OK. Memorial Day, the first time after six weeks of lousy weekend weather, I finally got to shoot my new Savage 6mmBR build with an 8-32x56 Sightron atop. I was off work and I just had to go, waited long enough.
Conditions were ideal -- for Vietnam during the monsoon season -- and idyllic for any day with a new rifle in your hands. 80-85 degrees, 80-85 percent humidity, 80-85 percent chance of thunderstorms. Ahh, you gotta love south Louisiana.
I should have turned around and went home to Baton Rouge with the first deluge but I was half way there on my 52-mile trip to Sherburne WMA on the banks of the Atchafalaya River.
,Unfortunately, the weather kept the chrono gear in the weatherproof case for the entire shoot. But not a single sign of high pressure all day -- ballistics-wise or weather-wise.)
Got all setup, then a downpour delay, thought the river was going to crest. Finally, stopped, steam coming up off the grass. Then my first observation: holy shit, the view from the backside of my Sightron was frickin' awesome. Everything I'd hoped. So I bore down at 50 yards to set the scope and get the feel for the first shots from the 6mmBR. Initial shot from my 28-inch McGowen 1:8 twist -- nice, recoil equal to my .223s and not as loud. Adjusted scope way up, second shot came up nicely. Third shot, half inch high, and two clicks left. Fourth shot, bull's eye. Smiles.,By the way, 32x at 50 yards is cheating.)
I was using 80gr Bergers over Varget staggered from 29.0 to 31.5,in the end, it didn't make much difference). Drizzling again, so I figure I would clean the bore. Crap, in excitement forgot to bring long cleaning rod. Oh, well, I'll use the bore snake. Crap, in excitement forgot to bring a .243 snake. Had a .223 snake, good enough. Pulled it through. Sun came back out, mirage was shimmering from 50 yards out.
Screw it, I didn't come all this way to worry about breaking in a barrel that a lot said didn't need it anyway. Moved target back to 100 yards. A few more 80 Bergers were shooting near .500 groups. Good enough, not discouraged. Barrel was staying warm, not hot. Went to a batch of 75gr V-Max over Varget 29.0 to 32.0gr loads. The 30.5 grains grouped at a little less than .300 but off bull's eyes. Very pleased. Getting windy though. Another downpour, but a short one.
Sun came back out at about 4 p.m. and steamed up everything like a pot of boiled crawfish. Rain dripping from the range's cover canopy, sweat dripping from my cheek onto the bench. Barrel warming up a bit after some 30 shots total in an hour. Pulled out ten 87 V-Max, again over Varget. Groups opened up some no matter the load. Mostly 1.0 to 1.5 inches. Damnit. Barrel almost too hot to hold -- called it a day. Just in time, slow, steady rain for a half hour.
That was 40 rounds in about 90 minutes with only one pull of an undersized boresnake. I do not shoot competitively -- I did that in Vietnam and won -- and I'll probably always shoot under 300.
I did learn that my barrel likes any kind of bullets over Varget from 29.0 to 32.0 -- especially that 75 V-max at 30.5. Won't really know until I can chrono it. Will probably be my go to round at 100.
Spent what time I had left shooting my sweet CZ .223. But I didn't fare much better with it, either, even with pet loads, under those conditions.
In the Nam, the rain didn't matter much shootin' bursts on full auto. I guess the rain does have an effect on your maiden trip with a new 6mmBR. Didn't do as well as a I expected, but then I won't pass final judgment during a day of rain ... of Biblical proportions at that.
,BTW, both barrels are now soaking in Wipe-Out...kind of like my day.)
Conditions were ideal -- for Vietnam during the monsoon season -- and idyllic for any day with a new rifle in your hands. 80-85 degrees, 80-85 percent humidity, 80-85 percent chance of thunderstorms. Ahh, you gotta love south Louisiana.
I should have turned around and went home to Baton Rouge with the first deluge but I was half way there on my 52-mile trip to Sherburne WMA on the banks of the Atchafalaya River.
,Unfortunately, the weather kept the chrono gear in the weatherproof case for the entire shoot. But not a single sign of high pressure all day -- ballistics-wise or weather-wise.)
Got all setup, then a downpour delay, thought the river was going to crest. Finally, stopped, steam coming up off the grass. Then my first observation: holy shit, the view from the backside of my Sightron was frickin' awesome. Everything I'd hoped. So I bore down at 50 yards to set the scope and get the feel for the first shots from the 6mmBR. Initial shot from my 28-inch McGowen 1:8 twist -- nice, recoil equal to my .223s and not as loud. Adjusted scope way up, second shot came up nicely. Third shot, half inch high, and two clicks left. Fourth shot, bull's eye. Smiles.,By the way, 32x at 50 yards is cheating.)
I was using 80gr Bergers over Varget staggered from 29.0 to 31.5,in the end, it didn't make much difference). Drizzling again, so I figure I would clean the bore. Crap, in excitement forgot to bring long cleaning rod. Oh, well, I'll use the bore snake. Crap, in excitement forgot to bring a .243 snake. Had a .223 snake, good enough. Pulled it through. Sun came back out, mirage was shimmering from 50 yards out.
Screw it, I didn't come all this way to worry about breaking in a barrel that a lot said didn't need it anyway. Moved target back to 100 yards. A few more 80 Bergers were shooting near .500 groups. Good enough, not discouraged. Barrel was staying warm, not hot. Went to a batch of 75gr V-Max over Varget 29.0 to 32.0gr loads. The 30.5 grains grouped at a little less than .300 but off bull's eyes. Very pleased. Getting windy though. Another downpour, but a short one.
Sun came back out at about 4 p.m. and steamed up everything like a pot of boiled crawfish. Rain dripping from the range's cover canopy, sweat dripping from my cheek onto the bench. Barrel warming up a bit after some 30 shots total in an hour. Pulled out ten 87 V-Max, again over Varget. Groups opened up some no matter the load. Mostly 1.0 to 1.5 inches. Damnit. Barrel almost too hot to hold -- called it a day. Just in time, slow, steady rain for a half hour.
That was 40 rounds in about 90 minutes with only one pull of an undersized boresnake. I do not shoot competitively -- I did that in Vietnam and won -- and I'll probably always shoot under 300.
I did learn that my barrel likes any kind of bullets over Varget from 29.0 to 32.0 -- especially that 75 V-max at 30.5. Won't really know until I can chrono it. Will probably be my go to round at 100.
Spent what time I had left shooting my sweet CZ .223. But I didn't fare much better with it, either, even with pet loads, under those conditions.
In the Nam, the rain didn't matter much shootin' bursts on full auto. I guess the rain does have an effect on your maiden trip with a new 6mmBR. Didn't do as well as a I expected, but then I won't pass final judgment during a day of rain ... of Biblical proportions at that.
,BTW, both barrels are now soaking in Wipe-Out...kind of like my day.)
