| On Monday, S1 and I finally got out to the range with this rifle. We tried to get an early start, but we were delayed for a couple of hours while we diagnosed and solved a chambering problem. It turned out that the ejector plunger wouldn't depress flush with the bolt face. Score -1 for Nesika.
Problem solved, back at the range, we fire-formed a few cases using 140 gr. SMKs. Right away, the rifle was showing promise: the last two shots, the only two for which we made no adjustments to the scope's zero, overlapped horizontally in the same hole with no vertical.
Load development then started in earnest, amid lots of bore cleaning. This time with 123 gr. Scenars. It wasn't before we got a good grouping, and we thought we had our load. 65.4 grains of Retumbo gave us a group roughly 3/8" across (wind change) with almost no vertical dispersion. Unfortunately, this became moot when the chronograph came out. The load clocked in at only 3030 fps. For proper integration with the R2 reticle, we were seeking a velocity close to 3300 fps.
Other charges we tried were 67.5 at 3140 fps, 69.5 at 3250 fps, 70.7 at 3320 fps, and 71.7 at 3350. Pressure signs were good through all of these. This was with a 27.5" Broughton 5C barrel. Hodgdon Retumbo, 123 gr. Lapua Scenar, Federal 210 primers.
This was when we started to run out of time. Up to this point, we had been shooting at 100 yards, and nothing had grouped over 1/2 MOA, even with a merely adequate shooter at the bench. We decided to finish off the day by taking a few shots at the 550 yard ram. The value of having a load integrated with the reticle on a precision rifle proved itself out. S1 was able to score a hit with the first shot, without having to mess with intermediate ranges or trajectory calculations. Then he handed the rifle to me, a shooter who has never fired at paper beyond 100 yards, and all three shots found their mark.
We had discussed the characteristics of the muzzle brake quite a bit, and the recoil was right where had I expected it to be: quite light, with very little muzzle climb. I had been told about the muzzle blast, but it even louder than I had expected.
All in all, I'm quite happy with this rifle. I now have exactly what I had been seeking: a tool with which I can hone and extend my shooting skill, particularly at longer ranges. I want to thank S1 again for his excellent advice and workmanship. |
