Drop confirmations and chronographing some specialty pistols

xphunter

Handloader
Sep 15, 2005
1,230
2,203
Tuesday was a good morning!
Glenn picked me up, and we headed out to Mac’s Gunworks to zero a couple of scopes, do some Chronographing and shoot out to 600 to just under 800 yards on steel.
I had three different specialty pistols to shoot:
22GT
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The rear-grip Kauger 22 GT, with 88 grain ELD-M’s, built by Peter Angelos, the Dirty 30 (center-grip 308 Winchester XP) with the 155 grain A-Max’s, and then the 280 Ackley center-grip XP with 160AB's.
Chris Rhodes built the 308 Winchester and the 280AI. I Shot the 22GT to 600 or 700 yards, the 280AI to 765 yards, and the 3-O-Wait out to 500 yards.
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I took off the Swarovski scope off the 280 Ackley and put Holland‘s new Game-Getter scope, which is a 5-30x50.
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The Holland reticle in the scope is in the first focal plane (FFP). I am literally shocked at how clear and bright the scope is compared to a lot of other optics I have. This is a hunting scope, and there are a number of things about it that are made for hunting. For one, the turrets all have half MOA clicks, a zero stop, easy to read markings on the turrets, etc... I had some Nosler factory ammo (160 grain AccuBond), so I zeroed at 100 yards, chronoed the ammunition, and then did drop confirmations a couple of times out to just under 800 yards. The muzzle velocity was less than I expected, at 2640 ft./s, but the animals are not gonna know the difference, at the distances I will use it at. Just a smidge under 1850 ft./s impact velocity at 600 yards
It was a beautiful morning. Early in the morning, the wind was almost nothing, and it picked up to where we were finishing it was just under 10 mph.
It was good to practice in some wind!


The video is Jim shooting the BCG 26 Nosler XP with 147 grain ELDM’s a couple of years ago at WY-SHOT.
Today, I took the 26 Nosler XP-100 out today to confirm some drops for upcoming antelope season. Just needed a quarter MOA less than my drop chart said at 300, 400, 500, and 600 yards 147 @ 3045 fps. I added 20 fps (3025 fps was the MV from 3 years ago), so my shooting app would match my actual drops.

The other specialty pistol I have considered using for antelope is my rear grip 22 GT. The last time I shot it, it was shooting a little high. Took it out again today and chronographed it, and my speed had picked up 23 fps, so my new MV is 3073 fps with the 88 grain ELDM. Made that adjustment to my ballistics app, and we are good to go with it as well.

My 22GT with the 88’s at 400 yards took 4.75 MOA
26 Nosler with the 147 @ 400 yards- 4.75 MOA
At 500 yards they both required 7 MOA
At 600 yards the 22GT does require .25 MOA more than the 26 Nosler.
Fun times.
I also chronoed the model 48 Independence 6mm Creedmoor pistol with the factory 108 grain ELDM ammunition
Right at 2650 fps.
Love my Labradar!
 
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I took my 6br pistol to the range last sunday, it was busy so just shot steel and not mess with paper. I impressed myself, first time I'd shot it over 100yd, I was able to ring the 300 and 400yd gongs with the first shots on each and that was just holding over with an 8x handgun scope.
 
I took my 6br pistol to the range last sunday, it was busy so just shot steel and not mess with paper. I impressed myself, first time I'd shot it over 100yd, I was able to ring the 300 and 400yd gongs with the first shots on each and that was just holding over with an 8x handgun scope.
Excellent!
 
I don’t how you do it , your handgun’s recoil is so light. Even with the break my Striker bucks like a mule. I don’t know if it’s barrel contour or length or stock design yours look so stable.
 
I don’t how you do it , your handgun’s recoil is so light. Even with the break my Striker bucks like a mule. I don’t know if it’s barrel contour or length or stock design yours look so stable.
There is several factors involved here.
One is the weight of the specialty pistol, another is the quality of the muzzle brake, another is the design of the stock. The striker stock causes the barrel to sit higher above your wrist, then a McMillan XP stock does.
The 26 Nosler has a lot of gas to work with, and a brake like the big Holland radial baffle brake has a lot of surface area to work with all of that gas better.
 
My biggest issue is it bounce up on recoil. Even with the spike feet preloaded firmly into wooden bench , it bucks straight up. I believe you are correct with barrel to wrist alignment. I’m using a 3 port Muscle Brake from Ryan Pierce. The overall recoil is minor , just a follow up shot takes time to reset.
 
My biggest issue is it bounce up on recoil. Even with the spike feet preloaded firmly into wooden bench , it bucks straight up. I believe you are correct with barrel to wrist alignment. I’m using a 3 port Muscle Brake from Ryan Pierce. The overall recoil is minor , just a follow up shot takes time to reset.
The bounce up is more prominent, because of the design of the striker, and its overall weight or balance. Even with a great brake , I don’t always see my own impacts when I shoot a Center Grip XP. Depends on the weight, the brake , and the cartridge
 
It is much easier to see your own impacts when shooting a rear grip specialty pistol, as the recoil tends to come more straight back, and muzzle flip is less with all things being equal in terms of weight and components compared to a center grip
 
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