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MrTom

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With a very favorable weather forecast for the day I was up early and at the range by the opening bell. I needed to shoot the Barnes bullets in my Accura and again in the Optima pistol since I put the Leapers 2-7 scope back on it.

I already knew where the Accura put the 300 grain XTPs at 100 yards so I started with it and the Barnes 250 grain Expanders. The tan/black target under the site-in target was at 100 yards. 2 shots. The charge of 209 was 77 weighed grains pushed the bullet in the sabot that came with them. I'll take it. On to the pistol.

The pistol had been sighted at 50 yards using XTPs with the scope prior to my putting a red dot on it. I sighted the Barnes XPB 225 grain bullets at 50 yards again with the red dot, but I wasn't entirely sold on the red dot and put the Leapers back on. I shot three 240 grain, .44 cal XTP's at 50 yards and those shots are covered with the orange target dots. Next I shot three of the Barnes with the same 63 weighed grain load of 209 powder. No sight adjustment whatever. Again, I'll take it and consider both guns woods ready.

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I'm really amazed at how tight the Barnes pattern
 
Good shooting Tom. Satisfaction = peace of mind = confidence.
 
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This is the pistol Doug.

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That Leapers scope is a dandy on this rig. A couple years ago I was having some issues with focusing with it and replaced it with a Red Dot with a 2m dot. The Red Dot shot in ok but I couldn't get what I would call a nice tight group. I tried several bullets in the XTP, Deep Curl and Barnes line and they all shot pretty good but I felt I could do better so I switched it back to the Leapers and figured out the focus issue. After getting the focusing down I re-shot the XTPs and Barnes and this was the group I got shooting three of each bullet at 50 yards simply by re-mounting the scope. I never touched a thing. Before the scope was removed I had it sighted at 50 and groups using the 240 grain XTPs were very similar to what they made here but generally were somewhat tighter than this group. The Barnes XPB bullets really made me a happy boy. With the Red Dot and the same Barnes XPB bullets the groups were about like the XTP's here on this target. That 2m dot in the Red Dot seemed to have a fuzzy edge to it and I just couldn't get past that. I could have hunted it but I like a clear picture with a sharp point of aim.

Even with the ballistic reticle the Leapers scope set on 6 power is as clear and sharp as one could want. Still, those Barnes bullets are at least 50% of the equation. The scope has a reticle that can light to either green or red, hence the third turret cap. I don't even put a battery in it because the lit options are distracting. I'm accustomed to black wires and like the picture without color.
 
I have heard of those scopes before I just can not think where . Do they use Leapers on springer pellet guns ? I would sure think it would take a pretty good scope to handle the recoil caused by that pistol .

I’m serious that is some good shooting . Better than most the guys I know that hunt with a .44 Mag . How does the recoil compare to a .44 ?
 
Good shooting Tom!

My Optima (V1) Pistol just absolutely loves the 200 grain Shockwave over 80 grains by VOLUME Blackhorn 209. 1 hole groups @ 50 yards are the norm, and has been since the first range session.


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Gotta love these Optima pistols. They just flat out shoot. Mine sports a fixed 2x20 Nikon Force XR. With 85-90 gr of bh209 and a 225 gr Barnes XPB, it'll put 3 shots in an inch or less at 50 yards.
 

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Doug, with the 240 grain or a 250 grain and the 63 weighed grains of 209 [90 grains by volume] the recoil is on par with the .44 mag. The 225 grain XPB is milder. I worked construction most of my life and have strong wrists and forearms so the recoil doesn't bother me much. I've shot the full 100 grain by volume 209 charge with 300 grain XTPs and that's an attention getter for sure....more than a .454 Casul. I don't need that kind of power at the distances I hold my shots to though so the 225 Barnes will work fine.

Even with strong wrists and forearms I shoot this gun with a rest of some sort, even in the woods. They are terribly front heavy. I'm happy to see some others with the pistol post some groups they've shot. I have one of the Vortex pistols that has a 70 grain max and it can't hold a candle to this Optima. I don't shoot the Vortex at all any more. Won't sell it, but won't shoot it either. The Optima pistol is one serious deer gun that offers a whole new dimension to deer hunting. I love it.

That Leapers scope is a long eye relief model designed for handgun use, specifically the heavy magnum calibers. The adjustment dials lock down after getting sighted and I have had zero issues other than figuring out how to get some decent focusing, but that was my problem, not that with the scope. And yes. the Leapers scopes are solid air rifle scopes because of their solid construction.
 
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