What did you do at the range today?

[Chris in TN]

.223 at ~200 and ~360 yards off sticks, with my daughter, on a very windy afternoon right before dark:

 

[FOS373]

Snowy day in NW Colorado

Breaking and sighting in Tikka 6.5 PRC in Peak 44 Bastian stock. Ecco Five by Suppressor. Hornady 143 ELDX

3 shots in center. Then adjustment. 3 shots on bottom. Then 9 shots on right

 

[NorthIdahoDude]

Got annoyed and pissed off that my newly re-barreled Mauser in 7x57 isn't shooting particularly well. Earlier tests were about the same as this, and close inspection of the old bedding, I saw some cracks, so I just got through re-bedding it front and rear last week. I fully encased the recoil lug area, and then bedded where the rear tang sits on the bottom side only, ensured that no metal-to-metal contact between bottom metal and action was happening, barrel is free floated, etc. So, I was hoping for something happier today, but no joy.

This was N555 + 162 ELD-X in Norma brass; the same combo that hammered 15 rounds into a 0.84 MOA on my last outing with my Tikka 7x57, so I was expecting it to at least be not totally awful here. If I overlaid this group with the other group of 5 I shot in the same gun/same load today, it's closer to 2.25 MOA.

Obviously a number of things left to try, but I've honestly never had a gun that had already been reasonably bedded shoot like this, that I later got smartened up to shooting great, so I'm honestly pretty bummed at this point.


View attachment 1055517

Well, today was/is MUCH better. I reckon bedding the rifle actually does matter!!!!

Post-bedding, here's a 13 round group (I had 15 rounds loaded up, but 1st round was about a 8 inches higher than previous POI, and 3 inches left, so I dialed the scope to get it back on target, except I fudged up left/right, so one more dial, and it was close enough to bull to shoot the last 13 as a group (technically 2 groups that I then overlaid).

I'm still hoping to work this thing into 30 rounds under an inch, but 13 rounds in to 1.24 MOA ain't nothing to sneeze at for an old Mauser action in a $50 synthetic stock, especially when you consider it's my dumb ass doing both the reloading and the shooting.

Edit to add: this was 150 ELD-X's over Varget, not 162 ELD-X's over N555. This same load in my Tikka 7x57 shoots about 1.4 MOA, so if anything, this one did better - I'll revisit the 162 ELD-X load for next range trip and see what I get.

 

[Chris in TN]

Snowy day in NW Colorado

Breaking and sighting in Tikka 6.5 PRC in Peak 44 Bastian stock. Ecco Five by Suppressor. Hornady 143 ELDX

3 shots in center. Then adjustment. 3 shots on bottom. Then 9 shots on right

View attachment 1058419



View attachment 1058420

How do you like the Ecco can? I have considered getting one of his Titanium 5x5 cans.

 

[FOS373]

How do you like the Ecco can? I have considered getting one of his Titanium 5x5 cans.

It works - I was shooting the normal 5x5. It's obviously a shorter can, but still brings the sound down and helps with recoil. I screwed up once and had taken my ear pro off then took a shot. I'm in a covered shooting deck, with two protected sides and it was more than bearable.

Didn't even know he made a Ti version; maybe making another purchase.