Shooting Exercise

[Standard Velocity]

It was 72 degrees with a 5 mph breeze and surprisingly few mosquitoes. I had the option to clean out the workshop or go out shooting.

So I was at the range the other day familiarizing myself with my new all weather rifle. I’ve shot it enough now to be pretty comfortable with it so I can start practicing off the paper targets.

My preference is to put 500ml water bottles against the hay bales at 100, 200 and 300 yards and see how quickly I can hit them with one shot each. I walk down to set them up and back to the bench which gives me a fairly elevated heart rate since I’m in couch potato shape.

The hay bales don’t betray where misses may hit so you either hit it or not but can’t really walk em in.

From left to right 100-300 yard bottles. The bullet went through the neck at 100 and dead center of 200 and 300. First string of three in 12 seconds according to my phone stopwatch.

I’m an adequate shot so wouldn’t say this is indicative of my everyday abilities; rather lucky shooting on a perfect day.

What I found interesting is the huge difference between these shots with 168 grain OTM at 2700 FPS and the 165 grain Sierra Gamekings, also at 2700 FPS. These are moderate speeds and going through three inches of water. Gamekings explode the bottles while OTM’s pencil through. Apparently three inches of water will initiate expansion on soft points pretty well. OTM’s aren’t designed to expand but the pressurization when zipping through was not very substantial. Add 200-300 FPS and it is. Just interesting seeing the difference.

That’s it. Just a fun day at the range. Hope everyone is able to see some nice weather and sunshine.

 

[Forrest Halley]

I went shooting yesterday too. It was enjoyable. I too find game kings very nice. They seem to do quite a bit of damage to sort targets while being fairly tolerable on AR500 as long as you mind your velocity. I have good experience with SMK as well, but I do not use them for applications which might require expansion.
What positions were you using? Sadly my shooting was all bench yesterday.

 

[crs]

Forrest, I went shooting yesterday too and had TO KILL SOMETHING!

A 5 foot long, mottled dark gray snake that scared my wife when she went to get the eggs at the chicken house.
It was coiled up in one of the laying nests and I could barely make out the head in the dim light.
No worries mate, the .357 snake shot at close range destroyed the head making positive ID tricky, so into a garbage bag and into the garbage container which will b picked up before it starts to smell.

Dang! That was the first thing shot since last October! It sure did feel good though.

 

[Standard Velocity]

I went shooting yesterday too. It was enjoyable. I too find game kings very nice. They seem to do quite a bit of damage to sort targets while being fairly tolerable on AR500 as long as you mind your velocity. I have good experience with SMK as well, but I do not use them for applications which might require expansion.
What positions were you using? Sadly my shooting was all bench yesterday.

I’ve moved away from Gamekings after I had one bounce around inside of a doe. Hit a rib and veered into the guts. Now I just use Partitions. Burning up old ammunition right now. The OTM’s are in fact leftover from the last ammo shortage. It was the last box of 308 in the shelf.

I just use the front bag turned sideways so it’s roughly equivalent to the padded rail we have in many of our stands. No bunny bag. We’re lucky to have access to a large lease that’s been a club for over sixty years. There are two ranges on opposite ends of the property so there’s always a bench open.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Forrest, I went shooting yesterday too and had TO KILL SOMETHING!

A 5 foot long, mottled dark gray snake that scared my wife when she went to get the eggs at the chicken house.
It was coiled up in one of the laying nests and I could barely make out the head in the dim light.
No worries mate, the .357 snake shot at close range destroyed the head making positive ID tricky, so into a garbage bag and into the garbage container which will b picked up before it starts to smell.

Dang! That was the first thing shot since last October! It sure did feel good though.

I have a groundhog vending machine. I don't have that problem. I shot two last week and watched as another one moved into place. I'm perfecting my stalking skills and this might to be right up your alley...chasing it with a 9422M. I have not been presented with the iconic standing shot. I am waiting for this. The range is fifty yards. The zero has been verified. The presentation is all that remains. The funniest thing is that it appears after I have fired my Lott for the day.

 

[Trogon]

You guys are killing me. Haven't been shooting since late February, sportsmen's club ranges have been closed, indoor ranges closed, could go shoot on my deer lease now but only 100 yards. Better than nothing. Now if only the weather will cooperate on the weekends.

 

[Tra3]

@Forrest Halley this is the season for ground hogs. We have arrowed two of them. I have a general rule that we have to eat what we shoot. Groundhog tastes like chicken, it is actually pretty good. A rifle makes it hard to salvage much. I bet your Lott would make a perfect hole, and plow a substantial furrow in the dirt behind it!

 

[Tra3]

@Standard Velocity that is good shooting. I too enjoy the walks back and forth to the target, Especially when I am alone at the range, it is so quiet and peaceful.
Do you dial a turret or do holdovers?

 

[Standard Velocity]

@Standard Velocity that is good shooting. I too enjoy the walks back and forth to the target, Especially when I am alone at the range, it is so quiet and peaceful.
Do you dial a turret or do holdovers?

Thank you for the compliment but I don’t use either. Just a duplex reticle. Some of the more simplistic holdover reticles look like they could be useful though.

 

[Forrest Halley]

Well in an attempt exercise a bit more I have been meticulously stalking a groundhog with a 9422M that I have received from a late Uncle. I have never killed anything with this rifle despite trying for years. When we hunted together I'd always miss and get ragged. Now it has come under my custody and I have decided to make a point to blood it.
I had not been getting the presentation that I wanted in previous stalks and have successfully held the shot to avoid education. I painstakingly stalk into the position in a long route across dead ground and wait. It would appear but not in the same places as the ones before. I find it interesting that different groundhogs use the same set of holes in such a varied manner.
So today I slipped into position and got set up. I put my chair up, my earplugs in, sized the shooting stick, and began to scan. After the first few scans came up empty I pulled out the phone and began to scan AH and read up on the scopes for a .375 article. I never got the screen loaded as the groundhog appeared at that moment in the perfect presentation!
I raised the rifle and thumbed the hammer back as the heart rate started to climb rapidly. I aligned the crosshairs on the head at about 45 yards and began to squeeze off the shot. This rifle has a long trigger and an old 4x scope so I was exhaling slowly and just thinking squeeze and track the target. Boom! I tracked the scope through the shot and back on target as the new round was racked into the chamber.
I covered the target for a moment, but there was no movement. I rushed in to find a headshot groundhog sprawled out. I could not find the hole from which it had emerged as I watched it expire. When it suddenly began to move I placed the muzzle under the chin and my thumb on the hammer ready to fire again as the movement stopped. I chuckled as I realized it lay across the hole and was now sliding into it.
I paused to reflect and for a moment I was that young hunter again experiencing the excitement of the hunt with my Uncle. As the moment passed I was left there with the rifle in hand and a smile on my face. I'm grateful for the man, the memories, and the rifle. I am thankful to the groundhog for the thrill of the hunt.

 

[Standard Velocity]

Well in an attempt exercise a bit more I have been meticulously stalking a groundhog with a 9422M that I have received from a late Uncle. I have never killed anything with this rifle despite trying for years. When we hunted together I'd always miss and get ragged. Now it has come under my custody and I have decided to make a point to blood it.
I had not been getting the presentation that I wanted in previous stalks and have successfully held the shot to avoid education. I painstakingly stalk into the position in a long route across dead ground and wait. It would appear but not in the same places as the ones before. I find it interesting that different groundhogs use the same set of holes in such a varied manner.
So today I slipped into position and got set up. I put my chair up, my earplugs in, sized the shooting stick, and began to scan. After the first few scans came up empty I pulled out the phone and began to scan AH and read up on the scopes for a .375 article. I never got the screen loaded as the groundhog appeared at that moment in the perfect presentation!
I raised the rifle and thumbed the hammer back as the heart rate started to climb rapidly. I aligned the crosshairs on the head at about 45 yards and began to squeeze off the shot. This rifle has a long trigger and an old 4x scope so I was exhaling slowly and just thinking squeeze and track the target. Boom! I tracked the scope through the shot and back on target as the new round was racked into the chamber.
I covered the target for a moment, but there was no movement. I rushed in to find a headshot groundhog sprawled out. I could not find the hole from which it had emerged as I watched it expire. When it suddenly began to move I placed the muzzle under the chin and my thumb on the hammer ready to fire again as the movement stopped. I chuckled as I realized it lay across the hole and was now sliding into it.
I paused to reflect and for a moment I was that young hunter again experiencing the excitement of the hunt with my Uncle. As the moment passed I was left there with the rifle in hand and a smile on my face. I'm grateful for the man, the memories, and the rifle. I am thankful to the groundhog for the thrill of the hunt. View attachment 347901

Great way to remember your dad. Glad you are able to get out and hunt.