My shooting has been embarrassingly sparse the last couple of years. Had my first shoot of the year, after not shooting since October sometime.

All sorts of issues, basically, I have forgotten how to shoot. But with that said, I was verifying zero on my 22s and out of three rifles, I shot the best groups ever with two of them. I mean, ever.

First up was my 22 RF 10/22 TGT. Last year, the firing pin started giving weak strikes, I asked for advice on the forum, got good advice, did the voodoo, only now have I had time to set it down on the bench and see. So -- with my last five Win red-box 42 PPs, at 50 yards, I got a .242 group. Nope, no more of that to see if it was a fluke. Usual CCI's were making round groups in the sixes at 50 after that, so even if I can't find any red box 42s right away, I'm happy.

Then, my 223 10FP Salvage with Fred Moreo/Douglas barrel. All over the paper, then jammed a round and took the action out and trigger off. Finally got it un-jammed, with help from a cleaning rod. Put it all back together, cleaned it, shot a couple of mediocre but round groups, but was still not happy so I rebuilt my nest on the bench, found a shorter stool. Shot a better group. Then got out a load that has shown "promise" but I wasn't really sure of. First shot drilled the dot, the next three missed the paper, and the fifth barely hit paper. After slouching out to the backers, I looked a little closer and nope, I wasn't missing, just folding it back a little more. .210 for five shots, and 9 PM, end of shooting hours, was past.

Anyway, the load is molied Zombie 50s over 4895 and 400s in weight-sorted late-90s LC brass. Regular VM's, I'd not be shocked all that much, but the Zombies were bargain priced. Again, hoping not a fluke, going to the east side tomorrow and hope to try them for real.

Well done! Sounds like you might not have forgotten as much as you thought. Give us a report on live targets when you get it.

Ima gonna start looking for a short stool when it's time to improve groups..... what is your preferred nest material? I like a little horsehair and feathers mixed with my dead grass.

Rest material is actually white rice. And I don't pack the bags super tight, either. Just a hair under "full" or "bulge" seems to be much more consistent.

I had a big road trip, 1500 miles, 100 gumbo, 300 rutted dirt, 50 freshly-graded dust. Saw lots of towns, got new permissions, but passed up all of it except one spot. It was a writing trip,and the interviews were packed in pretty tight. So I only got out one rifle for a walk, my Fireball, for a couple hours near Big Sandy. Using sticks, longest shot was only about 150, nothing but little pups so I took 16 shots and missed three. Again, it's been a long time and the memory curve was pretty steep. But a nice walk on a nice morning.
Hopefully will be done with my article by the end of the week and can go have some fun for real.

Sounds like me.... remembered all of his good habits and forgot all of his bad habits...

hey, It could happen....

hehehehehe...

Well, I got out for another range shoot, was careful to pick the right stool, right bench, carefully built my nest, hold the bags just so, squeeze the trigger just so, breathe just so.....flags just so....
Fired off a warm-up couple of groups with my Gopher Load, sevens, then sixes, 3-1-1 groups. Felt pretty good. Got out five of the Zombies. Watched the flags like a good boy, waited for the sight picture. Did a .357, like the five on dice, a big single hole. On the same sheet as the magic fluke target, I remeasured that and got .212. Still my best ever, and the new group is probably a Top Ten, top 20 for sure.
So I guess the Zombies do shoot after all. I'm happy for the groups, but I'm also happy that I've got a 50 grainer load that matches what I've gotten with 50 Blitz Kings. Yay Hornady! Now, I need to find some prairie dogs.

The Zmax's have proven pretty accurate in my factory fireball. My best three shot groups were a .110 at 100yds during competition, and a 0.88 at 85 yds of my truck hood. But... I've have had some flyers with them too. The price point however is great.

My most recent development of low recoil loads, has involved using the 40 grain Z Max and V Maxes....

these work out real well, for trips to the range with the kids, or fun shooting little bitty groups at 100 and 200 yards with your bolt 223...

7.5 grains of Unique or 10 grains of IMR BLUE.....

haven't chrono'ed them... but they sure are fun to shoot, especially with those little bitty groups the two loads have turned in...

kinda worked them up to shoot 'gopher' infestation we have in the yard...
living on what use to be a golf course...

Seafire, how does the IMR Blue compare to Blue Dot in your experience. Seems to me that I recall a old thread where you expressed some disappointment.

SOG.....

On this latest batch of testing loads, I just settled on 10 grains of IMR Blue, to correspond with approximate velocity and point of impact of loads using Unique, 4198, Trail Boss...

IMR Blue left me surprised and impressed....10 shots with a 50 grain Hornady SP, at 100 yrds
gave several groups which could be covered by a dime at 100yds... one relatively small sized hole..

turned out those kind of results in both a Model 700 ADL and a Howa Mini..

got some loads to compare next trip to the range...

10 &12 grains of IMR Blue, against 10 and 12 grains of Blue Dot..

with both 40 gr V Maxes and 50 grain V Maxes....

Will post results if any worthwhile news is available...

both are more than minute of Sage Rat....
+

Thanks.

SOG,

further testing today....

Found out the 10 grain loads of both IMR Blue and Blue Dot were pretty close to equal
but testing today, using a charge of 12 grains of each.... IMR Blue showed a definite edge in accuracy
over BlueDot.. this was done utilizing a 40 grain Vmax...

preference for IMR Blue at 12 grain Charge, proven more accurate in both a Rem ADL and Howa Mini
chambered in 223...

Temp was 96 degrees this afternoon during that testing.

just passing it on, for anyone that may have any interest in that finding.

Thanks again Seafire, it's good too have options.

Run that stuff up to maybe 13.5 under the 40s, Seafire. And happy birthday even though you probably would rather stay 39 forever.

Thanks for the B/Day wishes Dave...

I know I can push the 40s up to 14.5 grains of Blue Dot...

but 14.5 grains of IMR Blue and things start to get wonky with it...

12.5 of either seems to be a happy compromise or middle ground..
same POI out of my two rifles I've tested it side by side with.
MV is right at 3000 fps on both...

getting older, I spend more time in the slow lane now than in the fast lane...

varmints still go Splat/ KaBoom...

7.5 grains of Unique is working out, without upsetting the neighbors, wasting
some of these darn sage rats that inhabit the creek banks, that border the yard.