Need to quit while I'm ahead.

[ShadeTree]

The load for my old 250 savage with IMR 4350 is working. No need to keep on shooting.

It shot a .318 group at 50 yds, then shot 3/4" at 100 yds, but was low after I moved my peep lower. Today I moved the peep halfway back up and shot a couple at 50yds to make sure it was centered, then tried it again at 100 yds.

Finding I slowly need to keep making targets bigger to see them at 100 yds with open sights. The white part of the target inside the black ring is a full 7" across. Orange center is almost 2.5"

It put 2 near center, then one that is harder to see at the upper right side of the orange. I felt my sight plane was a little high on that shot so just to prove it I shot another 1. Three shot group measures .840, four shot group measures 1.8" Need to quit harassing the old girl and move on to something else. :grin:

 

[DrMike]

That'll do. Sharpen your knife and make certain you have an appropriate tag in your pocket. You're set.

 

[ShadeTree]

Dr Mike, makes me want to try some of those 75 gr V-max's CL was talking about and practice sniping some gophers this summer, but I'll probably just leave it alone. Maybe...……. :lol:

I enjoy modern scoped guns that shoot well and always will, but my heart is with the old guns with iron sights. Got several in possession that are flat shooters with the right loads. Love that old time craftsmanship from a bygone era.

 

[DrMike]

Well, I'm well beyond that period of life when I'm willing to shoot the unscoped rifles. The eyes don't play fair with the need for a measure of accuracy in my case. If I can't use a tube, I'm in serious trouble.

 

[ShadeTree]

Well, I'm well beyond that period of life when I'm willing to shoot the unscoped rifles. The eyes don't play fair with the need for a measure of accuracy in my case. If I can't use a tube, I'm in serious trouble.

I'm fighting it like a bugger and am in pretty much daily denial......I guess that method is sorta/kinda working so far.

In the last yr I keep a pair of reading glasses hanging on my workbench and if I'm dong anything small work, it's the first thing I reach for.

If I had arms as long as it sounds like Scotty has, I might be able to hold things out far enough to see, a couple extra yrs. :lol:

I can get by so far and am trying to take full advantage of enjoying the open sighted rifles as long as I can. I hope for yrs to come, but I'm not liking how the last yr has gone sight wise.

 

[bdbrown66]

Yeah...about the time I hit 49, I was struggling to see properly without bifocals. My pride got in the way for about 2 years, and then I finally admitted that there was no sense fighting it anymore. The trend had already begun years ago, but I finally stopped deluding myself and put a scope on everything except my caplock muzzleloader (and shotguns, of course). Have no problem shooting sub-MOA, and I like it that way.

 

[Elkman]

There is a reason that most now use scopes, and it's not your eyes. Its because they make us better shooters, and hunters. In my life time, I "NEVER" hunted with an open sighted rifle. Even back in the 60's my rifle had a scope. My first big game kill, was in 1961 with a used Model 721 Remington 30:06 sporting a 4 power Weaver Scope. The whole outfit cost about $100.

 

[ShadeTree]

There is a reason that most now use scopes, and it's not your eyes. Its because they make us better shooters, and hunters. In my life time, I "NEVER" hunted with an open sighted rifle. Even back in the 60's my rifle had a scope. My first big game kill, was in 1961 with a used Model 721 Remington 30:06 sporting a 4 power Weaver Scope. The whole outfit cost about $100.

Sorry, I gotta 100% disagree with you there. At woods ranges with decent eyes and some practice, there is no reason for anybody to be afraid to use open sights. Using that logic nobody would archery hunt as that's just using a pin, and doing it free handed with no knees or a tree to prop off of.

I'll agree it's tougher overall, but I've killed 8 with open sights and so far have made good hits on all but one and that wasn't because of open sights, but rather a deer that scooted through an opening quicker than what I was anticipating and I was late on the shot and knew right away I hit it back. Gave it 4 hrs and went back and tracked it and put my tag on a dead deer.

There's no way I'm drilling holes in my Dad's M71 348 or that 1920. When it gets where I can't shoot them accurately at woods ranges, I'll keep them in the safe, but in the meantime they both got more game to kill.

 

[cloverleaf]

"Three shot group measures .840, four shot group measures 1.8" Need to quit harassing the old girl and move on to something else. :grin: "

uh....WHY!!.... I cant do that consistently at 9X!!! I would not be able to "quit while I was ahead", but no reason to try something else... :grin: That sounds like fun! Let us know if you try the "gopher" rounds. Have not had an opportunity to try the "on game" performance myself .... CL