koger
10-23-2016, 06:40 PM
Sun was nice, weather was nice, got out this afternoon to shoot some new 300gr ballistic tip bullets, with crush rib sabots from Harvester Muzzleloading. I shot very well with the 260 grains last week, but when talking to the guys at Harvester, and I understood this very well, the 300 grain slug has much more retained energy at longer ranges, past 150yds. I upped my charge to 100grains of Blackhorn 209. Per Harvesters instructions, I would be 2-2&1/2 inches low at 200-250yds on each BDC. I clicked the scope up the appropriate mount of clicks, shot 150 yds with bdc, dead on, 2 shots cut each other 1/2 right of the crosshair target! I went to 200yds, shot 2 shots, that bracketed the cross one on each side, 3rd shot cut the left hand hole a little bigger, under 2" group at 200yds!! I then went to the 250yds, and shot 2 with the 300gr slug, again the 2 shots were about a inch from the cross on each side, and 3/4 low. I shot 2 of the 260 grains, same load, same pattern, but 2.5 inches high, good to go!!! I then went to 300yds. and shot a target with 2 crosses, use the 300yd BDC, which aint too precise on a 3x9x40 at 300yds. First group was 2.5 inches left, 2 3/4 inch group, 2nd group shot at the bottom cross, was about 3 inches left,3.5 inches group. Now this was off sandbags, no fancy shooting rest, and with a gusting 15-20mph cross wind, with no windage compensation. If I put the crosshairs on the back edge of a big whitetail or Mulie shoulder, at any of these distances, every shot would have been in the boiler room, resulting in a dead deer. I also set 2 gallon jugs up at 125 yds and 175 yds, and with a sling wound tight on my arm in a field hunting position, managed to hit both first shot, the 300gr really exploded them. Real world hunting, I will keep my shots 250 and under, but feel very, very confident in these 2 rifles and scope setup. I will be cleaning them up, and storing them, ready go west in 4 1/2 weeks!!! A footnote on these guns, I bought one new, one use in mint condition, for under $200 each off inidividuals. I have another $300 in the scopes and mounts, a Nikon Inline XR300bdc and a Burris Fullfield 3x9x40 ballistic plex. I don't feel like that is very expensive for 2 complete setups, shooting the same two identical components, and them both shooting great! I have shot nearly 2 cans of Blackhorn 209 in 10 days, but good range work, at dead nuts ranges, is what makes thae one shot you may get important! Just thought I would share!