First Time Reloading - First Time Grouping - First Time Everything

Sorry for the resurrection!

I wanted to share what has happened on my reloading journey.
I only have access to a 100yd range now and since my original attempts I threw everything else on the backburner but that 3031 and the 100gr Interlocks.

Shooting from my backpack in the prone I can punch the center out of a target at 100. Pretty close to cloverleaf groups and VERY consistently.
Most 3 round shoots produce .5" groups and Iam VERY happy with this rifle.

I also got my first deer with the rifle and load this year and I wanted to thank all of you for your knowledge and patience with me, without you guys that wouldn't have been possible.

For anyone else who wants to try it out,

32.8gr IMR 3031
100gr Hornady Interlock BTSP
 
Doug - something for you to consider - targets - sort of have to "match up" to the sight that you are using to get "best groups". Many years ago I read about the bench rest white squares, with bold black rim - I thought one would aim at the corners. Turns out is an "optical game" with scope with regular cross hairs. Aim at centre of the white square - your cross hairs will create 4 white squares that you see - uncanny how good your eye is to notice if they are same or not - in other words - you are not actually aiming at anything - but is in my head that I am aligning to same place for every shot. I deliberately want my "group" to form up somewhere else on the paper - high / low / left / right - does not matter, but NOT in that white square that I was aligning with.

At age 68, I am just now getting into the aperture sights - another different "ball game", I am discovering. Is a physics light thing that your eye gets clearest focus on tip top of front sight post, when your eye is dead centre through rear aperture - so do not try to "muscle" or "force" to that - just try to get best focus on front sight post and you will be centered in the rear aperture. As I have previously posted on CGN, in a former life-time, my boss at the time, had been a United States Marine Corps shooting instructor on one of his tours in his younger days. Is apparently the "Marine" way to shoot - rear aperture, front post, both eyes open - for in excess of 100 years. If that is "wrong", I guess that could be taken up with them. I do know, from that guy, that he was of opinion that any other way was "wrong" - but that might have been a function of military thinking from that time.

Then, through various correspondence - have some rifles with front apertures - used to shoot at "round" black bull's-eye targets - in "old days" Palma matches was 800, 900 and 1,000 yard shots for score - and turns out is NOT about directly aligning dark bull with front aperture - is about having an even white ring around that bull - when you touch off the shot - your eye turns out to be very good to tell when the white rim is not even all the way around.

So, from above, for "best" results, have to put some thought into what sights that you use, versus what target shape that you use. Is an "anathema" to some to say you have a very accurate rifle, that does NOT put the group where you are aiming - but that is simply a matter of sight / scope adjusting - you DO NOT want the visual of your target to change as your group is forming - so you DO NOT want that group dead centre at your aiming point, to wring out the "best accuracy" that you and your system are capable of. Is a difference between "testing for accuracy" verus "sighting in" - not the same thing, at all.
 
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DougPeach said:
Sorry for the resurrection!

I wanted to share what has happened on my reloading journey.
I only have access to a 100yd range now and since my original attempts I threw everything else on the backburner but that 3031 and the 100gr Interlocks.

Shooting from my backpack in the prone I can punch the center out of a target at 100. Pretty close to cloverleaf groups and VERY consistently.
Most 3 round shoots produce .5" groups and Iam VERY happy with this rifle.

I also got my first deer with the rifle and load this year and I wanted to thank all of you for your knowledge and patience with me, without you guys that wouldn't have been possible.

For anyone else who wants to try it out,

32.8gr IMR 3031
100gr Hornady Interlock BTSP
Click to expand...

Congrats on the first deer with your reloads ! Nothing like that kind of satisfaction as a reloader.
Well done...keep your groups small...Kevin
 
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