are 2+MOA, or just a box of fliers! No big, just try another one, and ya did!

And ya got some cow meat, too?

You had me worried. Ya owe me 2# of ground cow meat. I'll expect it in a few days.
'

Suzanne · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2016 9:13 am Post subject: Re: Been many, many years....

Whew!!!

Nice elk SlimJ!

Suz