Savage 12

[gnepig]

The wifes Savage 12, chambered in .223 with a 1 in 9 rate of twist. This gun has given her some fits at first, it seems the action had come loose. After a re-torque it shoots better and then the stainless steal barrol took some time to break in, it just all of the sudden started shooting real good groups.
Still haven't figured out the perfect load for this one yet, it likes the 55 and 60 gr bullet, but still working up a powder value/type.
I'll make up a batch of 55gr sierra BTHP match with 23 gr of Reloader 10.
We'll see how she does the next time we hit the range.

[alleydude]

Wow, she's PERRRTY. How's the balistics on the .223?

[gnepig]

(10-05-2009 05:27 AM)alleydude Wrote:  Wow, she's PERRRTY. How's the balistics on the .223?

Pretty good, with the proper elavation adjustment, we shoot stuff at about 560 yards sometimes, like refrigerant cans and fire extinguishers. But it's sweet spot is about 300 yards, when I get the load dialed in. Some days wind plays a big factor, if it's a steady wind adjustment is easy, if it's gusty we just go home. Since we started useing the boat tailed projectiles adjusting for windage seems to be easier.

[Delbert]

Sweet looking rifle there gnepig. I thought about a 223 for deer hunting, but the knock down force just wasn't there at the 200 yd mark, so I got a 243Win. But, oh boy those 223's sure have speed.
What kind of scopes ya got there, can't quite make them out. Don't see any gold rings--so they don't appear to be Leupolds.
That one off the gun looks like a BSA scope and the scope on gun looks like a Target Weaver model? How close am I?
Del

[gnepig]

The one on the bed is a Bushnell and the one on the gun is a Leupold with the target dot. The guy at the gun shop let us barrow the Leupold (we have a cool gun shop here) to see if the cheap one on the bed was part of the problem we were having with the gun not hitting a consistant group. I didn't think that was the problem... I took the bipod off and made her use the sand bags, that also helped.
We are saving up our money to buy a Ziest next ($750!!), seems to be the best/clearest scope we have ever looked through. But we'll see, we have a gun show here this weekend= might kick my savings in the nuts...

[Delbert]

That's a very good gunshop ya have there Gnepig if they let ya borrow a scope if you have problems. I too have a Bushnell that's mounted to a Ruger 10/22 custom target I built. It's a Banner "dusk2dawn 6-18x50. Never had any problems(Phillipine model). I hear there's 2 models of Bushnell nowadays. The better one's are made in Phillipines and the other ones is made in China, and I've heard nothing but problems with these models.
Those Ziess scopes are exceptional when it comes to European glass and there's a lot of high dollar guns wearing Zeiss. Leupold's are also top-shelf type scopes and I'm sure you'll be pleased in whatever choice you make for that 223. Take a look at SWFA website. They're a scope retailer down in Texas and they have many new and "factory refurbished" scopes with good pricing. Just be careful that most refurbished scopes won't carry the warranty's that a new scope would have. Good Luck

Del

[alleydude]

Here's a shot and a half for ya, 1169 yards with a Savage Model 12. They didn't say what caliber they are using, but whatever it is, it seems to work.

[Delbert]

It sounded like a 308 cal. I'll bet the ammo wasn't something they got off the shelf at Walmart. To get those kind of distances they probably used full jacketed boattails to keep the bullet from mushrooming and going off track. That has to be some hot loads. Noticed he needed to have a holdover of almost 28 feet. That's unreal. I noticed that it looked to be after a rainstorm when the air is cool and totally calm. Did ya notice the rain drops on the scope knobs, and his wet pants around the ankles? Makes me want to go out with my Mossberg to see what that old 30-06 can do, but there's nothing around my area that's flat enough for any distance.
Del