Hornady Spire Point InterLock bullet

[Dogleg]

I like them to have a similar POI for 2 reasons:

1. It's easier. I dont' have to rezero back to the premiums when I switch.

2. It is useful. If you just want to take a shot to verify that your scope is fine after some transit, you can just use a cheapo. Also, if you have a coupe in your pocket and you get hungry, it is a less expensive way to remove some grouse heads!

It definitely doesn't hurt anything if they have the same point of impact, but for a few reasons it doesn't make a big difference to me.

1. I am not going on any trip without verifying the zero with the actual ammo that will be used while hunting. Once the hunting with a particular gun has started, it won't have any ammo changes or even be cleaned again until it is time to put it away. This is assuming it doesn't get rained on.

2.I have found that when switching loads it can take a few shots for the barrel to settle down to the new load. This isn't a whole lot different than a clean barrel needing from one to several fouling shots to settle down. Some barrels are more suseptable than others to this, and of course a powder change can make it worse. Filthy ball powders are especially bad for this.

3.I wouldn't use the practice ammo for verifying zeros for the above reason. A few shots for sighting and hunting mean little or nothing to me. Its high volume practice that adds up.

4. In this part of the country shooting grouse with a center-fire is illegal. Doesn't matter if the bullets are cheap, cast or whatever. If I were lost and hungry enough to eat charred grouse on a stick the ammo cost wouldn't matter much.

Question: What does this dancing banana signify anyway?

Dogleg

 

[Gatehouse]

Gate - your method certainly sounds ideal.

Is it generally difficult to find a practice load that mimicks the hunting load, and do they typically follow the same trajectory for practice say at 300 yards?

No, not relaly difficult. Here is what I do (most of the time) :

I find the perfect hunting load witht he perfect hunting bullet.

Then I pick a cheaper bullet (often a Hornady) and work up a load to the same velocity, using he same powder. It often ends up pretty darn close in powder charges.

Then I tweak the seating depth, for accuracy. This si important, becuase you can't just take an accurate powder charge and just transfer it to the other bulet- Thier shape is often different, so the Seating depth must be changed.

I find that you can usually (but not always- mor elike 95% of the time) get a same weight bullet, at the same velocity, to hit at the smae POI as the premium bullet. It makes sense, right? Same weight+ same velocity= same POI.

However, for some reason they are not always 100% perfectly the same POI. Sometimes they are a 1/4-1/2" to the left or right or lower or higher. Not enought to worry about, really, since loads I generally use for hunting are always pretty accurate anyway...

 

[Gatehouse]

It definitely doesn't hurt anything if they have the same point of impact, but for a few reasons it doesn't make a big difference to me.

1. I am not going on any trip without verifying the zero with the actual ammo that will be used while hunting. Once the hunting with a particular gun has started, it won't have any ammo changes or even be cleaned again until it is time to put it away. This is assuming it doesn't get rained on.

2.I have found that when switching loads it can take a few shots for the barrel to settle down to the new load. This isn't a whole lot different than a clean barrel needing from one to several fouling shots to settle down. Some barrels are more suseptable than others to this, and of course a powder change can make it worse. Filthy ball powders are especially bad for this.

3.I wouldn't use the practice ammo for verifying zeros for the above reason. A few shots for sighting and hunting mean little or nothing to me. Its high volume practice that adds up.

4. In this part of the country shooting grouse with a center-fire is illegal. Doesn't matter if the bullets are cheap, cast or whatever. If I were lost and hungry enough to eat charred grouse on a stick the ammo cost wouldn't matter much.

Question: What does this dancing banana signify anyway?

Dogleg

I odnt' disagree with you at all...I zero wiht my hunting load, and if I need to rezero, or check zero on a hunt, I will do that witht he premium. But sometimes, you just want to go "Heck, I havent' had any major mishaps or anyhting, but let me check that zero" or do a little fun shooting or whatever...so they come in handy there. If you already knwo that your "practice" ammo is at the same POI, then you are good to go.

it's also handy if you have a MAJOR upset and you need to completley rezero. Get it close with your practice ammo, then rezero with the hutning ammo.

I dont' use dirty ball ammo, but that makes sense, as well as swithciung bullets leaves didfferent residue int he barrel, one reaosn that Barnes liked you to start with a squeaky barrel with no othe rcopper fouling.

It's legal as heck to use whatever you want for grouse here, and I ahave been known to pop off soem heads at times.Especially when charged by rabid grouse...

Thsi guy is just damn fun...

 

[Dogleg]

Gatehouse,
I'm sure no jury would convict you here either, for self-defense shooting of rabid grouse. Surely a life threatening occasion like that justifies the use of the premium bullet in the chamber, rather than a hurried ammo swap?
Most ball powders are real dirty, but $14 or so a pound for surplus bulk is a powerful argument for them. They also feed so nice through powder measures that loading a few hundred cases is a breeze. I do prefer to keep the charges down a little from maximum when dropping charges for my plinking loads to add an extra bit of safety margin. That doesn't help the cause of matching POIs though.
We both seem to have thought-through reasons for doing what we do, the way we do them.

This guy is fun

 

[service rifleman1]

265 Fp Interlock 44 cal

The hornady 265 shoots great in my Marlin 444 SS rifle and will use it on big game hunts. I shot some rounds to confirm zero today. The loads were charged with 43 grains of H4198 and should do the job dependably enough. Any feedback welcome on favorite slugs in the calliber. Regards