35 Whelen
02-08-2010, 12:12 AM
I think the last installment of "High Power Match Shooting with Cast Bullets" was last November, so I thought I'd do another update for those interested.
In the December match, I had a couple of mis-feeds with the little flatpoint bullet that shoved the bullet far enough back into the case so that the round did not fire, resulting in two misses. This hurt my score somewhat and if memory serves I only shot a 710.
The January match was interesting as we still had snow on the ground from our Dec. 24 "blizzard", so we had to shovel ice and snow so that positions 8-10 could be used. It was sunny and 24º at 8:00 and since our range faces east, the sun was shining in our faces adding to the problems. The "boss" decided on a 50 round match. I bombed my offhand but still took 3rd place overall with a (going from memory on the X count)442/500- 4X. "72Coupe" took 1st place with a 453/500 and IIRC he was shooting cast.
Since I started this last February, I've made small changes to loads, rifle and technique between almost all of the monthly matches. Since my first match, I've felt the fact that the barrel requires upward pressure and the fact that the front sling loop, both the original side loop then the K-11 loop I installed later which hangs from the bottom of the forearm, affected the bullets point of impact when I used a very tight sling. So my most recent change was to inlet a sling rail into the forearm behind the original front sling loop:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010083.jpg
This was my first match using the rail and I found it had no affect on the point of impact even with a very tight sling. [smilie=w:
I've also learned to shoot NOW instead of trying to perfect the sight picture. In the words of 72Coupe "...shoot the first 10 you see..." This is especially important for me in the slow prone stage.
At any rate, yesterdays match was great partly because out of 16 or 17 competitors, three of us were shooting cast! One of my buddies shoots an old Model 70 30-06 with a heavy stainless barrel and 311672's I'd given him as well as some 311399's provided him by 72Coupe. Yep..two different weight bullets! But he's catching the cast bullet bug and shooting very well with cast. If memory serves, he fired a 725/800 with somewhere around 8 X's.
I've been hoping to eventually get my Master classification, but I find the step from Expert to Master very difficult. Although I didn't shoot a Master score this time the K-31 loaded with the little NEI 155 gr. plain base flat point helped me shoot a 739/800-12X. This put me in 2nd place in the Expert class beaten out by one of my AR shooting buddies. Here's some of the better targets:
First,one of my Rapid Sitting targets (98-1X) The double @6:00 in the 9-ring didn't look t be a legitimate 10, but when I got home I stuck a bullet in the hole and sure enough.....:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010078.jpg
Next, one of the Rapid Prone targets (98-5X) :
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010075.jpg
Finally, the better of my two Slow Prone targets (97-5X):
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010076.jpg
I've also been experimenting the Lyman 311672. This bullet cast of ACWW shoots incredibly well in both my 03A3's as well as my 1903, but not well at all in the K-31. I've tried the "standard" loads with Red Dot, AL2400 and AA5744 with no luck. I added 2% tin to the last batch and immediately got better results. Today here at the house I tried the 311672 in the K-31 with the "new" alloy with 12.5 grs. of Red Dot. Firing prone, on the first target, a 600 yd. reduced target, I managed a 91-3X though the group was a shade low and about 1 1/2" to the right. I loaded 10 more, moved the sights and then fired another prone score of 94-3X. There may be hope.
My NOE K-31 mould is supposed to be delivered this month. If it arrives in time for me to work up a load, I will shoot it in the next match and report back. In the mean time, I've decided to design a decal for the stock of my competition K-31 that states "Leaded Fuel Only".:mrgreen:
35W
In the December match, I had a couple of mis-feeds with the little flatpoint bullet that shoved the bullet far enough back into the case so that the round did not fire, resulting in two misses. This hurt my score somewhat and if memory serves I only shot a 710.
The January match was interesting as we still had snow on the ground from our Dec. 24 "blizzard", so we had to shovel ice and snow so that positions 8-10 could be used. It was sunny and 24º at 8:00 and since our range faces east, the sun was shining in our faces adding to the problems. The "boss" decided on a 50 round match. I bombed my offhand but still took 3rd place overall with a (going from memory on the X count)442/500- 4X. "72Coupe" took 1st place with a 453/500 and IIRC he was shooting cast.
Since I started this last February, I've made small changes to loads, rifle and technique between almost all of the monthly matches. Since my first match, I've felt the fact that the barrel requires upward pressure and the fact that the front sling loop, both the original side loop then the K-11 loop I installed later which hangs from the bottom of the forearm, affected the bullets point of impact when I used a very tight sling. So my most recent change was to inlet a sling rail into the forearm behind the original front sling loop:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010083.jpg
This was my first match using the rail and I found it had no affect on the point of impact even with a very tight sling. [smilie=w:
I've also learned to shoot NOW instead of trying to perfect the sight picture. In the words of 72Coupe "...shoot the first 10 you see..." This is especially important for me in the slow prone stage.
At any rate, yesterdays match was great partly because out of 16 or 17 competitors, three of us were shooting cast! One of my buddies shoots an old Model 70 30-06 with a heavy stainless barrel and 311672's I'd given him as well as some 311399's provided him by 72Coupe. Yep..two different weight bullets! But he's catching the cast bullet bug and shooting very well with cast. If memory serves, he fired a 725/800 with somewhere around 8 X's.
I've been hoping to eventually get my Master classification, but I find the step from Expert to Master very difficult. Although I didn't shoot a Master score this time the K-31 loaded with the little NEI 155 gr. plain base flat point helped me shoot a 739/800-12X. This put me in 2nd place in the Expert class beaten out by one of my AR shooting buddies. Here's some of the better targets:
First,one of my Rapid Sitting targets (98-1X) The double @6:00 in the 9-ring didn't look t be a legitimate 10, but when I got home I stuck a bullet in the hole and sure enough.....:
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010078.jpg
Next, one of the Rapid Prone targets (98-5X) :
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010075.jpg
Finally, the better of my two Slow Prone targets (97-5X):
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h6/308Scout/Targets/P1010076.jpg
I've also been experimenting the Lyman 311672. This bullet cast of ACWW shoots incredibly well in both my 03A3's as well as my 1903, but not well at all in the K-31. I've tried the "standard" loads with Red Dot, AL2400 and AA5744 with no luck. I added 2% tin to the last batch and immediately got better results. Today here at the house I tried the 311672 in the K-31 with the "new" alloy with 12.5 grs. of Red Dot. Firing prone, on the first target, a 600 yd. reduced target, I managed a 91-3X though the group was a shade low and about 1 1/2" to the right. I loaded 10 more, moved the sights and then fired another prone score of 94-3X. There may be hope.
My NOE K-31 mould is supposed to be delivered this month. If it arrives in time for me to work up a load, I will shoot it in the next match and report back. In the mean time, I've decided to design a decal for the stock of my competition K-31 that states "Leaded Fuel Only".:mrgreen:
35W