Simmons Pro Sport 4x32mm on a GMB

[cayuga]

The other day I wanted to scope my New Englander which I did. But in order to do that I had to change out scopes. So I put a $25.99 Simmon Pro Sport 4x32mm shotgun scope on my Green Mountain Barrel Stainless Steel .50 caliber. Today I wanted to see if the rifle would shoot and maybe break that scope.

I had bore sighted the rifle in the house. I do this with my gun vice and aim it at 13 yards at a door knob. Well this time I must have done something right. I never had one this close before. I always start my testing at 13 yards. BUT too one few too many steps. The range finder told me once I was all set to shoot it was only 12 yards. First the particulars should be mentioned.

Rifle: Green Mountain Barrel Co. Stainless Steel .50 caliber 28 in. 1-28 twist. Mounted in a T/C Renegade Stock
Scope: Simmons Pro Sport 4x32mm Shotgun scope with 50 yard parallax.
Mounts: Traditions quick release mounts.
Powder: Goex 3f & RWS 1075 caps
Projectile: Hornady XTP 250 grain in a black harvester long sabot
Distance: 12 yards, 27 yards, 50 yards
Weather: 22 degrees, overcast, snowing, light wind
Swab solution: Windex - swabbed ever other shot

A could questions before I start.. what would you guess is the velocity of a 250 grain XTP in a 28 inch barrel with 100 grains of Goex 3f behind it? I am trying to figure some trajectory and am guessing 1700 fps. Is that about right?

This is one of the first times my in house bore sighting has been this close. I took the four shots and decided I did not want to change a thing at this distance.

So I swabbed the barrel good and moved the target back to what turned out to be 27 yards. When your in deep snow, this is close enough.

At the 27 yards station the hits were 1 and 5/8th over the center of the bulls eye. This seemed about right. You know the old wives tale. Dead on at 13 yards, inch and a half high at 25 yards, etc.. That one did slip away from me. I had the set trigger on and was about to shoot but goofed up my breath. So when I was resetting myself, I accidentally fired too soon.

Well then I swabbed the barrel real clean. Almost to spotless. I moved the target back to 50 yards.

3&1/4 inches seemed a little high to me at this distance. But I did not want to change it as I want to move next to 75 yards and then to 100 yards. But I want to find my snowshoes first. The snow in the woods is getting deep and I have to walk a trail anyway. Might as well do it the easy way.

Does that seem like it is falling in line? One reason I want to run the ballistcs on that bullet...

 

[cayuga]

12-17-2010 12:00 noon

Weather: 17?, over cast, snowing very lightly at times, slight (cold) wind
Distance: 50 yards to target

Rifle: T/C Renegade Stock 50 caliber Green Mountain Stainless Steel barrel. 1-28 twist and 28 inches long
Scope: Simmons Sports Pro 4x32mm
Powder: Goex 3f 85 grains worth RWS 1075 caps
Projectile: .430 Hornady 300 grain XTP with black Traditions Brand sabots & Buffalo Bullet Company 375 grain all lead, SSB in provided sabots.
Swab: Simple Green cleaner

Yesterday I was surprised the rifle was shooting so high. So I wanted to see if it would repeat itself. On a squeaky clean bore it shot 4-1/2 inches high. I was not shocked but then not pleased. I then swabbed the bore.

Next two shots were about like yesterday's results. Three and a half inches high, very tight group. But I increased the weight of the projectile from yesterday, and lightened the powder charge. I thought it might have more effect then that.

So I swabbed the bore clean and made an adjustment to the scope. That brought me down two inches, but I wanted the hits dead center bull I figured. All my shooting during hunting is never further then 50 yards so why not be dead on.

I swabbed again and made way too much of an adjustment. The two hits were an inch low. So again, I made a slight adjustment and it moved it up to the bottom of the bulls eye for the fourth group. And I had one flier. And I knew the second I loaded that it was going to be a flier. 99% of the time it really took some force to push the sabot down the bore and seat it. This time it practically fell down the bore. Why? No idea. But when it hit outside the group it did not surprise me.

I then swabbed clean and made another adjustment. This time a hair too much. The fifth group had me right on the top of the bull. But I could live with this. Also again, I had a light loader and again a flier out of the group. Not much mind you, but still out of the group. Also that was the last XTP I had in that box of bullets.

So I swabbed the bore squeaky clean and got some .451 Buffalo Bullet Company, all lead hollow point, 375 grain SSB sabot/bullets. These normally shoot well in all rifles. So I picked the upper left bull and cut loose. A note, these were almost slip fit in my opinion. Maybe the .451 instead of the .452 made that happen. No short starter was needed. I swabbed for shots 1&2 but then left it fouled and shot #3. Which surprised me as it was a dead bull. It also loaded about how I thought it should load. So maybe I am on to a quick follow up load for this rifle.

Anyway, shooting Goex black powder makes one always think cleaning up is going to be a chore. A water bath, and the second patch was clean. So much for the filthy Goex story for me. I did an alcohol patch after that an it too was clean. The rifle cleaned that fast. 85 grains does not seem like a lot of powder, but we used to kill a lot of deer with a lot less. Its a good load and should work well in that rifle.

 

[k]

that barrel just ain't picky is it cayuga.i think the challenge for you is finding a load it won't shoot well ........karl

 

[cayuga]

They really are good barrels. Same kind of barrel you'd find on the expensive Knight rifles. I just like it that the thing is on a traditional style rifle, and I really do not know why that pleases me more then it being an inline. I have enough inlines..

 

[Semisane]

I kinda think if I had discovered GM's LRH barrels sooner I might never have bought my first in-line. I have three LRH's and all three of suckers SHOOT!

 

[scratcherky]

Which scope do you like best? Pro hunter or Pro diamond?

 

[cayuga]

I use the Pro Diamond the Pro Sport and I have no Pro Hunter. The Pro Diamond is a good scope but it has the inside square on the cross hairs. But actually you never notice that and it is great glass. The Pro Sport has nice fine cross hairs. I have just started to test them.