Got to shoot to 500 yrds today...

Stinky Coyote · #1 08-12-2007, 06:43 PM

Once again, scrambling for time, i made it out for a few fast and furious hours...i took the .270 and the .17 hmr again and started with the .270 and finished with the .17 hmr when i was done and happy with .270. Here goes...

First thing i did after setting up my target at 400 yrds was take 3 quick with the .270. As i was shooting i felt good about 2 and knew i pulled one a bit and here's what i drove up to take a picture of...

Without much time for the gun to cool i wheeled around and ran 3 more through it quick...gun was pretty warm after those 3. Same thing...felt pretty good for two of them but i was rushing things and not concentrating on group size so much as learning drop.

Knowing how i shot, fast, didn't feel 100% on two of them and laying prone in field on bi-pod i was quite happy with this as i was using the 2nd hash mark dead on....so i now know where my 400 yrd is and that makes it easy. I then moved out to 500 and used the 3rd hash mark.

Here's my 3 at 500...maybe its the gun and not me...as i routinely pull one...but if you watch my archery groups its the same thing...2 good and one flier more often than any other combination....groups psych me out...tee hee.

After that i was happy that the 3rd hash was good for 500 even though my shooting left a little to be desired i'm about 66% for kills at both ranges today...the 500 yrd may have netted 100% for kills on a big game critter. I definitely shot my .204 better than this at these ranges....but i did pull off a dandy at 250 yrds coming up.

So at 300 i did two groups using the main crosshair and the first hash down as the main crosshair had things too low...the second group was shooting a warm gun again but using the 1st hash mark down fyi and the wind had picked up by this point also so don't mind the left to right stuff.

And i thought i'd see if the burris chart for .17 hmr was close and took 5 at 300 also using the top of the crosshair post below the 3rd hash mark like it says...the other two made it about a 10" group but i was pleased to see this.

Then up to 250 yrds and i used my main crosshair on the .270 and here's what i got. One of my personal best and i felt really good about this one when i was done shooting so it was nice to see and worthy of getting the pen out to document. The gun is obiously far better than i am....and yes...the wind was up a bit at this point from right to left. Anything not centered was wind btw, without both guns ran up the middle.

Here's what i did at 250 with the .17 hmr.

And then to 200 yrds for the .17 hmr learning.

And a friend that was hangin around my target at the 250 yrd mark. He was tasty...just kidding.

Okay...subject for review and any or all comments. Fun day, i had to hurry do to time but figure it may accurately reflect some field stuff and i'd probably be similar to many who'd go pretty easy to 300 under most conditions but knowing what i do now there may be the ability to do more under the absolute right conditions should the opportunity ever be there. I am far more comfortable with my .204 to these ranges than this .270 fyi...but still pretty dang happy with this gun. My little hmr is proving a hoot too! It was fun pulling the trigger at 2-300 and waiting for the satisfying little thwop when it finally hit the wood.

roger · #2 08-12-2007, 07:03 PM

i too was out cracking at the 500 yard gong with my little wbys.
im not doing as good this year with it as in the past
gotta get ready for dick shuper shoot in drayton........
hey stinky you n me should meet up for a coyote/ wolf whacking festival this winter

catnthehat · #3 08-12-2007, 07:17 PM

i'm h3eading out now to do some 500 meter irons shooting and mess woith my new- to - me 6mm Browning single .
I figure if it'll shoot I may just use it next weekend.
I have a BIG problem shooting just one rifle these days!

cat

#4 08-12-2007, 07:29 PM

Hit the range for about 6 hours today with 8 rifles....shoulder is a bit sore for sure. Spent way too much time trying to work up a long-range muzzleloader load with some 200 grain bullets but just couldn't get it to work. Couldn't even hit a 3'x2' target at 25 yards consistently. Talk about frustrating.....After about 20 shots later I discovered the culprit.....

Mintaka · #5 08-12-2007, 08:35 PM

*

Rockymtnx · #6 08-12-2007, 10:28 PM

Nice shooting guys. I wish I could have been doing the same thing as all of you were doing. Myself and a friend were suppose to do some Sunday shooting, but couldn't due to my bandaged up trigger finger. Yesterday I was being stupid and got my finger caught in a belt sander. I was sanding a tiny piece of wood when I shouldn't have. Just that fast and the tip of my finger was between the guard and the belt. Live and learn I guess.

Sheephunter - not being a muzzleloader shooter could you explain the plastic inserts. To me I see that there is a inconsistency in how many of the pedals stayed intact. Was this causing erratic release of the bullet? Or am I missing something else?

Digger · #7 08-12-2007, 11:24 PM

what's the story on the sabots?

catnthehat · #8 08-12-2007, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Hit the range for about 6 hours today with 8 rifles....shoulder is a bit sore for sure. Spent way too much time trying to work up a long-range muzzleloader load with some 200 grain bullets but just couldn't get it to work. Couldn't even hit a 3'x2' target at 25 yards consistently. Talk about frustrating.....After about 20 shots later I discovered the culprit.....

In see the problem, you have plastic in you barrel!

cat

#9 08-13-2007, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Sheephunter - not being a muzzleloader shooter could you explain the plastic inserts. To me I see that there is a inconsistency in how many of the pedals stayed intact. Was this causing erratic release of the bullet? Or am I missing something else?

Actually there really is no problem with the pedals breaking off, they routinely do that and don't effect bullet flight at all. It's the big holes in the bottom of the sabots that are the cause for concern. This is what seals the gas in until the bullet exits the barrel but with the bottom of the sabots blowing out, the gas was escaping by the bullets before they left the barrel. I've never seen anything like this in 15 years of shooting sabots. Definitely catostrophic sabot failure.

#10 08-13-2007, 08:20 AM

Here's what a sabot should look like after being shot....

Rockymtnx · #11 08-13-2007, 10:16 AM

So basically you were getting inconstant velocities of the bullet leaving the muzzle. You have to hate that problem of blow by past the end of your lead. lol
I am sure you are already on your way to contacting the mfg as to the problem. Let us know what you find out.

Digger · #12 08-13-2007, 10:46 AM

What make make are those sabots, where you using a max load? Do you think the barnes sabots are worth the money or do you you use any sabot as long as it's the right weight.As you can see I have alot of questions because I haven't been able to find too many people in the Edmonton area that know much about black powder.

#13 08-13-2007, 04:02 PM

Over 90% of the sabots that come packaged with bullets are made by one company so I suspect that they were the manufacturer of these ones too. The bullet wasn't the issue here, it was the plastic sabot and yes I've contacted the bullet manufacturer as well as the sabot manufacturer.

The same thing happened to these sabots with both 100 and 150 grain loads of Pyro pellets so there is definitely a flaw in the sabots. They are designed for 150-grain Pyro loads and I've shot them before without issue.

209x50 · #14 08-13-2007, 05:07 PM

I suspect there was a glitch in the production run. I've shot lots of those same bullets and sabots with great success and driven just as hard as I could and never seen anything like that.
Here is a clip of a little mulie buck at Wainwright meeting one in person.
Muzzleloader Kill

#15 08-13-2007, 05:37 PM

Quote:

So basically you were getting inconstant velocities of the bullet leaving the muzzle. You have to hate that problem of blow by past the end of your lead. lol

I'm guessing it may well have been even worse than that....it's quite possible that the escaping gas pushed the bullet ahead of the sabot and I suddenly had a .40 cal bullet rattling down a .50 cal tube. Guessing that wouldn't do much for the accuracy in any direction...up...down or side to side.

BrownBear416 · #16 08-13-2007, 06:02 PM

I was out the other day for most of the afternoon shooting my 270 getting ready for goat hunting.

Shot this group at 400 yards off a bipod.

Speed Goats look out.

Stinky Coyote · #17 08-13-2007, 06:55 PM

Be a few people around here wishin they could do that at half that distance...nice group man.

Thanks to everyone else also and yeah roger....i love coyote bashin and wolf is in the top 3 of my critters to get list so i have an interesting hunting season coming up with the newborn at home...its going to put a dent in my hunting adventures from now on. Its a good dent mind you but i still dream of every minute i can get in the field...life makes way more sense out there. My first 3 shot at 400 with my cz american in .204 with factory 32 gr v-max was 4" and my 300 yrd was 2" and my 500 yrd was 6". I don't do as well with this .270 although i think the gun is capable i think i flinch a bit with it...not that it hurts but it isn't as fun as the small caliber stuff...pretty sure i can get things tighter on paper out there...i'm gonna carry that gun on more coyote hunts and see about getting more better with some field experience too.

bagwan · #18 08-13-2007, 07:44 PM

B. Are you using the rings that came with your CZ or did you opt for different. I just obtained a 243 and before I use it I thought I'd ask. The factory ones seem pretty good but its nice to know before I start chucking shells. Thanks.

#19 08-13-2007, 08:24 PM

Just heard back from Del at MMP and he was lost for an explaination and offered to replace the sabots.

BrownBear416 · #20 08-14-2007, 07:17 AM

Thanks Stinky,

Looks like anything out to 500 hundred is in the freezer for you.Good shooting,the coyotes and wolf's will have one ear to the ground for sure.

Stinky Coyote · #21 08-14-2007, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bagwan

B. Are you using the rings that came with your CZ or did you opt for different. I just obtained a 243 and before I use it I thought I'd ask. The factory ones seem pretty good but its nice to know before I start chucking shells. Thanks.

No i didn't use the factory rings...they were too tall for me. I know our models are different (yours a 550 and mine a 527) so not sure if they have the same problem but mine comes with extremely tall rings for the comb height of the stock and the bolt when it lifts and pulls back will not clear and objective if not using the high rings. I had a gunsmith take some meat off my bolt so i could use low rings and i can't remember which rings i ended up using???? Here's a pic with the bolt milled to clear the objective with low rings.

And here's best pic of the gun i have...burris 3-9x40 on it fyi.

Hope that helps.

bagwan · #22 08-14-2007, 08:30 AM

Okay. See what you mean. I put these on and they seem good to go. I'd rather have the torque screws but the range will tell. I'll give her a go today and see how she does. Sure handles well and guess who also likes it. Thanks.

Stinky Coyote · #23 08-14-2007, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrownBear416

Thanks Stinky,

Looks like anything out to 500 hundred is in the freezer for you.Good shooting,the coyotes and wolf's will have one ear to the ground for sure.

If conditions are there and i feel it in my bones that everything is perfect...then maybe...can't wait to get some coyotes on this rig now. Its first blood was a fox at 100 yrds...made a bit of a mess i gotta move back from the shoulders sometimes arrrgh...come to think of it its the only blood on it so far...time to change that forsure! Good luck on the goats and the rest of the season too!