My friend Shane Gregory came down from Indy last weekend to pick up a Sako A-1 PPC he had purchased from John Kruzan and wanted to shoot the Dome again. This was his 5 th trip to the Dome. He arrived late Saturday p.m and we were joined by Kruzan and Shayne Halliburton.
Kruzan brought an array of small caliber rifles for Shane's daughter Sydney to shoot eggs with. Cooper 17 HMR, Dakota Arms
204 with the Neiska action, a Shilen actioned TAC 20, a 22 BR, and another TAC 20, maybe a few others I have forgotten.
Sydney stepped to the line with the first invite to take her first shot at an egg with a centerfire. The egg rack was set at 234 yards and has a paper sighter target underneath the cradled hanging eggs.
Sydney took to shooting eggs like a duck to water and she had multiple hits before missing. No doubt she is the record holder at the range for # of eggs hit after shooting so many rifles. She was even putting eggs on top of the 100 yard berm and taking them out with a 22 rimfire. She also wore out a PD spring loaded popper at 100 yds with the 22 RF.
Sydney also went long hitting Chuckie multiple times with the 6x55.
Here is her view downrange. Chuckie to left of crosshair.
Shane brought a 260 AI and a 6x55 improved to try at long range. The 260 is about shot out but the 6x 55 imp did very well on Ole Chuckie at 800 yards. Shane has loaded the 105 Berger to 3300 fps but they shoot better in the 3,000 plus range. We chronoed his load at 3,050 fps and single digit SD.
About one o'clock we sent Shane's wife Lori to the Stagecoach for pizza on the range. Pizza just taste better eaten at the DOME.
I was reloading on the bench for a 40-XBR 6 Dasher 12 twist and took out a few eggs with Berger 80 gr FB varmints. I also took
my Viper SS with a 6.5 x 284 barrel. We chronoed a new load for it. 142 SMK's at 3073 fps with SD of 3. After chronoing I took 2 shots at 800 and declared it ready for long range.
Shane chronoing his 6x5
About 4 o'clock the wind went to zero and we headed up the hill to Rocky Top to stretch things out a little with the 6 x 55 and the 6.5 x 284. Conditions were near perfect. Cloudy, no mirage, zero wind, and no cows in sight. We are shooting at small rocks on a dirt berm which is a pond bank at 1428 yards across the valley.
We set up and I dial my AtacR up 42 moa and touch one off and 2.1 seconds later we see splash one moa high and one moa right. I dial it in and after a few shots I miss the baseball size stone by inches.
Shane dials up his scope thinking he has enough MOA to get there. He touches one off and he's right. Splash a little low and right. Must have been the bullet yaw to the right as we both hit right on our first shot. But maybe it was a slight breeze.
Shane dialed it in and was missing the rock by inches. We let our barrels cool a little and then it was over. The cows came in
for a late afternoon drink.
Saturday night we dined at the nearby Timberloft
Shane presented me with a very nice gift, made of aluminum he cut out himself
Thank you so much Shane. I will mount it at the Dome.
Another, good friends, good guns, BEST of TIMES at the DOME!
