More lead down range today

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ShawnT

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Decided to try some of my Lead bullets in the MK-85 with Pyrodex today. It was fairly cool at our 50 yard range pit. High-power shooters had a match on the rifle range. I put my Nikon Monarch 4X scope back in it last night, but did forget to bore sight it. :d'oh!: Oh well it was not that far off. I was curious how these bullets would shoot with some lower charges of Pyrodex so started off with 80 grainsV, CCI Mag #11 cap, Purple MMP sabot and the 335 grain lead bullet. These were some of my earlier pure lead bullets that were a grain or so light but diameter was right on. I had them boxed as practice bullets as they were good in weight and diameter but not quite as pretty, little wrinkle here and there. Seems they still shot ok. I shot at the bottom target first and it hit high and left. Made scope adjustments several clicks right and a couple down which hit a little high and right. One more set of adjustments down and 2 clicks left, put me in the ball park. I shot 4. I then shot 5 more at the top with the same 80 grain V load. I'm not exactly sure what I did to the first shot there but am pretty sure it was me. Loads were thrown on site.



Swapped targets and increased the charge to 90 grains V.
The first 5 is in the cluster at 12 o'clock. I noticed that I really was not getting a crud ring so decided to shoot some without swabbing and those are the 4 shots out of the group. Swabbed the bore for the next 2 that are back in that center cluster making it 7 rounds in it. I normally swab even when hunting. I don't find it that big of a deal and never look for a "Fast Follow up" with an MZ, so I just put a few patches in my pocket and pull a couple out and spit patch the bore.
I think I can live with that. :D

Here is a couple pics of the rifle on the range and yup that is a left handed bench. We only have a couple benches and when I was shooting the right handed bench was occupied.



The MK -85 definitely shoots these with light loads of Pyrodex better than my MK-95 did with light loads of BH. Oh Well. Nothing to get nuts about. I did try to dig out one or 2 of the bullets from that berm. It is rock and sand that was wet. I never found anything I could say was mine. Just some stuff that looked old and a lot larger from some of the other guys larger flinters. :huh?: I would love to set up some water jugs and phone books like Ron but it is against club rules.
 
It looks like good shooting to me there. Nice looking range too.
 
Thanks BuckDoeHunter. I know it tightens the groups from past shooting, so it is just habit now, but was a little surprised a how much they went out this time. I had forgot how light the ring was when shooting Pyro and #11 caps so was curious to see what it would do with out swabbing.

My MK-95s are now shooting BH and even though it is not normal to do so I also Dry patch swab those rifles. They don't load as easy and you get a little "chatter" when sending the bullet down the bore, sort of like tight and loose spots. the groups open up some but I get a flyer that I could not really explain till I tried swabbing. I have JB'ed the dickens out of them all but you still get that. I think it is just the old bores and lots of Pyrodex and Black in the past, but who really knows. All but one have bright and shinny bores too, one had a rusted BP when I bough it so here was a little ring or rust ion the lands and grooves right at the BP.
 
cayuga said:
It looks like good shooting to me there. Nice looking range too.
Dave, are the conicals made from Pure Lead?
 
:D
Not to shabby buddy at all :!: Groups are great :applause:

Ray......... :yeah:
 
I too would be very happy with that there shooting. You have a nice looking rifle,MK-85 and a very pretty looking range.
 
Hey Shawn,
Made it out to the range yesterday and shot some of your bullets. I haven't shot the 54 in a couple of years and forgot how harsh the recoil can be. Since if forgot to bring my recoil pad that I usually wear since my shoulder surgery, I didn't shoot a lot of rounds. Shot some 80 & 85 grn loads, at 50 yds I managed a 7/8" group and at 100 the best I could do was 4 1/2. This was with t7 3f. I'll try some more loads next time out. I did get the GM 32 resighted in with a new leupold scope so the squirrels better watch out!
 
ShawnT said:
Thanks Dave. For Long Island it is pretty nice.

Shawn, is that range at Calverton?? I use to live in Bayside Queens and use to shoot there with a friend of mine who lives in Smithtown LI. I use to shoot mostly at the range at Route 110 but heard it closed down years ago.
 
Looking good Shawn! Next time swab and make a 1 hole 10 shot group :D Gotta love them MK's!

Hopefully soon I'll get a chance to try out the one's you sent me and we'll see how they expand. :yeah:
 
pjsoden said:
Hey Shawn,
Made it out to the range yesterday and shot some of your bullets. I haven't shot the 54 in a couple of years and forgot how harsh the recoil can be. Since if forgot to bring my recoil pad that I usually wear since my shoulder surgery, I didn't shoot a lot of rounds. Shot some 80 & 85 grn loads, at 50 yds I managed a 7/8" group and at 100 the best I could do was 4 1/2. This was with t7 3f. I'll try some more loads next time out. I did get the GM 32 resighted in with a new leupold scope so the squirrels better watch out!
I got out today myself and just got back. I wanted to resight in my Mk-95 50 cal. Last fall I could not get Bh so was using Pyrodex and it shoots slower so it his lower. Got it sighted in at 100 and then shot a couple at 200 for kicks. I took one deer at 206 yards with this rifle a couple years ago so wanted to try it at that range. Not sure what the drop really is with my load, but I know if I hold using the point of the Lower thick post of the duplex crosshair on the top of a 4" red bull it will hit 8" low. The Deer I shot I held that point of the post right on the backbone it hit center chest. Target proved it was still the same. That load is 100 grains of BH, MMP-HPH12 sabot and a 300grain Deep Curl.

Once I was done with the 50 cal the wind started picking up and I did not do as well with the 54 myself. I did get 3 of my last shots inside 2" square at 100yds so I have the scope pretty centered up now. I then ran out of BH and had to quit. :oops: Hate those 10oz bottles. :evil: One more trip and I will be ready for hunting season. :D

I know what you mean though. I had shoulder surgery about 10 years ago and my shoulder can get tired if I try to shoot these heavier recoilers for a while. It will show on the targets. I don't notice that much difference in the 50 and 54 myself, a little, but the targets really showed that by the time I stopped with the 50 and went to the 54 that the shoulder was getting tired. I had to give up the bow after surgery. Drawing a bow just plain wore me out.

I had better luck with lighter charges (80-85gn) of Pyrodex in the MK-85. In the MK-95 with BH it tightened up at 95gn and was a bit better at 100gn.
 
edmehlig said:
ShawnT said:
Thanks Dave. For Long Island it is pretty nice.

Shawn, is that range at Calverton?? I use to live in Bayside Queens and use to shoot there with a friend of mine who lives in Smithtown LI. I use to shoot mostly at the range at Route 110 but heard it closed down years ago.

Hey Ed,

Yes and no. The range you are talking about is the Public Range on the south side of I495 (Long Island Expressway). I belong to a Club and we have a private range on the north side of the LIE. Much better than the public range.

Yup the Huntington Range on 110 closed down a few years ago. I had shot there too. That was just political crap, where people were lying about rounds getting out of the range but they never proved it really was from there. The Nassau County Police dept has/had some kind of range/facility just on the north side of where it was located and lots of people say the rounds (45acp IIRC) came from there due to the angle that the rounds were found. But of course the small public range got the blame. :evil:

They have tried several times to shut Calverton Public range down too. Stupid people buy the new houses built around it then complain about the noise. :roll: :evil: What kind of mental malfunction do they have buying there and then complain about the noise. :wall:
 
WV Hunter said:
Looking good Shawn! Next time swab and make a 1 hole 10 shot group :D Gotta love them MK's!

Hopefully soon I'll get a chance to try out the one's you sent me and we'll see how they expand. :yeah:

Thanks WV Hunter.

Yea I should have stopped and shot the "no swab" test shots on another target instead of messing up the one to brag about. :lol:

After getting the MK-95 .54 I had thought about selling this Mk-85. I don't think I have the heart to do that though! :D .

I tried last weekend to find one in that sand and rocky berm but had no luck. I don't know why unless I was not digging deep enough. :huh?: But there is a lot of old lead and bullets in that berm too.
 
pjsoden said:
Hey Shawn,
Made it out to the range yesterday and shot some of your bullets. I haven't shot the 54 in a couple of years and forgot how harsh the recoil can be. Since if forgot to bring my recoil pad that I usually wear since my shoulder surgery, I didn't shoot a lot of rounds. Shot some 80 & 85 grn loads, at 50 yds I managed a 7/8" group and at 100 the best I could do was 4 1/2. This was with t7 3f. I'll try some more loads next time out. I did get the GM 32 resighted in with a new leupold scope so the squirrels better watch out!

Since you just HAD to mention that GMB32 again.... and I have NEVER seen one for sale :cry: ........ I have been eyeing a TC System1 .32cal on GB. It looks like new but he wants $400 for it. Don't know if it is worth that or not, but I would not mind having it. I just can't swing it right now. :(

It really never stops does it! :lol:
 

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