Frustrating Trip to the Rock Pit

[Sabotloader]

It was a little warmer than I wanted it to be but decided to go to the Rock Pit this morning. Still do not feel good about shooting at either farm yet - to much dry stubble in the fields.

I wanted to work an a load and sabotless shoot in my Knight Western ULite.  I can not use it here in Idaho but hunters in Oregon and Washington - heck and many other progressive States.

When I got to the rock pit got stuff out of the truck and started my setup.  Next I grabbed my usual 6 clay pigeons and walked them out to the rock wall.  Climbed up the loose rock at the bottom of the rock wall, grabbed the first bird went to place it on the wall and it slid off the rock and busted!  That should have been a good indication what the morning was going to be like!!!  Placed the other 5 birds on the wall without incident.



Got back to the truck and loaded up the first load.  120 grains of T7-2f by volume, then a MMP-Ballistic Sub Bridge, and finally a knurled Barns 50x275 gr. MZ-Expander.  I have to order the 54cal MZ-Expander and then discard the sabot that comes with it.

This is not the the Expander I shot but the process of knurling was completed as shown in this picture.  You do have to do some practicing to figure out the amount knurling lift you will need for your barrel.



Got the first load completed got on the portable bench, placed the Fire Sight bead just slightly under the bird and took the first shot - really nice smoke cloud! And in slow motion I watched the bird roll of it perch fall down and break... I really didn't know where the bullet hit, assumed it was high so load and on the 2nd shot only this time I held lower on the next bird - This time I didn't even scare the bird it remained on its perch. 

Ok so now I am really getting frustrated... load one more place the bead in the middle of the bird - same results...

I hated to do this but I decided I need to shoot paper and see what was really going on.  My problem became clear after shooting paper.



Made the sight adjustment... and it is not easy it is somewhat of a guess with the NECG as it is a what I call a 'Slide and Glide' sight.



Of course I have adjusted the sight before so using the directions to estimate how far to turn the set screws - I completed the operation with confidence I would be very close to what I needed.

It was really starting to warm up so I decided to move from the paper back to the 'birds on the wall'  So I loaded up and returned to shooting birds... this was the setup...



Work Bench setup



The rest of the morning and the rest of the birds went really well



I do need to make another trip shooting paper. I did not adjust the elevation this trip and I really want to be near 2.75" high at 100 + check my windage adjustment.

[Fl0und3rz]

I always enjoy your posts, even if the outing was a little frustrating.

Thanks.

[BULLBLASTER]

Wealth of muzzy knowledge in each post. Those are probably awesome buckets in full bore states.

[Sabotloader]

I always enjoy your posts, even if the outing was a little frustrating.

Thanks.

It was a littler bit frustrating because I was missing the birds, plus number of bullets shot makes a dent in the wallet and the pit was getting to warm to quick!

But yet it was somewhat rewarding when I moved to paper and found what the problem probably was.  Still have some fine tuning to do...

[Sabotloader]

Wealth of muzzy knowledge in each post. Those are probably awesome buckets in full bore states.

Right now I really do think these are very good bullet with very good terminal performance.  Personally I think they best the heck out of the Thor and even the Hornady FPB.

[Jonathan_S]

That's a very strong recommendation 

[Moe the Sleaze]

Whats really bad is when you move to paper and then get no hits at all!  So you have to keep moving the paper closer and closer.  I did this once using a flip-chart size target (30"x40") at 70 yards.  3 or 4 shots and no hits.  So moved target to 50yds.  Another shot, nothing on paper.  Couldn't tell...high, low, off to the side, what?  So moved target to 40 yds.  Still nothing.  Finally at 25yds I see where a bullet barely clipped it on the upper right corner.  My sights were that far off. I was probably missing the original 70 yard target by 10 feet! Made some major sight adjustments and finally got to the center of the paper after about 20 rds of powerbelts.  VERY frustrating!!!  My shoulder didn't heal up for a week!

[Sabotloader]

That's a very strong recommendation 

Guess I didn't consider it that way... but I do believe the Barnes system has worked for many years.  But to be totally honest with you I believe the Nosler Partition is overall a better bullet and even better than that are the Lehigh Defense bullets - either the Bloodline line they build for Knight or the new line of Copper bullets that they are building under Lehigh Defense.  PROBLEM - neither Nosler nor Lehigh makes a 50 cal. bullet for a ML.

[kerrdog]

I've been getting curious about Elk Hunting in Oregon and I shoot that exact setup. (I copied you) so I like the post Got me thinking.  Will a big ole lead conical work well in the Ultralight?

[Sabotloader]

I've been getting curious about Elk Hunting in Oregon and I shoot that exact setup. (I copied you) so I like the post Got me thinking.  Will a big ole lead conical work well in the Ultralight?

I certainly do not know why it wouldn't...  A friend in Oregon, tried Thor's for a couple of times with really poor results. I suggested the Bull Shop .503x460 'lead bomb' - he has been using that for a couple of years now and is quite happy.