xphunter
Handloader
- Sep 15, 2005
- 1,440
- 2,958
On two different days this past week, I went out to Mac’s Gunworks to finish up a little bit of load development with one XP, but also to try different things from standing positions for a future South Africa hunt. It’s odd, how you can have something in your mind a certain way, and you only practice a certain way. That’s how I started off with a heavy and a very light game changer bag and my tri-pod. It is their smaller version. The heavy sand version weighs around 6 pounds while the light version that’s the very same size, weighs under a pound (10.5 ounces), and my small Holland field bag weighs just a little bit more (12 ounces) than that lightweight game changer bag.
On my first trip, I just tried the center-grip with both of the game changer bags, and I didn’t like it at all, for what I wanted to accomplish.
I want to stay in the kill zone with a standing shot out to 400 yards
When I went to the rear grip, with just the game changer bags the steadiness was significantly better.
With heavy version, shots at distance became easy, but with the really lightweight game changer bag, there was more wobble than I wanted.
Toward the end of the shooting time, I just thought about grabbing my little Holland field bag to see if I could shore up the stability.
Of course, the difference was significant....WHY DIDN'T I THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE?????
I’m already going to have this light Holland bag with me for times when I shoot prone, but just adding it to my tripod, shooting position really made a significant difference with the rear grip.
I was very dissatisfied with the stability using a center-grip on the first outing.
I decided that I was going to go back out again with a center grip, and adding the Holland field bag.
It is a 6.5-284 XP-100
I thought about placing the Holland bag in front and maybe on top of my Bipod, but I wanted to start by placing it behind the game changer bag basically in the same location I used it with the rear grip from my previous trip.
Placing it there, resulted with me, not even trying the other position.
The Bipod itself keeps the game changer bag from moving forward, which was a good thing as well.
The tri-pod, carbon plate, and two bags weigh: 6.5 pounds.
I know I could go with a lighter weight tripod, but I am not going to spend a lot of money when this works so good
If, I take two guns to Africa, which I probably will, I can say with confidence one will be a center grip and one will be a rear grip.
I had good conditions yesterday, and out to 500 yards in these conditions was really good. 600 yards was iffy, and 700 yards (All 10” Steel) was even more difficult, but I did put at least one on steel. At 800 yards I tried three shots, and I had no joy, so I quit trying that.
I also tried the 5 inch steel targets at 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards.
I tried it another time and wasn’t as successful.
Where I will be hunting in South Africa has the same elevation, as Gillette. Some of the terrain looks very similar as well.
I know that I’ll be doing quite a bit of walking every day, but I’m not going to be in the mountains or even the foothills, so I don’t mind carrying some extra weight that will give me the ability to shoot from standing positions, as far as I would ever want to.
What works for me, may not work for you, but get out there, and try new stuff. You never know what may work or won’t work, until you try it.
Next up, is running suppressed with center grip and rear-grip specialty pistols, chambered in: 6.5-284, 6.5 PRC, and 6.5 WSM (All sub 16" barrels).
I may prefer the ability to be closer to the gun, and just use a good muzzle brake...We will see.
400 yards standing with both center and rear grip specialty pistols is extremely doable on 10" targets.
I may pull out a 8" target at 400 or 450 yards, just to see how consistent I can be over a 1/4 of mile from the standing position.
On my first trip, I just tried the center-grip with both of the game changer bags, and I didn’t like it at all, for what I wanted to accomplish.
I want to stay in the kill zone with a standing shot out to 400 yards
When I went to the rear grip, with just the game changer bags the steadiness was significantly better.
With heavy version, shots at distance became easy, but with the really lightweight game changer bag, there was more wobble than I wanted.
Toward the end of the shooting time, I just thought about grabbing my little Holland field bag to see if I could shore up the stability.
Of course, the difference was significant....WHY DIDN'T I THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE?????
I’m already going to have this light Holland bag with me for times when I shoot prone, but just adding it to my tripod, shooting position really made a significant difference with the rear grip.
I was very dissatisfied with the stability using a center-grip on the first outing.
I decided that I was going to go back out again with a center grip, and adding the Holland field bag.
It is a 6.5-284 XP-100
I thought about placing the Holland bag in front and maybe on top of my Bipod, but I wanted to start by placing it behind the game changer bag basically in the same location I used it with the rear grip from my previous trip.
Placing it there, resulted with me, not even trying the other position.
The Bipod itself keeps the game changer bag from moving forward, which was a good thing as well.
The tri-pod, carbon plate, and two bags weigh: 6.5 pounds.
I know I could go with a lighter weight tripod, but I am not going to spend a lot of money when this works so good
I had good conditions yesterday, and out to 500 yards in these conditions was really good. 600 yards was iffy, and 700 yards (All 10” Steel) was even more difficult, but I did put at least one on steel. At 800 yards I tried three shots, and I had no joy, so I quit trying that.
I also tried the 5 inch steel targets at 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards.
Where I will be hunting in South Africa has the same elevation, as Gillette. Some of the terrain looks very similar as well.
I know that I’ll be doing quite a bit of walking every day, but I’m not going to be in the mountains or even the foothills, so I don’t mind carrying some extra weight that will give me the ability to shoot from standing positions, as far as I would ever want to.
What works for me, may not work for you, but get out there, and try new stuff. You never know what may work or won’t work, until you try it.
Next up, is running suppressed with center grip and rear-grip specialty pistols, chambered in: 6.5-284, 6.5 PRC, and 6.5 WSM (All sub 16" barrels).
I may prefer the ability to be closer to the gun, and just use a good muzzle brake...We will see.
400 yards standing with both center and rear grip specialty pistols is extremely doable on 10" targets.
I may pull out a 8" target at 400 or 450 yards, just to see how consistent I can be over a 1/4 of mile from the standing position.
