A Pigon at 3900 FPS

[Johnch]

Saturday I did some casting using range lead
Mainly for the 40 S&W
But I had some lead left over and the RCBS 22 cal mold was setting on the bench
So I made 150 or so of them

Yesterday I looked over the 22 cal bullets and wondered why I had cast them
As I was now out of that batch of range lead and had no clue exactly what the alloy was

So I had the idea to try them in 30 cal sabots in the 308
Un sized , no gas check or lube

Just a bullet in a sabot
With some 4198 to move it along
The data I have says it should be about 3900 FPS ( I never checked )

I loaded 20 and headed out back to the bullet trap

I had to move the POI a ways to center the group on the paper
Well 5 shots at 50 yds was about 3 1/2"-4" group

Not the greatest group .....but I can say the BOOM of the muzzel blast was impressive


Well this afternoon one dumb pigon landed under the bird feeder out back
I figured why not , there was a large maple tree as a backstop

I put in plugs and good ear muffs
Took carefull aim through the scope and pulled the trigger
I have not figured how fast that bullet was going at 35 yds
But I must have centered the pigon
As feathers came down all over the place and I couldn't find a dencent sized piece of it to feed the cats

Oh well
I have a few more rounds left
I will have to look for a ground hog to try the load out on next :veryconfu

John

[Magana559]

I once shot a black bird at 5 feet with a 20 Guage mossy bolt action. I know that feeling! :bigsmyl2:

[missionary5155]

Grettings and well done.
95 % of all wild pigeons should be so lucky. Only flying critter I dislike worse are crows. But either make worthy targets for caliber 60 flint smoothbores. I look forward to this june and the chance to reduce the flocks in East central ILLinois.
Mike in Peru

[Pb2au]

Good to hear you are heading back to the States in June! You have been down in Peru on Mission for well over a year now right?
May the crows and pidgeons beware!

John, that pidgeon never knew what hit it.........

[Idaho Mule]

There's a lot to be said for "blowin' sumthin' up". JW

[338RemUltraMag]

It only took the title to make me grin...

[clintsfolly]

Sounds as bad as 458AccRel verses starling!!! 385gr rnfp at 2200 was just a enough gun for the job. Clint

[WRideout]

Once, while squirrel hunting in TN with my 12 ga, I shot a squirrel from about four feet away; his head completely disappeared! Still made fine squirrel stew.

Wayne

[Smoke4320]

oh the smiles .I raise my coffee cup in salute to you .. (its morning )

[Bullshop Junior]

I love sabots in the 06!!

[badbob454]

shot a flying blackbird with a full choke 12 guage to test the pattern .. vaporized at 20 feet only 1 leg and a feather attached was left of it it kinda twirled slowly to the ground everything else just vanished .. very surreal

[Mumblypeg]

"POOF".... be gone....

[rockrat]

Little brother and I were hunting doves. One flew by and "bang". I claimed the bird and so did he. Seems like we had both pulled the trigger at the same time and only heard one shot. Most doves were flying by at about 50 yds, this one was 50 feet away. We picked it up and it looked like a strainer, it had so many holes in it. We both must have centered the thing.

[Bullshop Junior]

I hit a snake 4 times with a 20ga the other day in about .5 seconds at 5' from a full choke.

[daniel lawecki]

Isn't a pigeon just a flying rat like a crow.

[RP]

I have to agree it sure makes me smile to see nothing but feathers drifting in the wind. Oh I am kind of glad I was not the only one.

[sparky45]

I put the kibosh on a snake trying to get in the shop with me the other day. Used the trusty 45ACP with homemade bird shot loads. Brass was made from cut down .308 cases. One to the old think tank and it was over. Actually shot the snake twice, after all it was still moving.

[dougader]

Little brother and I were hunting doves. One flew by and "bang". I claimed the bird and so did he. Seems like we had both pulled the trigger at the same time and only heard one shot. Most doves were flying by at about 50 yds, this one was 50 feet away. We picked it up and it looked like a strainer, it had so many holes in it. We both must have centered the thing.

I hit a dove a little too solidly one day as it cut and took a sharp turn... it looked like a sieve, but that didn't stop me from cleaning it and trying to eat it, LOL... I put diced onion and celery inside and it all started coming out the holes as it baked in the oven. It was hard to get a bite without bits of bone in it.... :mrgreen:

[TXGunNut]

Shot a crow while fooling around on a friend's ranch with one of those CCI half jackets in a 30-06 many years ago. It was well over 100 yds away but somehow I hit it with one of those little bullets that left the muzzle going well over 3000 fps. I was pretty sure I'd missed it but my friend told me otherwise. Didn't find much but feathers, didn't know you were supposed to load those bullets down. ;-)

[crowbuster]

This only reassures me that castboolits is the place for me. So many like minded people. Yes, we are normal ! I do love puff balls !

[YunGun]

It only took the title to make me grin...

+1!! :evil:

[DeanWinchester]

I bought some sabots with the idea of 22 cast in a 308. Haven't gotten a 'round tuit' yet but I'd like to run a dead soft 55g cast boolit about 1800-1900 fps if I can find accuracy. Would be a serious small game getter from my main rifle.

[fastdadio]

Is there a thread here with the topic being the .30 cal. sabots? Alot of mystery surrounds these. I've done searches before and came up with not much good or bad. Seems like most folks haven't had much luck with them. I have a bag of 1000 sitting on the bench and a box of .223/55gr spritzers. Could be potent medicine fer yotes. The loading data supplied with is pretty vague and my first run was dismal. Huge group including a couple key-holes. Any experience to share would be greatly appreciated.

[Johnch]

Is there a thread here with the topic being the .30 cal. sabots? Alot of mystery surrounds these. I've done searches before and came up with not much good or bad. Seems like most folks haven't had much luck with them. I have a bag of 1000 sitting on the bench and a box of .223/55gr spritzers. Could be potent medicine fer yotes. The loading data supplied with is pretty vague and my first run was dismal. Huge group including a couple key-holes. Any experience to share would be greatly appreciated.

I got the best groups when I tryed J bullets at or close to start loads
Max loads shot poor groups to say it nicely

John

[randy_68]

I love it!!!
I once shot a(starling) that landed by my backstop as I was sighting in a .357 maximum shooting 180 group xtps @ 2200 fps. All I found was tail feathers! I the went hunting with it and shot a groundhog at 20 yards. No more head.

[dtknowles]

Is there a thread here with the topic being the .30 cal. sabots? Alot of mystery surrounds these. I've done searches before and came up with not much good or bad. Seems like most folks haven't had much luck with them. I have a bag of 1000 sitting on the bench and a box of .223/55gr spritzers. Could be potent medicine fer yotes. The loading data supplied with is pretty vague and my first run was dismal. Huge group including a couple key-holes. Any experience to share would be greatly appreciated.

I talk about my load in this thread http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?225406-Fastest-accurate-cast-bullet-load

Tim

[DanWalker]

my email is crowshooter223 at hotmail.... I guess you know how I roll.

[chill45100]

Haven't used any cast boolits in it yet but my .22 CHeetah vs a crow at 60 yards was impressive. Two wings twirling down from the fence post and lots of crow dust everywhere. That one foot still grasping the post was a bit spooky though.

[DLCTEX]

When I was doing basic at Ft. Polk circa 1967 a bird landed on the firing range at about 80 yards just before the commence firing order. I think all ten guys on the line fired at it when the RO said fire. Poof! M 14 fmj.

[CWME]

I picked up a .204 Ruger to make little critters pop when shot. 34gr HP and a case of varget does the job very well. Got a ground hog with that load once. The popping noise of the critter was louder than the gun going off. Made a heck of a mess in the back yard. Never done that kind of damage with my cast, yet.

[Pinsnscrews]

I keep telling SWMBO that I need a 10/22 and a Can to deal with our Flying Rat problem. To bad they are City Flying Rats, as Pigeon wrapped in Bacon, stuffed with ham and provolone and baked in the oven is Damn Tasty. I won't eat Urban critters due to their fondness for Trashcans. I have seen some of the **** my neighbors put in their trash...I have often wondered why they don't own HAZMAT suits...

[Bullshop Junior]

Slide a deprimed 12ga hull over the end of the barrel, and use electrical tape to hold it on. Shoot subsonic rounds and it is pretty quite. If you wanna make it even quiter make baffles out of pieces of 16ga shells and washers.

[Three44s]

I've been working with a 300 RUM and j words lately ......... maybe I ought to give those sabots a try?

.......... 5,000 fps???

Best regards

Three 44s

[taco650]

This thread reminds me of a story my Grandad told me years ago (~ 30+ years). Seems he was deer hunting with his father-in-law and the FIL saw a crow sitting on a fence post some distance off so he shot it... with his Winchester 1886 in 45-90. He hit it and you can guess the rest.

[flounderman]

I have shot sparrows with a 22-06 and you see the head go up, but there was usually something left. I shot sparrows with a 25-20 with a fairly flat nosed cast bullet and nothing came down. Bullet was about an 87 grain and it wasn't moving much more than 1600, if that fast. I had that happen numerous times. All I could think of was the bullet carried the bird away with it. I shot sparrows with a cast 45 bullet, flat nosed 265 grain and they just fell out of the tree. Never could understand why they would disappear with a 25-20 and not with a swift or 22-06. There was feathers so I know I didn't miss before somebody suggests that.

[Docjames]

3900 fps O.O thats a hot 22 lol. I think everyone from 12 years old to 85 has tried a bit of "overkill" at some point or another. Just remember, when the alien giants come I feel confident I will be among the first to get a Volkswagen at 3900fps. To many toads and black birds have fallen prey to my first 30/30. :/

[Bullshop Junior]

I used to rev my sabots to about 4300 if I remember correctly. That was in a Ruger canoe paddle 77. It shot pretty decent too.

[Newtire]

Saturday I did some casting using range lead
Mainly for the 40 S&W
But I had some lead left over and the RCBS 22 cal mold was setting on the bench
So I made 150 or so of them

Yesterday I looked over the 22 cal bullets and wondered why I had cast them
As I was now out of that batch of range lead and had no clue exactly what the alloy was

So I had the idea to try them in 30 cal sabots in the 308
Un sized , no gas check or lube

Just a bullet in a sabot
With some 4198 to move it along
The data I have says it should be about 3900 FPS ( I never checked )

I loaded 20 and headed out back to the bullet trap

I had to move the POI a ways to center the group on the paper
Well 5 shots at 50 yds was about 3 1/2"-4" group

Not the greatest group .....but I can say the BOOM of the muzzel blast was impressive


Well this afternoon one dumb pigon landed under the bird feeder out back
I figured why not , there was a large maple tree as a backstop

I put in plugs and good ear muffs
Took carefull aim through the scope and pulled the trigger
I have not figured how fast that bullet was going at 35 yds
But I must have centered the pigon
As feathers came down all over the place and I couldn't find a dencent sized piece of it to feed the cats

Oh well
I have a few more rounds left
I will have to look for a ground hog to try the load out on next :veryconfu

John
Hey John, those pigeons used to be good to eat up in Savanna, Illinois. Now you just shoot them and throw them away?

[docmagnum357]

I remember an article Ross Seyfred ( spelling) did in G&A or some magazine years ago. 6mm H&H, pigion at 60 or seventy yards. Poof! I think he called It "pigeon dust".

[tward]

I remember as a kid loading my 03 Springfield with Speer 30 cal half jacketed pills. Shot at a field mouse at about 3 ft. End result, closed my eyes and put about a 4" hole right next to the mouse. Tim

[RED333]

Rabbit, 12ga at 5 feet, head taken clean off, made good stew.

[Nicholas]

Well, as long as we are all bragging. I shot a copperhead snake at about 10 feet with 357 mag speer shot cups loaded with #10 shot. Shot all 6 rounds while the snake slithered toward me. Looked like a determined charge to me. On examination of the carcass found that the base wad of probably the last shot severed the spine just behind the head. The snake was riddled with pellet holes otherwise. Probably was not the smartest thing I ever did because I was shooting in through a window into a solid stone building. The shot had to be bouncing everywhere. I first noticed the snake standing barefoot in the outbuilding, looked down and saw it was choosing the best spot on my ankle to strike. That is really stimulating to the autonomic nervous system.

[W.R.Buchanan]

My first shot from my 50 cal Hawken Rifle was a 175 gr round ball in front of 60 gr of Black Powder.

It connected with a Mockingbird at 60 yards.

The effect was the same.

Something satisfying about a pooft of feathers.

Randy

[cuzinbruce]

A squirrel with my Ruger 77/22WMR at 30 or 40 feet. Hit it in the middle. Left with 2 pieces. Guess I shouldn't use the hollow points on squirrels.

[rintinglen]

My cousin made a feather fountain out of a crow w/ a then-new 22-250 at about 70 yards. Feathers and pieces of crow flew in every direction.

[olafhardt]

I advocate checking the sights of small game guns at 10 feet so you know where to aim to save meat. Pigeon is pretty good to eat, much better than a J bird.

[1johnlb]

Squirrel at 25 yds with 30/06 full loaded HP jax. IMPLOSION!!! When I got to the scene I expected to find the squirrel, but it was just the tail still twitching!

[NavyVet1959]

When I was a kid, my grandfather had an old double barrel 12-gauge that had two triggers. You could fire both barrels at the same time if you were so inclined. I would shoot blackbirds out of the tree behind the house using both barrels. Ended up with a lot of feathers.

I learned to hate pigeons and sea gulls in Navy boot camp in San Diego. They seemed to just love to fly over and dump on you as you were standing outside waiting on inspection.

[1johnlb]

Moral of the story: don't shoot black birds, they come back as seagulls!

[adanymous]

My dad and I went dove hunting with a pair of 20 ga mossbergs once. He had been spending some time on his mec shotgun loader, and made about a billion 20 ga shells, he brought two ammo cans full...I still don't know why. Anyhow we were on a milo field in OK on my uncles property and didn't see 1 dove, but the blackbirds were in there pretty thick flocking really tightly into dense balls and moving around the field. Long story short, the ball got too close to us and we unloaded on them. Each shot in the ball would rain starlings, Then it happened again and again and again. The ball started at a 50ft diameter and when we were out of shells it was about 3 feet. We walked out into the milo field to see what the devastation was, and we couldn't take a step without hearing birds squish under us. The following week my uncle said the smell was so bad they didn't drive by that field for a few days.

[1Shirt]

Was shooting p-dogs in WY a few years ago, when a wild canary landed on top of a thisel about 40 yds away. Centered the little bird with my K Hornet and a 30 grain blt. Was a perfect centered yellow mist like of feathers probably 3" wide! Wish I had had a picture.
1Shirt!

[Desertbuck]

114245
This is the results of a headshot on a prairie dog aka ground squirrel at 50 yards with my Rossi 92 rifle 45 colt 200 gr loaded with BP.
I thought I missed him until I walked up to his hole. It made me chuckle a little bit:twisted:

[Sensai]

I just love crows with blue wings, one blew east and one blew west! :bigsmyl2: