jrayborn
07-31-2011, 09:08 AM
Just me rambling...
I have been a shooter for an awful long time, I'm 40 and had the itch since I was 8 with my BB gun's and shot them constantly. As I got older I had .22's both Long Rifle and Magnums, and spent every nickle I could on ammo. I shot a lot as a youngster, it was my thing and I got pretty good at it.
Older still I joined the Marine Corps and actually got taught how to shoot a rifle. Wow, its easy to do when you have good instruction (and I did). I could make even the most worn out M16-A2 earn me "Expert" if I concentrated. In my 6 years I shot expert 8 times...every time actually. 500 yards, and if I can see you, you are going to have a bad day.
So when I became a civilian again my interests naturally came back to shooting and I saved and saved and got an M1-A. I learned everything I could about that rifle and can easily keep my shots in a 12" target prone and slung from 300. Not much to brag about but I have never ever been the type who could hold .5 MOA. I have never been lucky enough to be with anyone else who did either though so I don't feel so bad.
Now at this point I have almost 100 different rifles and pistols. Mostly I shoot at steel targets not paper because its fun. I like to hear the clang and its easier than walking back and forth to hang targets, plus if anyone else is at the range I like to offer to let them hit it too, always gets them smiling..
So I can usually hit what I aim at with a rifle and with a pistol I would say I am better than some and leave it at that. I have recently in the last few years become completely infatuated with Ruger revolvers and have a SP101 and GP100 both in .327 mag (one for each of my boys) and a .45 colt Redhawk. The GP and SP both shoot like lasers and at 50 yards I hit my plates with little trouble but that Redhawk on the other hand is another story.
So finally this weekend I decided to get a bit more serious and shoot some paper. Most normal people would have done this a while back, but lets just say I am unique. First I shot the GP100 off a rest with a my load of NOE 313640 120 grain bullet/2400 combo and was shocked to see an inch group at 20 yards. I know that to most of you that is a huge group but to me that was very good, and unexpected, I have had this revolver for only about a month. Thank you Ruger!
The SP101 was very similar but I have owned it a couple years and it needed a bit of tweaking of the forcing cone and the barrel had to be firelapped to get the leading to stop, but it shot very well too.
I was working up to it so I took up the Redhawk up next and shot a very unexpected group at only 20 yards, but still 3rounds cloverleafed and 3 within about a inch of them. I was shocked. I cannot get this gun to shoot but here it is on paper with a nice group. I even tried a couple cylinders of 325 grain boolits over 2400 and it was right on, a bit off to the right but very very good.
I had been really cursing this revolver but it would certainly seem that I am the issue with it. I think that I am not so good with the heavy recoil and shortish (4") barrel. My 325 grain loads clock at 1000 fps and I read of some that like 1200, wow. I think I need to find some lighter loads and shoot more paper with this gun, and I think I will be happy :)
I have been a shooter for an awful long time, I'm 40 and had the itch since I was 8 with my BB gun's and shot them constantly. As I got older I had .22's both Long Rifle and Magnums, and spent every nickle I could on ammo. I shot a lot as a youngster, it was my thing and I got pretty good at it.
Older still I joined the Marine Corps and actually got taught how to shoot a rifle. Wow, its easy to do when you have good instruction (and I did). I could make even the most worn out M16-A2 earn me "Expert" if I concentrated. In my 6 years I shot expert 8 times...every time actually. 500 yards, and if I can see you, you are going to have a bad day.
So when I became a civilian again my interests naturally came back to shooting and I saved and saved and got an M1-A. I learned everything I could about that rifle and can easily keep my shots in a 12" target prone and slung from 300. Not much to brag about but I have never ever been the type who could hold .5 MOA. I have never been lucky enough to be with anyone else who did either though so I don't feel so bad.
Now at this point I have almost 100 different rifles and pistols. Mostly I shoot at steel targets not paper because its fun. I like to hear the clang and its easier than walking back and forth to hang targets, plus if anyone else is at the range I like to offer to let them hit it too, always gets them smiling..
So I can usually hit what I aim at with a rifle and with a pistol I would say I am better than some and leave it at that. I have recently in the last few years become completely infatuated with Ruger revolvers and have a SP101 and GP100 both in .327 mag (one for each of my boys) and a .45 colt Redhawk. The GP and SP both shoot like lasers and at 50 yards I hit my plates with little trouble but that Redhawk on the other hand is another story.
So finally this weekend I decided to get a bit more serious and shoot some paper. Most normal people would have done this a while back, but lets just say I am unique. First I shot the GP100 off a rest with a my load of NOE 313640 120 grain bullet/2400 combo and was shocked to see an inch group at 20 yards. I know that to most of you that is a huge group but to me that was very good, and unexpected, I have had this revolver for only about a month. Thank you Ruger!
The SP101 was very similar but I have owned it a couple years and it needed a bit of tweaking of the forcing cone and the barrel had to be firelapped to get the leading to stop, but it shot very well too.
I was working up to it so I took up the Redhawk up next and shot a very unexpected group at only 20 yards, but still 3rounds cloverleafed and 3 within about a inch of them. I was shocked. I cannot get this gun to shoot but here it is on paper with a nice group. I even tried a couple cylinders of 325 grain boolits over 2400 and it was right on, a bit off to the right but very very good.
I had been really cursing this revolver but it would certainly seem that I am the issue with it. I think that I am not so good with the heavy recoil and shortish (4") barrel. My 325 grain loads clock at 1000 fps and I read of some that like 1200, wow. I think I need to find some lighter loads and shoot more paper with this gun, and I think I will be happy :)