ATH
Well-Known Member
Got a nice, reasonably calm opening day, took a doe at 338 yards and 2 more around 200. The 338 yard shot was still a pass through with obvious expansion, so there was decent energy left (200gr Shockwave).
338 yards
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Sludge
Well-Known Member
what kind of muzzle loader are you using? I have been thinking about buying one at some point in the future. However, the few I have shot have been really poor performers when it comes to accuracy.
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Amazing!
Roll-Yur-Own
Well-Known Member
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Wow, thats awesome!
I have to admit that I used my Savage smokeless ML all season long, including rifle. I just love that gun and muzzleloading in general. The spots I hunt dont offer much more than a 200 yard shot.
I have to admit that I used my Savage smokeless ML all season long, including rifle. I just love that gun and muzzleloading in general. The spots I hunt dont offer much more than a 200 yard shot.
ATH
Well-Known Member
Sorry I haven't checked back in awhile.....
This was done with an Omega thumbhole. I installed aluminum pillars, bedded and floated it. I went through every high BC available, settling on the flattest-shooting load with maximum accuracy, which was the 200gr Shockwave over 110gr of FFg 777. The gun wears a Barska SWAT tactical scope and all shots over 100 yds are off a Harris bipod. Nothing special about this setup other than some simple accurizing, careful load development, and lots of practice. I have a 400yd range out back and it saw lots of use this summer. Drops are 6 MOA at 200, 14.5 MOA at 300, and 27 MOA at 400 yds.
I've been doing 200+ yd shots for a number of years, but I don't purposely set out to take them so I get a lot down to 100 yds or less. Last year I got busted rounding a woods and could get no closer so took one at 272 yds.
The full story is even more amusing. I was still-hunting and saw a buck bed down in a ditch a quarter mile away, so I crawled an hour to close the range. When I got there two does and a fawn ran in, and not knowing if the buck was even there anymore I set up on the does. The bigger lead doe bedded down, and when she stood at 209 yds I dropped her. The other two stayed put, so I rolled on my back and reloaded, then dropped the second in her tracks at 180 yds. This was when I realized there was a guy in a treestand 300 yds away watching this whole thing; rifles are not legal here so I figured he was thoroughly confused watching me drop deer from that far out.
I reloaded, figured the buck would have bugged out, but snuck 80 yds down the ditch to check anyways. He exploded out at my feet, and I managed to find him in the scope and roll him over too. A nice 8pt. I went to locate the does then returned to the buck, and noticed 2 does back where I had started my crawl. I set up and ranged 302 yds, clicked up, but they moved down to the next bend at 338 yds. I added another MOA, held slightly right for the very light breeze, and rolled the 4th deer in 20 minutes. I had called the property owner while walking to the does to get help with them and he was on his way over; he said from 1/4 mile away he heard the last shot AND the bullet impact about a second apart.
The guy from the treestand waited by my truck for the better part of an hour to find out what I was shooting. The property owner later told me I'm now somewhat of a legend around there (I'm not local to there). I'm sure by next year there will be tales of the half mile shot or something like that!
I was pleased with the shots, the 200 yd-ish shots were within an inch or two of where I aimed. The 338 yd shot drifted about 3-4 inches left due to a slight gust I felt as the trigger broke. The nearly calm conditions that day were another reason this was my first shot over 300, I usually pass them due to crosswinds. Long shooting doesn't bother me but if I am not confident in placing the first round in the boilerroom I don't take the shot (I have never made a bad shot over 100 yds). Popping a deer in the rear due to errors in wind estimation and walking the second or third shot into the chest isn't my idea of hunting and with a ML it isn't even an option.
I recovered the 209 yd bullet under the offside skin well expanded...plenty of energy. The other shots were all good pass-thrus.
This was done with an Omega thumbhole. I installed aluminum pillars, bedded and floated it. I went through every high BC available, settling on the flattest-shooting load with maximum accuracy, which was the 200gr Shockwave over 110gr of FFg 777. The gun wears a Barska SWAT tactical scope and all shots over 100 yds are off a Harris bipod. Nothing special about this setup other than some simple accurizing, careful load development, and lots of practice. I have a 400yd range out back and it saw lots of use this summer. Drops are 6 MOA at 200, 14.5 MOA at 300, and 27 MOA at 400 yds.
I've been doing 200+ yd shots for a number of years, but I don't purposely set out to take them so I get a lot down to 100 yds or less. Last year I got busted rounding a woods and could get no closer so took one at 272 yds.
The full story is even more amusing. I was still-hunting and saw a buck bed down in a ditch a quarter mile away, so I crawled an hour to close the range. When I got there two does and a fawn ran in, and not knowing if the buck was even there anymore I set up on the does. The bigger lead doe bedded down, and when she stood at 209 yds I dropped her. The other two stayed put, so I rolled on my back and reloaded, then dropped the second in her tracks at 180 yds. This was when I realized there was a guy in a treestand 300 yds away watching this whole thing; rifles are not legal here so I figured he was thoroughly confused watching me drop deer from that far out.
I reloaded, figured the buck would have bugged out, but snuck 80 yds down the ditch to check anyways. He exploded out at my feet, and I managed to find him in the scope and roll him over too. A nice 8pt. I went to locate the does then returned to the buck, and noticed 2 does back where I had started my crawl. I set up and ranged 302 yds, clicked up, but they moved down to the next bend at 338 yds. I added another MOA, held slightly right for the very light breeze, and rolled the 4th deer in 20 minutes. I had called the property owner while walking to the does to get help with them and he was on his way over; he said from 1/4 mile away he heard the last shot AND the bullet impact about a second apart.
The guy from the treestand waited by my truck for the better part of an hour to find out what I was shooting. The property owner later told me I'm now somewhat of a legend around there (I'm not local to there). I'm sure by next year there will be tales of the half mile shot or something like that!
I was pleased with the shots, the 200 yd-ish shots were within an inch or two of where I aimed. The 338 yd shot drifted about 3-4 inches left due to a slight gust I felt as the trigger broke. The nearly calm conditions that day were another reason this was my first shot over 300, I usually pass them due to crosswinds. Long shooting doesn't bother me but if I am not confident in placing the first round in the boilerroom I don't take the shot (I have never made a bad shot over 100 yds). Popping a deer in the rear due to errors in wind estimation and walking the second or third shot into the chest isn't my idea of hunting and with a ML it isn't even an option.
I recovered the 209 yd bullet under the offside skin well expanded...plenty of energy. The other shots were all good pass-thrus.
Nomosendero
Well-Known Member
What a great hunt, thanks for sharing
Roll-Yur-Own
Well-Known Member
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That is tremendeous! I assume that you omega is a 45 caliber since you use a 200 grain bullet?
ATH
Well-Known Member
Nope, they sell the 200gr bullets with both .45 and .50 cal sabots. Mine is a .50.
AJ Peacock
Well-Known Member
ATH,
I've been shooting an Omega for a couple years and have been meaning to bed the action.
Reading your story lit my fire and I inletted and bedded the action today. I've been wanting to try the DevCon Steel bed putty that everyone is so pleased with and the Omega was my excuse.
It turned out really good.
When I bedded the action, I filled the ramrod channel with clay and then bedded right over the top of it. I thought about just bedding the sides, but decided to bridge over the channel. How did you do yours?
Merry Christmas, and thanks again for helping me get that action bedded ;-)
AJ
ps:I'm less than 2 hours north of you in Lapeer.
I've been shooting an Omega for a couple years and have been meaning to bed the action.
Reading your story lit my fire and I inletted and bedded the action today. I've been wanting to try the DevCon Steel bed putty that everyone is so pleased with and the Omega was my excuse.
It turned out really good.
When I bedded the action, I filled the ramrod channel with clay and then bedded right over the top of it. I thought about just bedding the sides, but decided to bridge over the channel. How did you do yours?
Merry Christmas, and thanks again for helping me get that action bedded ;-)
AJ
ps:I'm less than 2 hours north of you in Lapeer.
ATH
Well-Known Member
Hi AJ,
I did the same as you....but the bedding between the barrel and clay in the channel ended up so thin that as I tried to get the clay reamed out it broke out just over the barrel channel. This turned out to be a good thing, as it would have been a pain to get that clay out without that space and it isn't vital to the stability of the job anyways. If you need to in order to get the clay out, I recommend removing some at the bottom of the ramrod channel to allow you to dig the clay out as you push it down.
I put aluminum pillars in prior to bedding, I was very happy with the overall job, very solid and tight.
I did the same as you....but the bedding between the barrel and clay in the channel ended up so thin that as I tried to get the clay reamed out it broke out just over the barrel channel. This turned out to be a good thing, as it would have been a pain to get that clay out without that space and it isn't vital to the stability of the job anyways. If you need to in order to get the clay out, I recommend removing some at the bottom of the ramrod channel to allow you to dig the clay out as you push it down.
I put aluminum pillars in prior to bedding, I was very happy with the overall job, very solid and tight.
AJ Peacock
Well-Known Member
I left the clay about 1/8" below the bedding line, so I ended up with almost 1/4" of steel bed over the channel.
It was easy removing the clay. I pushed an all thread through the clay a couple times and then using the largest bronze brush I had, I used a cleaning rod and pushed/pulled a couple dozen times and the clay was removed (all over the floor!).
Its very solid, I only bedded between the action holes. Everything else forward and backward is free floating. The only thing I don't like is, the screws aren't super solid because of the give in the stock under the head of the screws. I think a couple escutcheon's that spread the load a bit would help. Maybe I'll remove the laminate from the screw hole up to the bottom of the bedding and fill with steel bed. Then redrill the hole, so I've essentially removed any compressible material and made pillars from steel bed. ??
AJ
It was easy removing the clay. I pushed an all thread through the clay a couple times and then using the largest bronze brush I had, I used a cleaning rod and pushed/pulled a couple dozen times and the clay was removed (all over the floor!).
Its very solid, I only bedded between the action holes. Everything else forward and backward is free floating. The only thing I don't like is, the screws aren't super solid because of the give in the stock under the head of the screws. I think a couple escutcheon's that spread the load a bit would help. Maybe I'll remove the laminate from the screw hole up to the bottom of the bedding and fill with steel bed. Then redrill the hole, so I've essentially removed any compressible material and made pillars from steel bed. ??
AJ
ATH
Well-Known Member
The best way would be the aluminum pillars, but the way you describe will work too. If you want to use alumunum pillars, just drill the holes to the size of the pillars, coat them in epoxy tape the action tight into the stock, and screw the pillars tight to the lugs. When everything dries you should have a solid, solid setup.
I need to change my profile, I'm in central Indiana now otherwise I'd show you how mine turned out.
I'm impressed you got such a thick layer of bedding in there between the rod and the barrel. There didn't appear to be enough room for it with mine, and I was afraid if I didn't leave the channel big enough I'd have to drill it out to get my ramrod in.
I need to change my profile, I'm in central Indiana now otherwise I'd show you how mine turned out.
I'm impressed you got such a thick layer of bedding in there between the rod and the barrel. There didn't appear to be enough room for it with mine, and I was afraid if I didn't leave the channel big enough I'd have to drill it out to get my ramrod in.
AJ Peacock
Well-Known Member
I made some pillars from some aluminum arrow inserts. Drilled them out/cut to size, mounted them to the barrel with small headed bolts (wrapped the bolts with tape to make sure they where centered in the pillars), drilled out the holes in the stock, coated the pillars with steel bed, clamped everything solid and voila. When its together, you can't even tell they are there.
Take care,
AJ
Take care,
AJ
