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View Full Version : O3A3 done good today!



Patrick L
03-20-2011, 07:59 AM
Isn't it funny how things sometimes just happen? I wasn't looking to shoot any bragging groups today, just a simple sight in.

For many years I have shot our reduced course NRA Highpower with my O3A3 match gun with cast boolits. Basically its an O3A3 that has been bedded, fitted with a repro type C stock, refitted with all O3 milled hardware, and fitted with Lyman target sights. Nothing spectacular but she sure shoots, and I laugh myself silly every time I outshoot some guy with his fancy AR. This winter I had to remount the front sight, so I figured I 'd better sight her in since the first match is next month.

Anyhow, I took a few shots at 50 yds just to get close, then I moved the target out to 100 yds. I proceeded to do this
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/03A3%20Springfield/O3A3.jpg

The two low shots in the 9 ring were my first two. I gave her a few clicks and shot three of the five in the middle. When I saw that I just had to make it a five shot group. The load is my standard Highpower load of 18 gr 2400 (no filler,) a SAECO 301 196 gr TC boolit sized .311 lubed with LBT Blue Soft, a CCI 200 LR primer, in a neck sized case with a slightly drilled out flash hole.

The vertical spread on the five shots is just 1 inch. I'm sure some of you won't be impressed by this, but I sure was. Who says you can't shoot groups with iron sights? Oh, and I currently have pinkeye!

What intrigues me most is that this was my practice ammo, ie with my reject boolits. This is the only boolit I weight segregate, and my match loads are grouped by boolit weight. However, all of the culls are saved and used for practice, plus more unweighed boolits.

Here's a picture of the old girl
http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb157/patrickl_01/03A3%20Springfield/03A3MatchGun006.jpg

I really love this rifle!

skeet1
03-20-2011, 08:44 AM
Very nice rifle and shooting. I love shooting these old military rifles, they have character.

Ken

keyhole
03-20-2011, 10:20 AM
Patrick

Is your rifle 2 or 4 groove barrel? Was your choice of mold driven at all by the number of grooves? I have a 2 groove Remington in which I want to start shooting cast so I'm looking at other people's experiences for some guidance.

thank you for your thoughts

Keyhole

zomby woof
03-20-2011, 10:28 AM
Patrick

Is your rifle 2 or 4 groove barrel? Was your choice of mold driven at all by the number of grooves? I have a 2 groove Remington in which I want to start shooting cast so I'm looking at other people's experiences for some guidance.

thank you for your thoughts

Keyhole

My 2 groove Remington A3 like the 311299 with 30 grns 3031. I've just received my GB 311284 but have not shot any yet.

sundog
03-20-2011, 10:38 AM
I'm impressed. I've been shooting military bolt matches for more than ten years, every month, and two in July (one to celebrate Independence Day and always shoot on the 4th). Twelve months times 50 record rounds times 10 years. That's at least 6,000 record rounds. We shoot five 10-round strings. Any time a group size is under 2", it's braggin' rights. Many times on targets we shoot there will five or more clustered in 1".

Good shootin', Patrick. Nice rifle. Good load choice, also.

RU shooter
03-20-2011, 11:49 AM
Yep it feels good to best the AR guys with a old bolt gun and cast bullets , I like to ask them how much again they spent for that box of serria "match" bullets just to throw a little dig in there!

Patrick L
03-20-2011, 01:08 PM
Thank you all for your kind replies.

Keyhole, it is a 4 groove barrel. The barrel had nothing to do with the choice of mold. I selected this particular mold because it is an accurate boolit, it has 1 big lube groove so it casts easily, and being a SAECO it is available as a 4 banger. I need about 1000 boolits for the season, so I do need to produce in quantity.

Larry Gibson
03-20-2011, 03:47 PM
PatrickL

I built one almost identical. Mine is M1903 action though with a new 4 groove 'A3 RA 43 barrel on it. Mine also is a great cast bullet shooter with 311299 over 4895 with a dacron filler running 1.5 MOA for 20 shot strings at 100 yards.

Larry Gibson

keyhole
03-22-2011, 09:27 AM
Zomby woof, Patrick L - thank you for your comments.

Keyhole