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30 YDS? I can kill elk with a [bleep] dart gun at 30 YDS wearing nothing but a loin cloth!!

Dumbass.

Will a crossbow up my average on braining stripers? If so, count me IN.....
Only went 3 for 5 on brainers today....

BD, we put rests on our wheelers and golf carts out West for such occasions.

Time for a "Short Story........



GWB

Please give a full shot of that rifle...minus the dog turd...

10/4, See if this will work.........

I've gone through my magnum rifle, high magnification scope, heavy barrel, beanfield type rifle stage.

As of late I've been trending toward lighter rifles, low magnification scopes, with cartridges that have muzzle velocities 2800 fps. or less. For some reason Mannlicher stocked rifles have really caught my attention.

Over the last several years I've lusted for a Merkel K1 stalking rifle. The problem is I have stringent parameters. Has to be no more than 70% of MSRP,either 7mm or 30, cal and it had to be the Jagd Stutzen (Mannlicher stock), had to have the money at the time to buy.

Finally pulled the plug..........














Drew first blood on a New Mexico black bear hunt last August.

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/Bear%20Hunt/IMG_0150.jpg[/img]

Shot a number of porkers last fall and early this year.

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/latestgunstuff/IMG_0789.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/latestgunstuff/IMG_0387.jpg[/img]
a double

I make the observation that I�m just one rifle away from being satisfied so, almost immediately I began my quest for another barrel.

I tried for months to get a 9.3 x 74R barrel and fore-end for the Jagd Stutzen to no avail.

A friend saw this while I was out of touch at my lease and snagged it for me.

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/Merkel/IMG_0139_zps56dec649.jpg[/img]

Merkel K1 Stalking rifle, 9.3 x 74R. Last time I went to my lease I sat out two evenings and one morning but the hoglets did not co-operate. I am definitely ready to poke a couple hill country hoglets with some 286 gr. partitions.


Needless to say, I�m jazzed about these two shooters.

[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/Merkel/IMG_0147_zpsfc2c7f40.jpg[/img]

Best

GWB

The Stutzen Mannlicher is 7mm-08. I wanted a 7 x 57, but no such luck. It took a couple years to find the one I bought, so when it became available I didn't hesitate. Looking at a twin of the stalking rifle in 30R Blaser. Counting my pennies and nickels.

The Stutzen is wearing a Diavari 3 x 9.

The scope that came on the stalking rifle is a 1.8 x 5.5 Conquest.

Both rifles have the 1" Recknagel twist-mounts. Twist the scope off, break down the rifle. Put it back together and the scope returns to zero. I've tried it at least a half dozen times on the Stutzen.


I was helping a friend check zero on a rifle he was taking to Africa yesterday afternoon and took the opportunity to shoot it a couple times.

The guy I got it from had bought it for a Moose hunt. Mounted the scope and developed the loads below.




I got the rifle with 100 rounds of loaded ammo, being 286 gr. Partitions, two boxes of partitions and a box of Speer 270 grainers, plus a Forester full length die set. I had not shot it previously.
Since I had 100 of the 62.5 gr. IMR 4831 loads (middle target), I didn't see much reason to do load develpment at this time.

I shoot 3 and five shot groups when I am doing load development. I always shoot over a chrony. I can then take a look at the accuracy/velocity relationship and decide which load/bullet/powder/density combo I want to pursue.

Other than that, I'm much more interested in where the first shot out of a cold barrel (POI) will impact vs. the (POA) point of aim.



These two shots were fired about 10 minutes apart. I will go back in the next couple days, put this target up at the same distance dis-assemble and re-assemble the rifle and and fire a couple more rounds to check zero.

According to the Nosler Manual, the .366 dia., 286 Gr. Partition has a BC. of .482. The tables state that with that BC and a MV of 2,200 fps, with a 200 yd. zero a bullet should be 3.3" high at 100 yds. I probably will not shoot at anything further than that with this rifle. I will shoot a couple rounds at 200 yds. before I change elevation or windage, just to be sure.

Best

GWB