Stevens 200

[Jack Stanley]

The wind was howling today in the land of falling waters , so much so you might think you was in Montana or something . I got some shooting done with an A3 early on and when finished with that I still wanted to shoot a little more .

The first box of reloads I came to was some .223 I'd loaded for the Stevens two hundred rifle . This is the rifle I had the gunsmith bed for me because the stock was so flimsy it would twist the action . On the way out the door I grabbed one of those fold down bipod gizmos that attaches to the front swivel stud . I'd found it in my stuff the other day and just wanted to try it out .

Ammo was loaded into W-W cases with eleven grains of 2400 and Winchester small pistol magnum primers . Bullets were RCBS 22-55-SP made of lino if I remember that right , I used gas checks and Javalina lube . I forget the overall cartridge length right now but they feed just fine in this single stack magazine . This same load I've used in two other makes of case and it worked well in each of them .

I got the bipod attached and fired a couple rounds from the bench at a target thirty five yards out . It didn't group as well as I normally expect but I never have shot well with a bipod . So , with nothing to lose except more daylight I tried a couple shots from prone at the same target . The group didn't open up much so I thought why not try seventy-five yards . the group still didn't open up more than what was on paper already . So in a fit of desperation to get a bad group prone using the bipod I never have done well with . I went to a hundred fifteen yards out and on the same target opened the group to almost four inches . Group was centered , nicely rounded , slightly high and looked about minute of woodchuck or so .

I know that's not terribly impressive compared to the big gun writers and all but for me to use a bipod and actually get a group ...... well I like it . Now , there acutally might be some hope that I'll get this rifle to splatter a chuck sometime in the future . Shooting like that with wind gusts over thirty-five miles an hour does tend to make the paper target wiggle just a bit more than a chuck .

Jack

[Three44s]

I think your 115 yd. group is out of the norm and your rifle/load combo is poised to produce more in line with your 75 yd. and closer groups. Is this barrel new to lead? For me, USP bore paste has helped get past a minor leading issue pretty quickly on some new to cast guns.

In any case, you are at "minute of Marmot" already!! Once you get past a few quirks with the Savage line, you gotta like'em!! I have all over them like a cheap suit for a couple of years now.

I don't particularily care for bipods either. I have a few shooting sticks that I like some and I finally broke down and bought a Harris BP as well. I am going to keep working with them ..... (old dogs should take a stab at something new occasionally).

But what I am all for is a butterfly bag along the lines of the Bulls Bag. I have a custom one made by a couple of friends I showed the idea to. I do by far the bulk of my load development off of it and then also hunt my predators and ground squirrels as well with it when possible.

I hope you are not up wind of me, I am getting tired of hanging onto stuff this spring. We just had two really fine days in a row ....... too hot actually. (yes, I gripe if I am hung with a new rope .... just not loudly!!)

Best regards

Three 44s

[Jack Stanley]

The barrel isn't new to lead in fact I bet it has shot six times as much lead as jacketed stuff . I think the hundred fifteen yard group could be better If the operator could ever get used to field positions and the six power Leupold and the bipod . I don't think I ever had a leading problem with it , it always leaves a bit of a star at the muzzle unless I'm starting to push the powder to high . By that time my accuracy has already gone south .

The bipod was originally fitted to the float tube of my AR , when I found I could shoot that rifle better with a sling instead . The bipod got stuffed into a corner where I found it much later . With this flimsy plastic stock I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to put much tension on a sling . In fact that may be why I got a decent group because I wasn't putting much pressure on the rifle from any direction . I think I just sorta guided the recoil of it some .

Since the rifle is light enough to carry a bit I'd like to use it for chucks when I'm not carrying the Kimber . I figure I can use the Kimber for fifty grain Sierras and the Stevens for cast and select one for the ranges I expect to be at . I guess that's why I'm trying the bipod thing , you know teaching the ol' dog thing .

Upwind of ya ?? naahhhh , I'm a long way downwind from superior but I think the wind was blowing lake trout down here . One of 'em went past an' said "where 'm I at eh?? :smile:

Jack