Range day

[Elkman]

Well the wind finally dropped below 20 mph here today and I got the chance to field test my ugly, 46 year old, push feed Model 70, 300 Win Mag, with the new Leupold 3.5X10X40 with the ballistic turrent. Last year the rifle had a well tested 2.5X8, that had proven very satisfactory for a number of years. I hate changing "any" componet that works, so I was hopefull that it would turn out OK. I had rough sighted it off the bench a few weeks ago and had been waiting to see if my turrent and the rifle were in sync. Shooting was done at 300 yards (Guy Miner) style by shooting in prone postion, with a very light foam pad to keep the rocks from dislocating my elbow, and a Harris Bipod up front. I have not shoot prone for a least 14 months, so this was also an opportunity to lube up my joints and other less-used muscles. I started by rechecking the range and it came out the same as last year (different range finder) at 320.3 yards. My 0 setting on the rifle is at 300 so I turned the turrent to 325 and fired three shots. My first three were my smallest 3 shot group, mostly luck I think. Slightly under 3 " . I then looked at the target thru my new Ziess spotting scope and found that I could not see sny holes in the target at the highest setting, 45 power. As it turned out that was because they were in the black, which was a surpise. Well the pictures tell the whole story. At least three of the shots out to the right were called shots. I was pushing the let off a little, and it was coming off on the right. All and all it came out well and I was very happy with the rifle, scope and me! Next up, is some more prone time and a move out to a small flat spot along the power line at 550 if I remember rightly.

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[JD338]

Elkman,

Nice shooting!
I have the same scope on my 280 AI. My zero is 200 yds. I set up for 600 yds, spun the dial and I was there. Had gallon water jugs at 500 yds, spun the CDS dial to 500 and center punched the jug!
The CDS dial works pretty good if you ask me.
I think I am ready to ventilate a speed goat in a couple months. :wink:

JD338

 

[sask boy]

Elkman, I don't think you have to worry that will knock down anything you want :wink:
JD338, I will be calling on you once I get my VX-6 dialed in and then I will order my CDS for the Leupold using 130gr ABs in my 270 win

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Woodycreek]

Bill,

Good shooting buddy. Glad that old beater still can put them in the black. How do you like that new Zeiss spotting scope?

 

[6mm Remington]

That's pretty darn impressive. Those 300 WM sure seem to shoot well even if everyone gives them grief for being short necked! You can't beat that kind of accuracy and power. Great scope too!
David

 

[nvbroncrider]

They might be shorter than standard. The 280 Gibbs has a super short neck and the one Gramps built was a real shooter. Similar to a 7mm Gibbs but used a 280 Rem case and further increased case capacity.

 

[nvbroncrider]

Good shooting can't complain with that definately MOE! Should make a guy feel good to shoot a group like that.

 

[DrMike]

That's a load that'll do, Bill. Good job.

 

[SJB358]

Wow, I am pretty jealous that you got to get out with the elk rifle and give it a little run. Seems like that scope is going to work out pretty well Bill. With the CDS dial on it, you might not need anything else. That rifle still shoots pretty darned well for an old, dirty Winchester!

Can't see anything sneaking away from one of them..

 

[Elkman]

Thanks for the comments all. As I noted I was pretty happy also.
But as I have said on the forum many times, the kill zone on an elk is much larger than 4 inches. We will see when I stretch it out another couple of hundred yards. The reason I was using the Speer is that it has the same BC as the 180 PT. I will of course range check the PT a little later on, but these gave me reasonable testing bullets. Besides I my dad bought that particular box, who knows when for $5.45. I reran my ballistic program last night and found as expected that a slight adjustment will have to be made for the initial setting before I head to the mountains this fall. High thin air will require a little less elevation. By then I will have both rifles ready to go.

 

[SJB358]

You can't beat having a good bullet to pair with the PT's.. That really keeps the costs down in the shooting department. Hopefully we have a chance to test out the ballistics of that set up in the mountains!

 

[Oldtrader3]

Bill, I was buying Speer ammo at $5.50/box in the late 1980's in Salt Lake City, if you want to date the ammo, that may be the time frame. Brass and copper metal prices went nuts in the early 1990's and ammo was never the same pricewise, again. The old Hot Core Speer bullets were pretty accurate, even in those old factory loads.

From the looks of the 300 yard target, the "old" .300 WM, IMHO, does not need much in the way of work, pretty is as pretty does! Any rifle that will shoot 3 inch or less groups at 300 yards is a keeper and a do-not-touch or you might screw it up! That is pretty good shooting for being rusty at prone position and first time out wih that rifle this year.

I am going to drag the .257 Roberts to the gun club today and see what it will do. At least get it sighted in and shoot a few groups to see what the accuracy baseline is for that rifle, before I do anymore work except Accraglassing the action areas that I want to stabilise things. I am anxious to see what the 100 Partition handloads will do. I put new Allen head, high tensile, action screws in the rifle so that I can regulate torque better. We will start with that.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Great grouping. When the BDC knob matches the rifles trajectory there's a world of self confidence that allows you to concentrate on the shot and not the trajectory. This will be a very bad year to be an elk wherever your hunting. :mrgreen:

 

[FOTIS]

Very nice!

Well below MOA........