It was a nice overcast day, still cool enough to shoot past 10AM...that won't last, as summer is inbound with a full head of steam. Darn. I had also hoped the overcast weather would make people think it was going to rain, and stay home. That was wasted hope - this was the most crowded I've seen this place on a weekday in a long time! I was there with two friends, one who was using the venerable CZ P-01 for practice, and the gentleman who gave me the short rifle scope. Good people, and with some of the incidents at range recently, (not reported around here yet), I like to have at least one extra set of friendly eyes on the super expensive gear while down range. We had to use the popular 300 yard range, as I wanted to try sighting in that cheap scope at 100 yards. We'll get to THAT later...
So I set up the Pro Chrono...and wonder of wonders, I didn't shoot it! The funny thing was when I got the chrono and target set up we called a hot line...which is when I realized I had forgotten to turn the darn thing on! After we enjoyed a laugh, I sat and waited for the next cold line to turn on the doodad. This was also when I discovered I had brought 5 baggies of .223...all of the same load. Dang. I was wanting to chrono the 62 grain loads, but left every dadgum one at home.
The load, 22.5 grains H-335, is either too cold or too warm, depending on what 55 grain data set you use, but with the Hornady 55 gr FMJ-BT, it gave me an average of 2427.86, with a HUGE SD of 95.8! What the heck did I do wrong, there...After looking at the data, I think I need to jack that up a notch or 4.
I have subsequently been told that my starting load is WAY under powered for any real work, subsequent loads of 24 and 24.5 testers assembled to try later.
OK, well, I know the load is reasonably accurate, so lets get this scope working at 100 yards! Now, remember, this scope was a gift, and I sincerely appreciate it, really.
Yes that's the Big Gong Show target next to my target stand. The Big Gong Show target is now dead, with a dent in one leg that looks like somebody took a bite out of it. I think I bounced one off the dirt up at an angle. So, I left it alone, and worked on the paper target, working from previous zero. Except there was no way I was getting it on target. It was good at 50, but there was no zero at 100. I will try again, but I believe I will have to get a real scope. LAGS commented that he paid some thing like $8 for it about 10 years ago. The mount locked up tight as a vault door, so I really doubt it was that. Anyone have a shorty low power scope they're not using?
Then again, it might just be me! That is ALWAYS possible!
Oh well, I remembered both my seat and rifle rest, so lets find out - is this thing accurate at 100 yards with irons???
Yes, yes it is.
3 shot sighting group
5 shot group at the end. I was going to raise that POI up a skosh, but I was running over time limits. Do note the taped up 3 shot group - not every group was perfect...I think I sneezed on that one.
I had other groups at 100 yards with irons that were pretty much the same as these good ones, so I think I can state it's likely a 2MOA rifle with irons. From a military rifle with a carbine length tube, I'll accept that. Functioning was, again, flawless, and the rifle a grand joy to shoot. All groups shot front rested only, and the wind was bad enough I had to fill some shot bags with rocks and drape them over my target stands legs to keep it from falling over. Not blaming the wind for bad shooting, just sayin'...
George the Bee did make a brief appearance, good to see, but he had pressing business elsewhere.
All in all, not a bad morning at all.
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