Sunday March 18 2012 @ Kingsbury - NEW rifle!

[TattooedGun]

No offence intended, TG, but when you say something like

The rain was still coming, drizzling, almost relentlessly... I thought about what it might do to my rifle, but then thought "I've waited all damn week to shoot this rifle, it could be hailing and as long as I could see the target I'd give it a go!"...

and follow it with

If I were truely worried about firing the "untested loads" through the unzeroed rifle then I wouldnt have shot.

it seems somewhat contradictory. I realise that in the first quotation you're talking about poor weather and the second is about a hand load but it seems to suggest that you may not have taken as much care with the hand loading (because you were eager to try out your new rifle) as you might have done had you zeroed it with factory ammunition first.

I have next to no experience hand loading but when I put a scope on my .308 I'll zero it with factory ammo first to try and eliminate as many things that I could (and probably will) make a mistake on as possible!

Oh come on, really, has no1 here got any sense of exagerration?

The whole of my range report was written with gusto, I was pleased with how things went, and I wanted to portray the fun excitement aspect of my day. When I talk about what it might do to my rifle, I was talking about the finish, I was talking about the water marks it might leave behind until I get home and thoroughly clean the rifle, and I was talking about water spots on the glass. My breach was clear, and it was safe.

You quote 2 completely unrelated items - sure if there was water peeing into my breech then I would have had to stop and think about increased chamber pressures.

Why are people seeming to take things so darn seriously when it should be fairly obvious I was excited by the fact I was getting to fire my new rifle for the first time? Obviously the last thing I would do, nor want to do is risk anyones life, least of all my own by being completely and utterly wreckless.

That said, what would be the problem with shooting in Hail? - provided I kept my breech clear, I don't see as it would cause any problem, apart from the reduced visibility of the target, but I even mentioned I'd have to see the target!

Why zero the rifle with factory loads, when you are going to exclusively use hand loads from the start? To me that makes no sense. You'll have a zero that disagrees with the ammo you'll be using.

[Christel]

I have always enjoyed reading TattoedGun's range reports....full of gusto!

Stop over analysing what he says, at least he posts about his range time.

I know he is as safe as safe can be...and he is not new to the game either.

[Sandgroper]

You realise that Load development is ADVANCED Reloading, and there are hundreds of thousands of people out there (not just this country) who just make rifle bullets using powder dippers (I wonder how many tenth of grain those are accurate to!) and a hammer press to make rounds to something like Saami lengths...

That'll be me most of the time! :lol: I still have my lee loaders in 223 and 308 but I don't use them that much now, but the dippers most of the time :shakeshout: unless I've got a few hours to spare and feel like developing a load with the scales. :cool2:

[dromia]

Oh come on, really, has no1 here got any sense of exagerration?

Who is number 1?

I can't find them in the member list.

[M99]

Oh come on, really, has no1 here got any sense of exagerration?

Who is number 1?

I can't find them in the member list.

It is text speak for "No one"

[dromia]

Here's me thinking it is an English language board. :G

[TattooedGun]

Oh come on, really, has no1 here got any sense of exagerration?

Who is number 1?

I can't find them in the member list.

I'm obviously Number 1, haven't you heard, I'm amazing at everything! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :G

[dromia]

But you've just said that you have no sense of exageration.

Are you a journalist?

[kennyc]

No offence intended, TG, but when you say something like

The rain was still coming, drizzling, almost relentlessly... I thought about what it might do to my rifle, but then thought "I've waited all damn week to shoot this rifle, it could be hailing and as long as I could see the target I'd give it a go!"...

and follow it with

If I were truely worried about firing the "untested loads" through the unzeroed rifle then I wouldnt have shot.

it seems somewhat contradictory. I realise that in the first quotation you're talking about poor weather and the second is about a hand load but it seems to suggest that you may not have taken as much care with the hand loading (because you were eager to try out your new rifle) as you might have done had you zeroed it with factory ammunition first.

I have next to no experience hand loading but when I put a scope on my .308 I'll zero it with factory ammo first to try and eliminate as many things that I could (and probably will) make a mistake on as possible!

Oh come on, really, has no1 here got any sense of exagerration?

The whole of my range report was written with gusto, I was pleased with how things went, and I wanted to portray the fun excitement aspect of my day. When I talk about what it might do to my rifle, I was talking about the finish, I was talking about the water marks it might leave behind until I get home and thoroughly clean the rifle, and I was talking about water spots on the glass. My breach was clear, and it was safe.

You quote 2 completely unrelated items - sure if there was water peeing into my breech then I would have had to stop and think about increased chamber pressures.

Why are people seeming to take things so darn seriously when it should be fairly obvious I was excited by the fact I was getting to fire my new rifle for the first time? Obviously the last thing I would do, nor want to do is risk anyones life, least of all my own by being completely and utterly wreckless.

That said, what would be the problem with shooting in Hail? - provided I kept my breech clear, I don't see as it would cause any problem, apart from the reduced visibility of the target, but I even mentioned I'd have to see the target!

Why zero the rifle with factory loads, when you are going to exclusively use hand loads from the start? To me that makes no sense. You'll have a zero that disagrees with the ammo you'll be using.

you keep on as you are as long as you are aware of the implications, and you have made clear that you are! then there is no problem. Ideally you should check zero at 100 yds first, but you explained the situation, and the experienced shots with you were happy for you to proceed, and it sounds like you had a good time

[Ovenpaa]

I have zeroed rifles for windage at 300m in the past by sighting through the bore at a flag pole or post and been within the equivalent of 1MOA first shot. Knowing the angle of your rail in minutes and bore of 'scope above the barrel means it is quite easy to calculate your theoretical zero, if you know your MV and bullet weight then you can calculate the drops required to get you to your target.

I did it because I had built a new taper shims for a rifle which has Apel mounts on it so I can adjust for windage on the rear base, this means I can sit my windage drum right in the middle instead of having to re-zero by 2-3 minutes.

I know of some good International competition shooters who bore sight at a telegraph pole from the club house, adjust the sights to suit and can be virtually on the POA first shot at 100 so such a technique would equally work for 600.