Hitting the range.....

[wilmsmeyer]

This morning will find me at camp shooting a few groups. It's about 32 outside and calm so it's a perfect testing day as we get closer to November.

I have decided to only shoot at 200 yds this year because that's where good loads seem to prove themselves as good.

The 2 loads for today are on both sides of the performance curve. Load 1 is a book load that has shot awesome in the past. 43 gr 4758 and a 250 Barnes TMZ...probably 2300 fps at most

The second load is the 325 Hornady FTX with a Harv CR sabot and 70 gr of H4198. This load is going against my initial thoughts of "taming" down this year. However, I watched my partner shoot an MOA group at 100 yds and then put 3 shots in 1 1/2" at 200 yds. He's using an encore with BH209 and this bullet/sabot. Before I saw him do this, he told me that he's done this every time this summer with boring regulairty.

It's an apples / oranges comparison being that we have different guns and propellants....but I have to try it. If promising, it will be hard not to have this bullet at 2400+. Being .457-458, chances are it will have the potential to be more accurate.

Can't wait to shoot....then finish the last of our tree stand work after that. 26 stands and counting...all tuned up for bow.

[whyohe]

keep us informed! tomorrow will be my day to get to the range. our early in-line seasno starts saturday!

[wilmsmeyer]

Well, I'm in a delema. Shot at 200 yds and printed 2 3 shot groups of about 3 inches. Very nice. Then shot a 3 shot group at 155 yds of 7/8". All using the 325 FTX and 4198.

Best I've ever shot over 100 yds.

[dans]

and the problem is? Oh, I know you don't know what to do with all the venison you are going to pile up this year with that load. Oh, and don't forget the taxidermy bill when you punch the 30 pointers ticket. We all should have delemas like that.

[Dave W]

Never thought I would see the day Wilms would even consider shooting an FTX. ;D

Good shooting and keep us informed on the autopsies.

[wilmsmeyer]

dans,

Thank you for your confidence in me...but usually i am just plain lucky.

Dave, Two years ago I went to the 300 XTP, last year it was 300 Rem HPs. So the FTX is a logical step in that progression. All in the attempt to get a little more accuracy at 150+....which I have.

I really wanted to go back to the TMZ's and drop the speed a little this year. These big fragile bullets blow deer apart and I rarely shoot over 100 yds......but there are plenty of stands that offer the long shots...so ya never know. I went to the range prepared to shoot the book load mentioned above but after what I did with the FTX I just decided to stop for the day and go work on stands instead.

Next step is to do all my other testing I do with loads:

Shot a cold barrel group over a few days
leave gun loaded for a few days many times while I'm bowhunting
prove repeatablility at all ranges

A question for you gun masters out there...and I have seen this with many rifles before:

How can a gun that hits perfectly at 6 o'clock at 200 yds it 1 1/2 inches to the left at 150?

When responding, please take wind out of the equation it was perfectly still when I shot yesterday. I'm wondering if my scope is slightly out of level....or I cant the gun a little.

[deadeye]

could be canting,check to make sure the crosshairs are level & in line with the(level) windage & elevation knobs,scope might possibly not be in perfect line center of bore.could be parallax. hope this helps