Chapter 3 - Sabotless Shooting

It was suppose to be cool this morning, so I ran to the Rock Pit to continue my experimenting shooting .50 cal. bullets.

The two bullets that I am working most with right are a couple of Barnes XPB bullets, a .500x275 grain and .500x325 grain bullets. Oddly enough they are not the same diameter. The 325's a about a thousandth less diameter and need to be knurled to load well in my tight Knight Wiseman barrel. And just one thing to verify a friend picked up some .500x275 grain Barnes expanders and they are the same size as the 275 XPB's.

These are the two quality bullets I am experimenting with at the moment.



I did make it to the Rock Pit and it was not near as cool as I thought it might be... I forgot all that Basalt would be retaining the heat they have been collecting for the past several days.

I did decide to you the old Project Rifle again but I have removed the Laminate stock and put a composite stock on it for hunting.

I got the equipment set up and sort of had a plan for todays shooting. My main goal was to check velocities and compare the sabotless loads with the velocity of the 3 test shots using a bullet of near the same weight and a sabot.

I do say that I was somewhat disappointed in my first three shots, although accuracy really was not the goal, but it did and does make me wonder about the condition of the pitted bore on this rifle. The bigger problem was looking into the morning sun. This rifle still has the original hoodless front blade with the copper bead. Without the hood that bead kept showing a really bright star effect - really wish I had a hood. As the sun rose in the morning it become less of a distraction. Actually I want to repeat this whole experiment with a better sun angle... It somewhat worried me that it would get under the sun screens of the Chrono.

Here is a composite picture of the shooting trip and the components.



I really think the shooting this morning shows a lot of promise - wish I had not thrown a couple of the shots - so it would look better, but the velocity is there.



I am hoping to do this same shoot next week using either the new Ultra Lite or the Mountaineer, I have a Kevlar stock coming for it an if it shows up I would have to shoot it.

Do you change from a laminate to a composite stock for comfort reasons, or is there something else?

As for accuracy, your just starting out. So you can't beat your self up over a two inch group. The other hits look real good. So you must be on to something.

cayuga said:

Do you change from a laminate to a composite stock for comfort reasons, or is there something else?

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It is strictly a personal thing... the laminate is good looking stock and I do not want to ding it up especially if I were to use it hunting this winter. The other thing temperature and weather effect the composite (glass) stock much less - especially when I have trouble waiting for the barrel to cool. In fact today I thought I might have been shooting BH there a couple of times - it was to hot to touch...

As for accuracy, your just starting out. So you can't beat your self up over a two inch group. The other hits look real good. So you must be on to something.

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That is kinda why I am going to go to a DISC next, actually a rifle that I am already familiar with and see sabotless works there. Those stubby 50 cal. Speers might be a blast breaking bird... the meplate of the bullet covers most of the clay bird.