I got out today and shot 10 targets at 100 yd with the old 78' 444S. My best group was about 3"+ and worst was 6 1/2" :eek: :eek:

It just ain't always fun and games eh? Methinks a good scrubbing, checking scope and bases is in order.

Dave :cool:

PURE GUILT! :D :D For knocking me off the top spot :p .

It's going to keep eating at you, too. ;)


I wish I knew why that happens, Dave. Somedays you feel like you could do it with eyes closed. Other days, good lucking hitting the barn door :rolleyes: .

Hey, I want to feel some of that guilt ;)

I think the magnetic forces have been stronger the past few days. The bulls eye's have been able to better repel bullets. Probably a sun spot or solar flare or somin like that.

I figure the pressure chamber has gone up quite a bit as my best groups for the PM were shot at 20-30 degree lower temps. I only shoot one load at max pressure. It isn't one of my favorites but accurate enough. I figure when the temps lower the groups will settle back in. I don't think I will back off on my loads just to shoot targets in 100 + degrees. ;)

We had the pleasure of hunting in S. Texas last year during Hurricane Rita (she didn't affect the weather where we were) and both of my .444's were shooting more patterns than groups when we tried to zero. 110 degrees in the shade!!!

Gonna take the granddaugher out early in the morning and let her shoot the Henry lever .22 and give her a chance to shoot her .243 NEF for the first time. Pa Pa will just offer guidance.

Dave :cool:

It's called reality. Welcome back to the real world Dave.

I slipped off from work early this afternoon. The thermometer in my truck registered at 98, the bank's said 97.

It was not a good day for shooting in Georgia either.

I hope you can get your rifle working VTDW, I predict that score won't stand up till Sept 31. :D

KenK,

I had top honors last year until Dr. A. and Big Med got serious. I ain't countin on no braggin rights just yet. :D

Here is something Jay posted on MO. A quote by Denton Bramwell:

This is a very important finding. Both barrel temperature and powder temperature are important variables, and they are not the same variable. If you fail to take barrel temperature into account while doing pressure testing, your test results will be very significantly affected. As nearly as I can determine, SAAMI does not rigorously control this variable, though individual testers mightix.The effect of barrel temperature is around 204 PSI per degree F for the Varget load. Also, the small sample gathered with 4350, before my thermocouple meter went kerflooey, is consistent with this result. Since the 4350 sample is small, the uncertainty is high, but the best estimate is 177 PSI per degree F. If you’re not controlling barrel temperature, you about as well might not bother controlling powder temperature, either. In the cases investigated, barrel temperature is a much stronger variable than powder temperature.I suspect that the mechanism for the effect of barrel temperature on pressure is from the large thermal mass of the rifle quickly bringing the primer to the same temperature as the chamber, and that what we are seeing really represents primer temperature. That’s the topic of yet another experiment, to come.9585756555600005500050000barrel tempPmaxS = 1910.15 R-Sq = 66.4 % R-Sq(adj) = 64.0 %Pmax = 39077.3 + 203.854 barrel tempRegression Plot
2003 Denton Bramwell

I keep my rifle in the house (78 degrees) until I get everything ready to go. From the time I walk out until I have five shots downrange is about three minutes.

One storm window and a dogwood tree is all thats keeping me from shooting out of the kitchen. :D

I keep my rifle in the house (78 degrees) until I get everything ready to go. From the time I walk out until I have five shots downrange is about three minutes.

One storm window and a dogwood tree is all thats keeping me from shooting out of the kitchen. :D

Don't forget the little woman. ;)

I keep my rifle in the house (78 degrees) until I get everything ready to go. From the time I walk out until I have five shots downrange is about three minutes.

One storm window and a dogwood tree is all thats keeping me from shooting out of the kitchen. :D

That aint nothing that a hammer and chain saw wont fix!! ;)

That aint nothing that a hammer and chain saw wont fix!! ;)
That was exactly what i was going to type, great minds must think alike

Temperature of the powder and barrel are definitely a player. That is part of the reason my shooting is awful. I shoot my hunting loads and they typically sit right at the point where they are pushing the ultimate compression strength of my lead alloy. As the temperature rises, so does the PSI of the load and barrels start leading. This really isn't a concern with hunting this time of year as the ammo still stikes "minute of hog". It is the repeative shooting in the match that the problem is most noticed.

Still waiting on my crew to complete the cover on my shooting range. It is being extended to incorporate a game cleaning shed.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses:

Dave , i thought everyone knows, it's state of charge of ones, 3.7Gw flux capacitor. As you can see mine wasn't fully charged.. Danny http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k114/Rowdy_444/8-6-06.jpg