Finally - a good range trip...........

[jim4065]

Haven't been too impressed with the Omega up 'til now. Still not completely satisfied but...........

With 120 grains of 2F behind a 270 grain Gold Dot soft point in an MMC sabot I got a 4.5" seven shot group at 200 yards - after sighting in to be dead on at 100 yards. The Nikon Omega scope has a BDC type of reticule - supposed to work with a 250 grain sabot in front of 150 grains of 2F (or that unholy pelletized stuff). The group was centered about 2" high and 4" left - but the wind was gusting pretty good from 10 to 2 o'clock. Got to admit that I don't have a powder measure throwing 150 grains - but figure to cobble something up with a brass tube. My next trip will be to try the 250 grain sabots in front of 150 grains of 2F - if it works OK I'll be mighty pleased.

One negative is that the bore is really tight. Swabbed with a patch with solvent followed by a dry patch between shots, but still tight. May just be the sabots - they're about 10 years old - waste not, etc. It did seem to get a little better after about 20 shots - is it possible for a plastic sabot to "wear-in" a bore?

Anyway, to quote Stimpy: "Happy, Happy!" :bigsmyl2:

[Underclocked]

Is that rifle rated for 150 grains of loose powder? (edit: I see in the TC manual that it is) You'll probably be throwing unburnt powder out the barrel, experiencing substantial recoil, and not gaining much otherwise in the process.

Try some Harvester crushed rib in the appropriate size. You can order those from Midsouth. I believe you will appreciate the difference in loading pressure and might see accuracy improve, although I don't think a 4.5" group for seven shots at 200 yards is all that bad.

Look for accuracy to go right out the window though when you go to 150 grains of loose. I wouldn't recommend that at all.

[jim4065]

Please forgive for pursuing this - but it may help someone save time (or not).

Another range trip. This time I was well-armed with TC "Shockwave" 250 grain sabots - which are too darn expensive. Dead calm, maybe 76 degrees - perfect day, but crowded.

Anyway - the best that I could with 150 grains of 2F was about 6" at 200 yards (or maybe a little over :oops:). I kept cutting back and getting better accuracy until reaching 100 grains of 2F - bummer! Then I tried 3F - Aha! Accuracy went up 'til I got to 120 grains, when the miserable (state) employees stopped the shooting for the day. Good enough - my best group was 3 shots in 2 & 5/8" at 200 yards. Don't know if it was pure luck, but on that happy note I'm going to pretend (to myself) that this is THE LOAD. At about a buck a shot it will have to do.........[smilie=s: