Uphill battle bench session
Nov 22, 2010 22:32:00 GMT -5
Post by fishhawk on Nov 22, 2010 22:32:00 GMT -5
My 25yr. old son wants to use my Savage/45 Pacnor the first few days of the Ohio gun season (I have to work). So we went to let him load and shoot it. I showed him the index position and watched him load. Everything looked good, first shot at 180yds. was right 4in. Second shot, high 1in. Third, high and right 6in.? I know he can shoot better than that! I check breechplug tightness, ventliner tightness and vent hole diameter, scope ring screws, all OK. I decide to shoot, as I push the bullet/sabot down with a short starter I was given by a member, I feel a tight spot in the first 1/2". I pull the short starter off (it uses a guide sleeve that slips over the end of the barrel) and one petal of the sabot is doubled over. I pulled that bullet/sabot out and looked around for sabots that my son had shot, and found one that was missing a petal and one missing two. I came to the conclusion that we were pinching the petals with the base of the short starter, and pulling them off or damaging them. I then loaded using a conventional short starter and shot 1" high. When I put my cooling rod down the barrel I noticed a scraping feel. I looked at the end of the rod and noticed how squarely it was cut off so I took it in the shop and tapered the ends. It slid in much smoother. Could it have been scraping some fouling off with the sharp edge? I then proceeded to shoot a 1.25" 4 shot group (sorry Richard)1in. high, not bad for 180yds. My son then shoots a 4" group around the bull? I decide to watch closely his whole procedure, loads OK, but noticed the sling wadded up under the rear of the stock when he sits it on the lead sled. I say nothing, boom! When he pulled the trigger the recoil pad was still 1/2" from the heel of the rest! I take the lead sled away and make him shoot off the bags just like when he whips me with our Anschutz .22's. He then shoots a 5 shot 1.5" group 1" above the bull! It only took about three hour and 25 shots to take him from wanting to go back to his TC Omega to feeling like a sniper with the Savage. Frustrating but rewarding, we both learned from this.
If you are happy with four? Than that is good enough!