Buckshot
10-13-2005, 03:53 AM
............Well I really don't who whose idea it was, but I suspicion it was Pistolero451. The idea was to shoot scoped centerfire, offhand for the match. He sticks in my mind but when I was whinning Tuesday he said it was Deputy Al's idea. Al said he was full of hogwash, that he had nothing to do with it.
So anyway I was a bit peeved at the whole idea, to tell the truth. But since they humer me on occasion and this IS a group thing, I broke out my one scoped centerfire rifle. This is a Ruger M77 Round Top in 30-'06 that my wife bought me for Christmas the first year we were married in 1975. My grandfather went with her and picked the caliber and Donna picked out the rifle.
I have glommed onto my grandfather's position that everything coming after the 30-06 is so much marketing. Likes to keep things simple he did.
I don't think I have shot this rifle in 5-6 years or maybe even more. I lube-sized up 40 Lyman 311291's to .309" with Javalina and Hornady GC's then went hunting empty brass. I found bunches for the 03A1, and a 50 rnd box for the 1917 but the only brass for the M77 was what was left of 20 rounds I had loaded when I thought I needed a Sierra 150gr SP's going 3000 fps. Besides, they were FLGC's and wouldn't do.
I took 2/20 rnd boxes of 03A1 brass, pulled the decapping spindle out of a size die and FL sized'em. Then used the M die to finish up. This rifle has always liked SR4759 so I loaded up 20.0grs + dacron. Seated the slugs and then taper crimped them into the top drive band. The little drive band in front of the crimp groove engraves but the .300" nose doesn't.
One other thing is that I have been lucky with this rifle I suppose. I had always heard over the years the numerous accuracy issues with the M77 some people had. This M77 is an exception, and is as accurate as anyone could hope for a box stock sporter to be. I have many 1", 5 shot 100 yard groups from it, which also includes those 3K, 150gr Sierra loads too.
Upon arrival at the range I flop down at the bench and check the bore to make sure there aren't any spider nests or such in there and fire a shot at 50 yards. An X. Well I know what I was doing the last time I shot this thing. I fired 2 more and they all clanned up to about 3/8" so I figured I was ready. I thought it might be a good idea to stand up and fire a shot to see about this standing up scope deal.
I ran out of breath a couple times while chasing the crosshairs all over heck and creation, so cranked the scope down to 4x. At 16 I could have shot the staples out of the target (I only wish!). Maybe if I was set in concrete I could. So 4X was a bit easier to deal with. I tried to catch'em (crosshairs) as they flitted past the bull, and was hauling the rifle all around. It's not supposed ot be like this, is it?
I actually thought they were somewhat centered when I feverishly jerked the
trigger but a look through the scope showed a 6 low at 5. Oh THIS is just going to be a train wreck! The next was a 7. I was not happy, so I quit and started shooting the new Victory model. I thought a bit of extra bulk might help so in addition to the burrito at lunch I also got a taco :D.
Well it was time for the main feature so I put a fresh target out and then pouted around the guys, trying to ruin their day. Larry was a kind of break in the routine as he had brought ammo for his 1917 and couldn't figure out why he couldn't chamber it in his old Savage Super Sporter. Well gee!? So he ended up shooting condoms. It was old FN stuff he'd gotten someplace or other and half of it wouldn't go off, and the ones that did, hesitated. He didn't fare so well :confused:
My first shot was a 6 at 5, just like the practice target and I was about ready to quit right there. My next shot was a 7 and it was low but over on the OTHER side of the target. Sheesh! Is this fun or what? No one was saying anything so I just knew I was in the toilet for sure. Glen had a Winchester Hi-Wall in 38-55 with some long ass Lyman Targ-Spot or some such and was standing there banging away. I was toast.
I sucked it up and fired off a 9. Well, that's more like it. Pistolero451 was shooting a really nice Springfield sporter, and Deputy Al was shooting some Remington thing I think. I figured I might as well shoot another and this time I got a 10! Then I got an X. Hey, this might not be so bad after all [smilie=w:
So to finish this mess up I ended up with an 88-1X and that was with 7 points shot away with the 6 and 7 in the beginning. It was a lot of work, believe you me. I think Glen was next up with an 83 or some such. He actually shot a fine group, it's just that it was a bit right and low. You could have fit them all in the 9 & 10 ring otherwise.
Next week it's peetols, so I have to get the K-38 all slicked up!
..............Buckshot
So anyway I was a bit peeved at the whole idea, to tell the truth. But since they humer me on occasion and this IS a group thing, I broke out my one scoped centerfire rifle. This is a Ruger M77 Round Top in 30-'06 that my wife bought me for Christmas the first year we were married in 1975. My grandfather went with her and picked the caliber and Donna picked out the rifle.
I have glommed onto my grandfather's position that everything coming after the 30-06 is so much marketing. Likes to keep things simple he did.
I don't think I have shot this rifle in 5-6 years or maybe even more. I lube-sized up 40 Lyman 311291's to .309" with Javalina and Hornady GC's then went hunting empty brass. I found bunches for the 03A1, and a 50 rnd box for the 1917 but the only brass for the M77 was what was left of 20 rounds I had loaded when I thought I needed a Sierra 150gr SP's going 3000 fps. Besides, they were FLGC's and wouldn't do.
I took 2/20 rnd boxes of 03A1 brass, pulled the decapping spindle out of a size die and FL sized'em. Then used the M die to finish up. This rifle has always liked SR4759 so I loaded up 20.0grs + dacron. Seated the slugs and then taper crimped them into the top drive band. The little drive band in front of the crimp groove engraves but the .300" nose doesn't.
One other thing is that I have been lucky with this rifle I suppose. I had always heard over the years the numerous accuracy issues with the M77 some people had. This M77 is an exception, and is as accurate as anyone could hope for a box stock sporter to be. I have many 1", 5 shot 100 yard groups from it, which also includes those 3K, 150gr Sierra loads too.
Upon arrival at the range I flop down at the bench and check the bore to make sure there aren't any spider nests or such in there and fire a shot at 50 yards. An X. Well I know what I was doing the last time I shot this thing. I fired 2 more and they all clanned up to about 3/8" so I figured I was ready. I thought it might be a good idea to stand up and fire a shot to see about this standing up scope deal.
I ran out of breath a couple times while chasing the crosshairs all over heck and creation, so cranked the scope down to 4x. At 16 I could have shot the staples out of the target (I only wish!). Maybe if I was set in concrete I could. So 4X was a bit easier to deal with. I tried to catch'em (crosshairs) as they flitted past the bull, and was hauling the rifle all around. It's not supposed ot be like this, is it?
I actually thought they were somewhat centered when I feverishly jerked the
trigger but a look through the scope showed a 6 low at 5. Oh THIS is just going to be a train wreck! The next was a 7. I was not happy, so I quit and started shooting the new Victory model. I thought a bit of extra bulk might help so in addition to the burrito at lunch I also got a taco :D.
Well it was time for the main feature so I put a fresh target out and then pouted around the guys, trying to ruin their day. Larry was a kind of break in the routine as he had brought ammo for his 1917 and couldn't figure out why he couldn't chamber it in his old Savage Super Sporter. Well gee!? So he ended up shooting condoms. It was old FN stuff he'd gotten someplace or other and half of it wouldn't go off, and the ones that did, hesitated. He didn't fare so well :confused:
My first shot was a 6 at 5, just like the practice target and I was about ready to quit right there. My next shot was a 7 and it was low but over on the OTHER side of the target. Sheesh! Is this fun or what? No one was saying anything so I just knew I was in the toilet for sure. Glen had a Winchester Hi-Wall in 38-55 with some long ass Lyman Targ-Spot or some such and was standing there banging away. I was toast.
I sucked it up and fired off a 9. Well, that's more like it. Pistolero451 was shooting a really nice Springfield sporter, and Deputy Al was shooting some Remington thing I think. I figured I might as well shoot another and this time I got a 10! Then I got an X. Hey, this might not be so bad after all [smilie=w:
So to finish this mess up I ended up with an 88-1X and that was with 7 points shot away with the 6 and 7 in the beginning. It was a lot of work, believe you me. I think Glen was next up with an 83 or some such. He actually shot a fine group, it's just that it was a bit right and low. You could have fit them all in the 9 & 10 ring otherwise.
Next week it's peetols, so I have to get the K-38 all slicked up!
..............Buckshot