Extreme range practice session with Black Sunshine(338 Allen Mag)..

[Fiftydriver]

Re: Extreme range practice session with Black Sunshine(338 Allen Mag).

SS7mm,

Thank you for the kind words. You know me well enough by now to know that what the uneducated public thinks is not overly important to me. I feel I try very hard to be a positive supporter of our sport not only in building rifles but also in not pushing our sport in areas where it is not welcome which I feel can cause even more problems.

What gets me is someone pirating my posted pics and then taking them to some anit-LRH board and making it look like I am saying I can make these shots at a drop of a hat and that I take shots at big game at these ranges and that its perfectly OK to do so.

They do this all without ever having to confront me about it. Hell, when Richard was down last week, he informed me about several instances on other boards that were like this. Most of which were concerning my 2370 yard hit on that chuck.

From what he told me I have some good friends out there, most of whom are on LRH. I was defended without ever even knowing it was going on and I greatly appreciate it.

So whats next, well, push things farther and farther with Black Sunshine but also my next challange is to try to maintain this level of performance at this range but to drop nearly 44 lbs off the rifle system performing the work.

Not sure that will happen but we will do everything we can to try!!!

First line of business is to get back to work. I think you have an interest in me doing that as well. So do I with the new developement you will be testing for me with your rifle. Hope it works as advertised!!!!

Field reports always hold more water when they come from a customer then the builder of a rifle. That is why I get more reward from you guys reporting on your rifles then me.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Fiftydriver]

Dan B,

I was beating on your project yesterday as a matter of fact!! More to come this week as well. Getting close. I appreicate the patients from you and all my customers. This APS thing has grown out of control here the last year or so thanks in large part to the guys here on LRH.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Fiftydriver]

Re: Extreme range practice session with Black Sunshine(338 Allen Mag).

Mike/TX,

IT sure is nice to get the temps down. I sweat like a prostitute in church anyway so when the temps go up I get into serious problems!! I like it cool, definately a northern boy!!

Comparing your 270 AM to my 338 AM is hardly a fair comparision. I got nearly 50 lbs of rifle weight on you!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Besides, I have seen your results, if I could shoot like that all the time with a heavy sporter rifle I would be happy as hogs in crap!!! I think you are doing very well. It always makes me feel good to know my customers shoot as well or better then I can!!! Thats a fact!

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Fiftydriver]

The photo hosting sight seems to be back up and running.

Here is Black Sunshine prowling in the prairie grasses of Montana. The big pile of rocks in the back ground is called Crown Butte.

Here is my shooting set up, Wild range finder, one BIG rifle, a box of ammo, Mechanical front rest, rear bag and a blanket to keep some of the sticky things out of me when I lay down!! Not what you would call a "portable" set up!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

This pic shows the valley I was shooting up. If you look just down and to the right of the barrel on Black Sunshine you can see an old irrigation canal running along the bottom of the hill. If you follow the canal up until it winds up and out of sight you will see a slight ridge that runs across the valley floor. This is where the jugs were set up at. The rifle is pointing directly at them. This was taken waiting for the barrel to cool after hitting the first jug. You can not see it but I have a big smile on my face!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

This is not the best pic because I was looking to the west and the sun was reflecting off my camera lens and onto the scope lens.

This is the view through the IOR 9-36x 56mm with the MP-8 reticle. We are set on 36x here!! You can see the popped jug just under the main reticle dot and the surviving jug to the right.

The scope is dramatically clearer then it appears on the pic. On 36x it took some real doing to even get a full view through the scope. Image quality is right there with the NF scopes.

Only thing I do not like about the scope is that the reticle is calibrated for use on 10x. Who in their right mind makes a 9-36x scope and calibrates the reticle for 10x!!!

I will admit though that on 10x you can still see the milk jugs at this range relatively easily. You could even take a quality shot at them with this reticle design because of the floating fine center dot. Still the only reason you could is because the jugs are white on a brown background!!

This is only a concern if you will be using the reticle for reference holds. If you are dialing up for each shot this is of little concern.

View from behind the dispatched jug back to the shooting position. You can see the rims I was shooting off from. I was positioned on the farthest edge of the rim you can see before it drops off into the valley.

The jug popped pretty violently. I was suprised really but that is a relatively large diameter bullet.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Buffalobob]

It is always amazing how people who practice and work at a sport are "luckier" than people who don't practice.

 

[bailey1474]

I didn't sleep much @ all!!! Then I had to get up @ 4:50 AM so I could go out and shoot the 270 AM w/those 195s just to cure my shakes!! Now if only you could ship some of that wideopen country down here in that box w/our gun!!

Fine shooting as usual. Hopefully Lerch and I will have some exploded watermelons to take some pics of this weekend!!

 

[Jon A]

Re: Extreme range practice session with Black Sunshine(338 Allen Mag).

Awesome shooting, Kirby. Thanks for posting. It's stories like this that make us strive to accomplish what we never would have thought possible just a short time ago...well, in my case anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
[ QUOTE ]
Only thing I do not like about the scope is that the reticle is calibrated for use on 10x. Who in their right mind makes a 9-36x scope and calibrates the reticle for 10x!!!

[/ QUOTE ]
You'll want to measure, but at 36X it should become an MOA reticle, SMOA reticle or at least very close to it if calibrated for Mils at 10X. Measure the substention of the Mil marks at 36X at a known range and check. If each one equals 1 MOA, that might be handier than Mils anyway. That's how I use my 14X--it's calibrated at 10X for Mils, at 14X each Mil mark is exactly 2.5 MOA instead.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Re: Extreme range practice session with Black Sunshine(338 Allen Mag).

Jon A,

Yes you are right about the moa spacing. Only problem is that at extreme range, if I wanted to use the reticle for reference hold points, only having 1 moa between each hash will not cover much of a range window from top to bottom, at least not at the ranges Black Sunshine was designed and built to be shot at, +1500 yards.

I believe I have 15 mils worth of reference holds from the top heavy post to the bottom on the vertical stadia. At 36x that equates to 15 moa's. At 2000 yards and beyond, 15 moa's really is not much at all when your looking at bullet drop.

The nice thing is that you can dial up for the shots and then with the scope set on upper end powers, have a very precise hold adjustment in the event of a miss on the first shot.

No I do not expect to make one shot hits at +2000 yards, thats why I only target water jugs and varmints at that range for those of you out there that want ammo to use against LRH.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Dan B]

[ QUOTE ]
Dan B,

I was beating on your project yesterday as a matter of fact!! More to come this week as well. Getting close.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Black Diamond 408]

I was out testing my 338 snipe-tac today (getting ready for the big trip) i murdered 4 white tailed milk jugs...lol

I hope the anti long range guys see this! I would never take a shot at an animal if i wasn't sure i could hit it. Being in the gun business for many years i have seen so many average to beginner hunters go out and wound deer at very close ranges. No offense to bow hunters, but more deer in our area are hit and left to die because of poor shots and taking shots way beyond their ability.

I have posted on several other sites in the past talking about my long range guns and what they will do on paper and elk, had some guys give me heck about it, not sporting. I bet most of them have never shot at an animal in the first place. PETA peeps... i like eating tasty animals too!

So i guess you can have your thread back Kirby...i just get angered when i hear about all this crap. If more hunters took the time to practice and get their rifles tuned we would all be better off. "Buy a rifle, the dealer throws in a box of ammo, ok lets go huntin" DUH

 

[lerch]

That is amazing the bullet still did that to the jug at that far. When you pack ours up stuff in some of that beautiful country as well, the box oughta be big enough!!!! 70deg temps sounds better than you can ever imagine, we have a little cool off this weekend so some testing will be done with the 195 277uld's

we got your back on the other forums!!!!

take it easy
steve

 

[goodgrouper]

Nice shootin Kirby. Now get those SD's down to single digits, sort the terrible 300gr MK's for length and meplats, and you will shrink your groups considerably. HOw is that US869 for temp variations by the way? Like most ball powders I'm afraid? Get an sd of 15 one day and the next it is up to 25?

Oh, and don't worry about what the other sites say about your ethics. My stuff has been smeared all over tarnation in every light but good. It will always be used that way by the more ignorant folks around still living in 30-30 ballistic shadows. Let them be their own worst enemy.

 

[Fiftydriver]

GG,

Yep, I have a bit more work to do on this load. Going to up it a bit to 140.0 gr which should get me 3420 fps or so and then sort some bullets and give her another go.

I have not tested US869 enough in my 338 AM to be able to give you an honest opinion of it yet over varying temps. I can tell you however that in my 270 AMs it still has some issue with temp changes. It also is quicker burning then I would have expected getting same velocity as WC872 but with about 4 grains less powder.

I think WC872 would be perfect for my 338 AM but we all know how well it handles temp changes!! For a fall/winter hunting load it may have alot of merit though. We will see.

I do not get to worried about others and what they say about me. I just get a little annoyed when they do not have the cahoonas to say it on the forum you are posting it on. Instead they copy and paste things where they are protected from a debate on the facts!!

Oh well, such is life I suppose!!

Ya about ready for a new barrel on that 338 Thunder!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Looks like she is performing well for you. Cant wait to see what you hammer this season with it. Send me some pics so I can put them up on the wall of fame at APS.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[Guest]

Re: Extreme range practice session with Black Sunshine(338 Allen Mag).

ss7mm (Dick)
Right on, great post! When I've taken folks out and shot at 500 yards they were amazed. 500 doesn't sound like much until you shoot it. When I told them I got a kill at 717 yards, they are really amazed. When I tell them I'm exactly one mile behind Kirby - they are awestruck.
PS - Dick I've responded a couple times to you annealing email - not sure if you're getting my responses. (check your SPAM box/filter).

Kirby writes:
>>I agree with you, there are much better marksman already over in the sandbox.

I'm not sure about much better, but **** good ones for sure. They can probably take the 120 degree heat better than you and hump 85 lb rucksacks better than you. You're need here.

Jon A writes:
>> It's stories like this that make us strive to accomplish what we never would have thought possible just a short time ago.
Amen! In a couple years Kirby may only be 3/4 mile ahead of me. (on the other hand, with the moving target, he may be 1.5 miles ahead of me by then /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif )