smalltruck
Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2013
- Messages
- 22
So the weather here in NE Wyoming was fantastic this past weekend. And I had permission to shoot on private property. So 3 of us went out to shoot. Me, the GF and a work buddy.
Sunday was 63 degrees and almost no wind. We got to the ranch about noon and got setup. As we were driving in there was prairie dogs all over, one hole by the road had a 6 of them on top of it. There were some cattle present but not right in the way.
As soon as we stopped the vehicles down they went. So we stayed quiet and set up the table to shoot and got the binoculars out and scanned the area. We were able to get some short shots in before they went down. The GF shot the 17hmr on some short ones and got one. My buddy was using a 223 bolt gun and he had no luck. I got out my Howa 223 and was able to hit....nothing. I did however shoot at one and put a bullet all the way around it before he said he was out of there. Yeah 8 shots, in front of, beside of, and one behind him. Then he ran away...
SO we moved down the field a bit and reset. My buddy walked in for a different angle and we set the table up to get a bigger field of fire. I had 300 yards straight east out to 475 going straight north. And I got out the big blue gun...
This **** thing has been a pain in my *** for 2 years. It started as a weatherby vanguard 223 youth model that I got at a sale in Cabelas about 4 years ago. About 3 months after I it had I jammed a live round in the barrel and couldn't get it out. Took it to the gunsmith and he couldn't either. So he talked me into converting it to a 20 practical. I liked the idea, fast and fun varmint gun. I ordered the barrel from Bruno's and got the only 20 cal they had, a krieger that finished at 27 inches and was .980 at the muzzle. That barrel weighs a ton.
Load development has been a pain, pressure problems all over the place. Got real discouraged and let the gun sit for a year. For christmas this past year the GF got me Quickload software. Soooo I thought what the hey lets try this. I knew from past blown primers that on my gun H335 at 26 grains was the max for a 32 grain bullet. So I slowed it down to 25.3 grains and thought lets try this.
And **** does that work. I added 8 clicks to the scope for dogs at 415 yards and all of a sudden this thing is point and click...dead dog.
On a standing dog at 200, aim for the lower gut, at 300 crosshairs at the shoulders, at 400 put 'em on the nose.
I put 40 rounds through it about 30 minutes and the barrel got warmish, not even close to hot. My eyes were going crossed and I had to take a break, not the gun.
On one hole I had 2 dogs about 4 feet apart (about 375 yards) and the GF spotted them and I shot the first one and the second one stood up and started waving his arms in the air like he was applauding. I was laughing so hard I couldnt shoot him for about a minute.
All in all I have to say I will build another 20 practical. The biggest drawback is that after 500 yards it does run out of steam fast and here in WY its not the greatest windy days, but I think I have mine on the right track and it is way fun to shoot.
Sunday was 63 degrees and almost no wind. We got to the ranch about noon and got setup. As we were driving in there was prairie dogs all over, one hole by the road had a 6 of them on top of it. There were some cattle present but not right in the way.
As soon as we stopped the vehicles down they went. So we stayed quiet and set up the table to shoot and got the binoculars out and scanned the area. We were able to get some short shots in before they went down. The GF shot the 17hmr on some short ones and got one. My buddy was using a 223 bolt gun and he had no luck. I got out my Howa 223 and was able to hit....nothing. I did however shoot at one and put a bullet all the way around it before he said he was out of there. Yeah 8 shots, in front of, beside of, and one behind him. Then he ran away...
SO we moved down the field a bit and reset. My buddy walked in for a different angle and we set the table up to get a bigger field of fire. I had 300 yards straight east out to 475 going straight north. And I got out the big blue gun...
This **** thing has been a pain in my *** for 2 years. It started as a weatherby vanguard 223 youth model that I got at a sale in Cabelas about 4 years ago. About 3 months after I it had I jammed a live round in the barrel and couldn't get it out. Took it to the gunsmith and he couldn't either. So he talked me into converting it to a 20 practical. I liked the idea, fast and fun varmint gun. I ordered the barrel from Bruno's and got the only 20 cal they had, a krieger that finished at 27 inches and was .980 at the muzzle. That barrel weighs a ton.
Load development has been a pain, pressure problems all over the place. Got real discouraged and let the gun sit for a year. For christmas this past year the GF got me Quickload software. Soooo I thought what the hey lets try this. I knew from past blown primers that on my gun H335 at 26 grains was the max for a 32 grain bullet. So I slowed it down to 25.3 grains and thought lets try this.
And **** does that work. I added 8 clicks to the scope for dogs at 415 yards and all of a sudden this thing is point and click...dead dog.
On a standing dog at 200, aim for the lower gut, at 300 crosshairs at the shoulders, at 400 put 'em on the nose. I put 40 rounds through it about 30 minutes and the barrel got warmish, not even close to hot. My eyes were going crossed and I had to take a break, not the gun.
On one hole I had 2 dogs about 4 feet apart (about 375 yards) and the GF spotted them and I shot the first one and the second one stood up and started waving his arms in the air like he was applauding. I was laughing so hard I couldnt shoot him for about a minute.
All in all I have to say I will build another 20 practical. The biggest drawback is that after 500 yards it does run out of steam fast and here in WY its not the greatest windy days, but I think I have mine on the right track and it is way fun to shoot.
