Post by: elkboy on September 17, 2016, 06:38:03 PM
Slipping away from work a bit before the whistle on Friday, I drove east to nearby Idaho to meet up with Sabotloader. Loading up shooting bench, boxes of equipment, and much more, we spin out through the golden hills of the Palouse to the aforementioned farm. Nobody preps to shoot like Sabotloader! Besides being one of the friendliest guys on the planet, he comes Prepared.
After shooting through the chronograph and increasing the powder load I was using, I shoot the Knight Mountaineer (.50 cal, 110 gr T7-2F, 300 grain Bloodlines) for real. Every step of the way, Sabotloader offered valuable insights into loading, sighting, setting the bullet, accessories, sabot and bullet selection, and much more. There is nothing like a good mentor, especially for a guy like me who did not grow up shooting or hunting. I finished the shooting by taking a 50 yard shot right-handed (I am a lefty), and taking the center out of one of Sabotloader's "elk hearts" (clay pigeon).
Lastly, we return to Sabotloader's hometown, and he calculates a trajectory sheet for me, and explains it all. I ended the day with a new understanding of modern muzzleloading, and an even greater appreciation for Sabotloader! HUGE THANKS! I am looking forward to October 1st, and seeing the whitetails spread out across the fields from the timber in the evening light. I know I will go out with even more confidence that I normally do.
Good luck to you all this fall!
Post by: Sabotloader on September 17, 2016, 08:01:04 PM
Those ballistic sheets can be a really good source of information...
Post by: Timberstalker on September 17, 2016, 08:42:11 PM
Post by: CLARKTAR on September 17, 2016, 09:16:03 PM
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Post by: Sabotloader on September 20, 2016, 01:27:54 PM
Mark just a follow up on the shooting... since you were working this morning I grabbed my gear and headed to the farm to do some more shooting. Another good morning at the farm....
But I wanted to really show you my last - no next to last shot of the day...
I put some elk hearts out at 25, 50, 75, and 100 yards to help me verify that I was sighted in... I worked off my ballistic trying to make my hold coincide with what the chart was indicating...
25 yards I should hit approximately 1.02" high - held on the bottom of the bird figuring an inch+ high would get me in the center of the bird...
50 yard birds impact should be about 2.46" high - still holding on the bottom of the bird I should hit right near the top of the center of the bird.
75 yard birds impact should be about 2.97" high - this time I held with a little air under the birds. Really felt good about both hits.
100 yards bird impact should be about 2.63 high - used the same hold as the 75 yard shot....
You notice I only put one bird at a 100... I really wasn't the most positive person in the world about hitting that dinky target at 100. When I took the shot I was positive I heard the "click" of a hit but when the dust cleared - the dang bird was still there standing just like it was before the shot.... I cussed a little and loaded again - took the shot - no click this time... When the dust cleared - there was the bird again... So I decided to walk out the 100 yard bird and see where the impact was hitting the ground. Some where between the 50 and 75 yard birds I looked at the 100 bird and smiled - hugely!!! I am so blind I couldn't see that the center of the bird was missing from back at the bench!
This is a pic of the setup this morning - really hard to see the birds so I added the circles. NOTE the legend says .455x275 -> correction .458x275
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv130%2Fsabotloader%2F16-9-20%2520ULite%2520Shoot%25201.jpg&hash=c8baf0e5f5d50d81b7e5c7e2d7d773cfd171d163) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sabotloader/media/16-9-20%20ULite%20Shoot%201.jpg.html)
And this is a pic of the 75 to 100 yard birds... with a close up of the all important 100 yard bird
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv130%2Fsabotloader%2F16-9-20%2520ULite%2520Shoot.jpg&hash=8e709e71a61b6400e50bf4df0270a3e1512e7701) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/sabotloader/media/16-9-20%20ULite%20Shoot.jpg.html)