Lee Martin
Hunter
Prior to the Safari Silhouette Shoot at Fusilier Complex, Arnaudville, Louisiana, a couple of new loads were tried in the Stroh-Bradshaw Freedom Arms M83 .44 Magnum. Shooting the revolver from a single sandbag "trunnion" rest, this is five shots at 50 yards. Load: Sierra 250 Full Profile Jacket (FPJ), 22.3/H110, Federal 155 Gold Match primer, Federal nickel case. Velocity from Shilen 10-inch barrel with .429" groove and 1:16 RH twist----taken on a Caldwell chronograph at 85-degrees Fahrenheit----averages 1426 fps, with 36 fps Extreme Spread.
Back up to 25 yards to check Point of Impact (POI). Sierra 250 FPJ over 22.3/H110. Scope is Leopold LER (Long Eye Relief) 2.5-8x32mm with factory target turrets and dot reticle. Leopold QRW quick release rings on JD Jones T'SOB mount.
… and return to 50 yards. With all five rounds fired in essentially the same wind, the leaker almost certainly belongs to the marksman
Five shots @ 100 yards reveals drop when dot/crosshair is zeroed for 50 yds (white paint behind gun barrel).
Same respective white dot Point of Aim (POA): left, 50 yards; right, 100 yards. Drop of Sierra .44 250 grain Full Profile Jacket @ 1,426 fps
Sierra .44 250 FPJ over 22.3/H110 @ 100 yards. Crank elevation knob, thinking 1/4" per click. Leupold LER handgun scope adjustment is very close to 1/2-inch per click.
100 yards
Consequence of mis-counting scope adjustment. Target on right shot first. Double-counting clicks puts Point of Impact (POI)——target on left. Leupold LER 2.5-8x32mm with optional target turrets exhibits accurate tracking, while micro-clicks in handgun installation register a thin hair on the plus-side of 1/2-inch per click. Same arrangement on rifle works in 1/4-inch clicks.
Lull in wind during recent range sessions with Freedom Arms ,44 Mag and Sierra bullets. Note Bradshaw's preferred tripod, the all-machined Tiltall, made since 1947. Leopold 12-40x40mm spotting scope incorporates huge eyepiece (ocular) and long eye relief, which provide full field of view while wearing glasses. Many more expensive spotters, even with wide ocular lenses, fail to combine Leopold's full field of view with proper eye relief.
Wind generally coursed from 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock. Site tape tied to tripod represents only flagging. Combine with reading mirage----when mirage is available----to dope wind drift, which reliably bends a bullet. Big bullets with superior dynamic balance characteristics track consistently. Marginal bullets go to Hell fast
Sierra .44 210-grain Jacketed Hollow Cavity (JHC) mixed with Sierra 250 FPJ to compare POI (Point of Impact) @ 100 yards, using nearly identical powder and charge, with same scope setting. Note wind drift caused by 9 o'clock wind, judged to be 5-to-8 mph.
Checking to see effect of 6-clicks left windage @ 100 yards.
A look at trajectory between 100 and 200 yards. Sierra .44 250-grain FPJ propelled by 22.5/H110. (22.3/H110 averages 1,426 from the Shilen 10" barrel with .001-inch gap). Blue cross indicates POA (Point of Aim).
Shots #1-5
Fired with reticle set for 100 yards, Sierra 250 FPJ drops 21-inches below Point of Aim (POA).
Shots #6-8
Up 35-clicks on Leopold 2.5-8x scope
Sierra .44 210-grain JHC (Jacketed Hollow Cavity) registers Point of Impact nearly identical to Sierra 250 FPJ at 200 yards. Remarkable. The Sierra 210 JHC came into play for the 100 yard stage of the Safari Silhouette Shoot. Any such coincidence of loads may be specific to an individual revolver.
Back up to 25 yards to check Point of Impact (POI). Sierra 250 FPJ over 22.3/H110. Scope is Leopold LER (Long Eye Relief) 2.5-8x32mm with factory target turrets and dot reticle. Leopold QRW quick release rings on JD Jones T'SOB mount.
… and return to 50 yards. With all five rounds fired in essentially the same wind, the leaker almost certainly belongs to the marksman
Five shots @ 100 yards reveals drop when dot/crosshair is zeroed for 50 yds (white paint behind gun barrel).
Same respective white dot Point of Aim (POA): left, 50 yards; right, 100 yards. Drop of Sierra .44 250 grain Full Profile Jacket @ 1,426 fps
Sierra .44 250 FPJ over 22.3/H110 @ 100 yards. Crank elevation knob, thinking 1/4" per click. Leupold LER handgun scope adjustment is very close to 1/2-inch per click.
100 yards
Consequence of mis-counting scope adjustment. Target on right shot first. Double-counting clicks puts Point of Impact (POI)——target on left. Leupold LER 2.5-8x32mm with optional target turrets exhibits accurate tracking, while micro-clicks in handgun installation register a thin hair on the plus-side of 1/2-inch per click. Same arrangement on rifle works in 1/4-inch clicks.
Lull in wind during recent range sessions with Freedom Arms ,44 Mag and Sierra bullets. Note Bradshaw's preferred tripod, the all-machined Tiltall, made since 1947. Leopold 12-40x40mm spotting scope incorporates huge eyepiece (ocular) and long eye relief, which provide full field of view while wearing glasses. Many more expensive spotters, even with wide ocular lenses, fail to combine Leopold's full field of view with proper eye relief.
Wind generally coursed from 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock. Site tape tied to tripod represents only flagging. Combine with reading mirage----when mirage is available----to dope wind drift, which reliably bends a bullet. Big bullets with superior dynamic balance characteristics track consistently. Marginal bullets go to Hell fast
Sierra .44 210-grain Jacketed Hollow Cavity (JHC) mixed with Sierra 250 FPJ to compare POI (Point of Impact) @ 100 yards, using nearly identical powder and charge, with same scope setting. Note wind drift caused by 9 o'clock wind, judged to be 5-to-8 mph.
Checking to see effect of 6-clicks left windage @ 100 yards.
A look at trajectory between 100 and 200 yards. Sierra .44 250-grain FPJ propelled by 22.5/H110. (22.3/H110 averages 1,426 from the Shilen 10" barrel with .001-inch gap). Blue cross indicates POA (Point of Aim).
Shots #1-5
Fired with reticle set for 100 yards, Sierra 250 FPJ drops 21-inches below Point of Aim (POA).
Shots #6-8
Up 35-clicks on Leopold 2.5-8x scope
Sierra .44 210-grain JHC (Jacketed Hollow Cavity) registers Point of Impact nearly identical to Sierra 250 FPJ at 200 yards. Remarkable. The Sierra 210 JHC came into play for the 100 yard stage of the Safari Silhouette Shoot. Any such coincidence of loads may be specific to an individual revolver.
