OK here is a draft of the rules for the dangerous game honour match.
If there are any suggestions or changes that you want for these rules, please let me know ASAP.
The winner will be based on the lowest score (group size (inches) x time (seconds)) for a rapid-fire, 3 round group, as many tries as you wish before the deadline of March 30, 2007, with any medium/big bore (.338 calibre or larger) rifle or shotgun (20 gauge or larger slugs only), loaded with full power ammunition at 25 yards, freehand standing or kneeling, no slings, any sights that you feel are appropriate for close range, dangerous game.
There will be an also-ran category in which ANY calibre may be used.
For those who have a lower tolerance for danger and better shooting skills, a 50 yard range can be used in a separate category from the 25 yard range.
Please post your results with: Rifle/shotgun model, calibre/gauge, bullet/slug weight and velocity (use the factory specs if you don't have a chrony or just guestimate), group size, time elapsed from first shot to last (3rd) and finally your score.
Eg.
BRNO 602 .375 H&H
300 gr Federal softpoint
2500 fps
Group size: 5.5"
Time: 4.2 seconds
Score: 23.1 (Hopefully I can do better than this!
)
Post photos of your groups and links to videos of your performances if you can.
If you have access to an IPSC style timer, great, but otherwise have a partner time or video your string and time it off the video.
If you have any comments or tips (positive or negative) on your or your firearms performance, include that in your post eg. my Mossberg 500 had problems extracting empties etc. This info might be valuable to other users.
This will function on the honor system. And let's have some fun and make some noise!
Time for a bump to the top, I think...
Finally got around to giving this a try. I had hoped to be able to post video, but due to a technical glitch involving not pushing the right buttons, you'll have to settle for stills. I may take another stab at this later, and try for video footage next time. It's a pity it didn't turn out, because it certainly would have been entertaining.
Timing was done with a Pact Mk IV XP timer, first shot at the beep.
Shotgun slugs were Rottweil Exact. 12 ga., 2 3/4"
9.3 ammo was a mix of factory Remington core lokt ( aka, Hornady SP), handloaded Hornadys and Norma Alaskas. Velocity was 2300 fps for the Remington, around 2350 for the handloads.
First, the culprits:
Top is an Ithaca 37 that has been turned into a slug/turkey gun.
Bottom is my customized Husqvarna in 9.3x62, with a fixed power Leupold M8 3x.
Next, the results:
I only did two runs with the shotgun, because I had a limited number of slugs on hand. First run was aborted the when the second round blew my target stand apart. This is the second run. Everything is grouped off to the right, so I may have to do some sight adjustment before I try again.
I did several runs with the 9.3mm. This is the second best. Speed is there, accuracy is not.
Best run of the day with the 9.3.
Some observations:
I tried both open sights and the scope for the 9.3mm. There was a slight difference in speed, but a big one in terms of accuracy. I was simply faster and more accurate with the scope. That might be different if the range was 10 yards, rather than 25-30. It also helped validate my choice of optics; I felt like I had plenty of field of view at that distance, and probably even closer, but I don't think a lower power, like a 1.5x, would have improved either my speed or accuracy.
The mediocre showing of the open sights may have been due to lighting, though I don't think so, or more likely aging eyes. If I had my 20-yr old eyes back again, I think they would have made a much better showing.
The timer showed that I was pretty consistent with a reaction time of 0.25 seconds for the first shot from the beep. My fastest first shot was 0.17 seconds, the slowest, about half a second. That's because the crosshairs had wandered off by themselves, and it took me a while to get them back again.
I had two feed jams, both with Norma Alaskas, on the 2nd round. This was surprising, because with the pointed nose I thought it would be more reliable than that. The nose of the bullet was catching on the chamber mouth.
I also had one "misfire". On the 3rd shot, I didn't get the bolt closed all the way. On a Mauser, it's a safety feature that the rifle can't be fired unless the bolt is fully closed. If it is even slightly open, the firing pin will rotate the bolt into the closed position. When this happens the firing pin no longer has enough energy to detonate the primer.
Like I said, the video would have been entertaining.
Ithaca 12 gauge: 3.56 seconds x 5 inches = 17.5
9.3x62, 1st run: 3.34 seconds x 5.25 inches= 17.5
9.3x62, 2nd run: 3.58 seconds x 2.75 inches= 9.8
Again, those times are from the timer, not the first shot. If you want to adjust, deduct the first shot times written on the targets.
