I really need to work on my basics. The trip shouldn't have left me disheartened, but it did. I confirmed zero on my muzzleloader after shooting high and spine hitting a little fawn during the early season. Killed it good and quick, but I thought I was aiming just above the heart. Could have hit briars right in front of it though as it was by some thick stuff.
In fact even with ghost ring sights at 100yds at least from the bench I was stringing within 1" of the center line of the bullseye. 2 rounds 1.5" low and 2 rounds 2" high. The difference? 1 went low shot cold. 1 went high shot within 2 minutes of the first shot. Then the bore was allowed to cool 15 minutes (and it was COLD yesterday) and then it shot 1" low again. Another shot 2 minutes later and 2" high.
Let it cool awhile, adjusted the sight up a fraction and it went 1" high at 100 cold bore. Waited a few minutes and took a shoot off hand and it went 3" high (probably from off hand shooting).
Took a shot cold bore at 50yds and it was dead center half an inch low. Took a shot off hand and bullseyed it. Then used up some pyrodex which was shooting a few inches high. Adjusted my POI (not the sight. Just using up the last of my pyro, otherwise shooting with fffg 777) and proceeded to put 2 in the bullseye, one a couple of inches right and slightly high and then another one at 100 5" high but right on the center line. All off hand. Other than the 100yd off hand pyro shot (no idea where where POI was at 100), best shooting I've ever done off hand with anything.
So that was great. My 10/22 was behaving better and it was grouping really well, but still some feeding issues (elder rimfire thread).
My Sako. Oh my Sako. It look most of my range time with it to realize my cheek weld SUCKED and I was too far from the scope (I think the video a guy showed me of his wife knocking herself out with his muzzleloader made me scope shy). Off the bench I was shooting 4" groups and having a hard time getting it zeroed with PPU 150gr SP and Armscor 147gr FMJ was grouping at 6". Both I've easily gotten to group under 3" and the PPU at 2". Burned up my box of the PPU and Armscor and only realized what I was doing with my last 2 rounds of PPU (what I was trying to zero it with for hunting in a few weeks). That was a little better, but both shots were still a little wide either side of the center line, but at least the right height (IE I think I had fixed the height of my cheek weld, but on my horizontal positioning).
I put 3 rounds of PPU M80 through it and it grouped 2" in a nice cluster just under the bullseye at 100. So hey, at least I know it like PPU M80 which is nice to know so I can stock up a bunch of cheating shooting and SHTF.
Afterwards I did tinkering and I need to adjust the crosshair focus and work on dry firing with cheek weld practice. Also another range trip between now and Late firearm season so I can live practice again and actually zero the friggen thing. I have 1 box of PPU 150gr SP left and I just ordered a 2nd box as well as a box of Winchester power point 150gr SP and 150gr Remingtoj corelokt. Try to figure which one groups the best and stick with that. Stupid me realized what shoots well for hunting is the most important. I don't care if it costs 80 cents or $2 to kill a deer. Or even, gasp 2 or even 3 shots at $1 or $2 a shot for an entire deer. If I have to use an entire $20-30 box of ammo between zeroing and hunting a year versus a $17 box that isn't much savings and missing or wounding is a lot more expensive.
I think part of my cheek weld issue is I am relatively tall and the benches at Cresap especially are really low for me, I am crouched way down. Off hand I don't think I have much issue with cheek weld. I need to stuff more sand bags under my rifle to get it higher next time. So too far back and also crouched down too far making my cheek weld suck. Probably still need to practice a lot more dry and live firing.
I'll save the cheap stuff for the range, not for hunting. Also yes, I'll look at expensive stuff to at some point, but I do have most of a box of Hornady 168gr Amax, but I'd rather go with 150gr for flatter close range shooting as well as closer to the same POI as 147/150gf 7.62/.308 FMJ.
I guess I learned something, but I still feel like I wasted half of the main reason for my trip (zeroing my Sako, which I am not confident it is).
In fact even with ghost ring sights at 100yds at least from the bench I was stringing within 1" of the center line of the bullseye. 2 rounds 1.5" low and 2 rounds 2" high. The difference? 1 went low shot cold. 1 went high shot within 2 minutes of the first shot. Then the bore was allowed to cool 15 minutes (and it was COLD yesterday) and then it shot 1" low again. Another shot 2 minutes later and 2" high.
Let it cool awhile, adjusted the sight up a fraction and it went 1" high at 100 cold bore. Waited a few minutes and took a shoot off hand and it went 3" high (probably from off hand shooting).
Took a shot cold bore at 50yds and it was dead center half an inch low. Took a shot off hand and bullseyed it. Then used up some pyrodex which was shooting a few inches high. Adjusted my POI (not the sight. Just using up the last of my pyro, otherwise shooting with fffg 777) and proceeded to put 2 in the bullseye, one a couple of inches right and slightly high and then another one at 100 5" high but right on the center line. All off hand. Other than the 100yd off hand pyro shot (no idea where where POI was at 100), best shooting I've ever done off hand with anything.
So that was great. My 10/22 was behaving better and it was grouping really well, but still some feeding issues (elder rimfire thread).
My Sako. Oh my Sako. It look most of my range time with it to realize my cheek weld SUCKED and I was too far from the scope (I think the video a guy showed me of his wife knocking herself out with his muzzleloader made me scope shy). Off the bench I was shooting 4" groups and having a hard time getting it zeroed with PPU 150gr SP and Armscor 147gr FMJ was grouping at 6". Both I've easily gotten to group under 3" and the PPU at 2". Burned up my box of the PPU and Armscor and only realized what I was doing with my last 2 rounds of PPU (what I was trying to zero it with for hunting in a few weeks). That was a little better, but both shots were still a little wide either side of the center line, but at least the right height (IE I think I had fixed the height of my cheek weld, but on my horizontal positioning).
I put 3 rounds of PPU M80 through it and it grouped 2" in a nice cluster just under the bullseye at 100. So hey, at least I know it like PPU M80 which is nice to know so I can stock up a bunch of cheating shooting and SHTF.
Afterwards I did tinkering and I need to adjust the crosshair focus and work on dry firing with cheek weld practice. Also another range trip between now and Late firearm season so I can live practice again and actually zero the friggen thing. I have 1 box of PPU 150gr SP left and I just ordered a 2nd box as well as a box of Winchester power point 150gr SP and 150gr Remingtoj corelokt. Try to figure which one groups the best and stick with that. Stupid me realized what shoots well for hunting is the most important. I don't care if it costs 80 cents or $2 to kill a deer. Or even, gasp 2 or even 3 shots at $1 or $2 a shot for an entire deer. If I have to use an entire $20-30 box of ammo between zeroing and hunting a year versus a $17 box that isn't much savings and missing or wounding is a lot more expensive.
I think part of my cheek weld issue is I am relatively tall and the benches at Cresap especially are really low for me, I am crouched way down. Off hand I don't think I have much issue with cheek weld. I need to stuff more sand bags under my rifle to get it higher next time. So too far back and also crouched down too far making my cheek weld suck. Probably still need to practice a lot more dry and live firing.
I'll save the cheap stuff for the range, not for hunting. Also yes, I'll look at expensive stuff to at some point, but I do have most of a box of Hornady 168gr Amax, but I'd rather go with 150gr for flatter close range shooting as well as closer to the same POI as 147/150gf 7.62/.308 FMJ.
I guess I learned something, but I still feel like I wasted half of the main reason for my trip (zeroing my Sako, which I am not confident it is).
