Bench-Talk

Randy I haven't previously had much opportunity to shoot the most recent batch of bullets you sent me but I finally got out there today. We had normal switchy conditions at the Austin Rifle Club for the afternoon 100 yard score shoot.

 My condition was a right to left movement coming across the range at about 45 degrees. Winds were running from 2 mph to about 10 mph most of the time but 2 or 3 times we had a pick up to about 12 or 13 mph and once or twice it was dead calm. Several times I saw the flags running opposite directions and the mirage going straight up or the mirage running left or right and the flags hanging limp. Missing a left to right switch generally gave about 1 1/2 ring of horizontal and 1 ring of vertical. Missing a pickup in my condition was good for a little less than 1 ring horizontal and 1/2 ring of vertical.

I would have ended up with a nice 250- 14x but I lost track of time during match 3 and didn't shoot the last bull so I ended up with a 240-13x. Thats the first time I have missed the time call but I guess I'm not alone.

I started out shooting 30.5 grains of 4895 and ended up shooting 29 grains of Benchmark. I think that the 4895 shot a little better but it gives a bit more recoil.

I cracked the stock on my older 1979 vintage Stolle Panda so I am thinking of trying out one of Gene Beggs Skeleton stocks if they aren't to expensive. I like the Idea of not having to mess with epoxy. They look wierd but Gene swears they shoot and some one shot a screamer at 200 with one at the Blue Bonnet.

I tested the 110 grain bullets in the Bartlien 1/12 twist LV and they definitely won't stabilize that bullet. They will almost stay on the target at 100 yards but not always within the scoring box. That bullet will need the old dependable 1/10 twist.....just like you said.

Charlie Kirkpatrick shot some good targets with your 136 grain 30 caliber bullets in his 30/284 Hunter as well.

Ted

PS thanks for the hat.

Thanks for the report, Ted! :) I finally got the RimRock LV 25BR shooting well enough to be competitive - it fell into place with Hogdon BenchMark and the 88 Gr. FB. My son-in-law, Matt, managed to win a 200 and was second in the Grand Agg shooting the 25. Good shootin'! RG

I have found Hogdon BenchMark to be my go to powder as well. ALthough I got it to shoot well with H4895 at the last match. I tried BLC2 but I think it is on the slow side. I would like to give N135 a shot.

RG (those are my dads initials as well). What barrel are you using on the 25BR? Ted

The one which is up and running is a PacNor, 1:12" twist five-groove (with few exceptions, I have found these to be excellent barrels - they are button rifled.). After a little 'hunt-and-peck', to find "THE" powder,  it is shooting very well: during his initial registered VfS tournament, in tricky conditions, my son-in-law posted a 250-13 or, 14 X  at 100 and won the 200 with it. He was shooting the 88 Gr. FB bullets (at the just 'kiss' setting) and a dose of BenchMark. The bullets were moly-coated and to keep life simple, I had Mat shoot the ENTIRE Grand Agg. without cleaning! ;) RG. 

The least he could do is clean your rifle after shooting it all day. HA HA! Good thing I don't have a son in law so I don't have to share.

Although I have been sharing primers with some guys who need a few to get through this dry spell (just so you don't think I am stingy).

I don't clean the 257TED much either. The guy who runs our matches preloads all his ammo and doesn't clean until the end of the day so we don't get much time between targets. So I reload one relay and clean the next until it is my time to hang targets and I make sure I all set ahead of time. If you aren't ready when he calls the commence fire you don't get any sympathy. The advantage is we can get off the range by 3:15.

I will shamefully admit that at the last match were I got a BOLO for one of the targets and ended the day with a 240, I was beaten by one of those lousy, inaccurate, 30BRs. (head hung low) I am going to have to spend the $7.00 for one of those cheap timers I guess.

I am going to stop messing with the BLC2 for the 88 as it just doesn't seem to give me any more than I was getting from the H-BM or the 4895 except maybe a nicer fireball in the late evening.

Also if anybody is interested I will try to post a copy of the reamer print for the 257Ted. It is a nice caliber for some one who has a PPC bolt face and wants a light 25 caliber round.

Ted

Ted, if you're getting a "fire-ball" with the ball powder, it's likely related to having the powder charge-weight a little too LIGHT - if you haven't observed some pressure symptoms, you may be pleasantly surprised by 'hunting' upward - in 1/2 Gr. increments - untill you either encounter excessive pressure or, better yet, nirvana! ;) If you can't get rid of the fire-ball, BLC-2 is probably not going to work as well as something else: the ball powders usually 'like' to work at a 'full boil' - a fire-ball is indicative of substantially less than full combustion. RG