Stretched out the legs of the WC today

[Bigragu]

I decided today was the day to beat the incoming rain and go further out. Small bit of history, for years my go to and no further distance has always been 35-40 yards with air rifles. With the acquiring of a 30 caliber Hercules Bully and a recent FX Wildcat, I’ve decided to try and stretch those out further, past my comfort zone. Last month it was 50 yards, and now that’s where I set my zero on these. Today, I decided to push my pellet trap out to the fence in my front lawn, and ended up just shy of 79 yards. Part of doing this was to not only better my skills as a shooter, but to see if these Vortex pellets get iffy out at longer distances. I really like these Vortex 44.75 grainers, and wanted to see how they did. First are the preliminary set up pics:

First up was to check my 55 yard zero. Seems I always do anymore at the start of a shoot session is always check to make sure things haven’t changed since the last time I shot, lol. I had some left over styrofoam blocks from packaging. These were 4” thick, and very dense and close cell’d. I stuck some stick on dots just for fun to see if I could one by one tag them.

 

[Bigragu]

Well, I am spot on at 55. I had to quit hitting the foam dots, cause the pellets were cutting thru that 4” block, hitting the dirt, and ricocheting upwards against the fence. Some of those pellets after all that are still penetrating that 3/4” thick fence slat.



i had to click up 23 clicks to hit the bulls out at 78.5 yards. The difference from a 55 yard zero out to 78.5 resulted in the shot being 5 1/4” low.

All in all I am happy with the groupings out at 78.5. Next week, practice some more at that distance, then work out to around 85 yards, which is the max depth I can shoot at in my front lawn. To go out further I’ll have to shoot out my back yard.

 

[stoti]

Right on brotha, nice shooting! I love shooting long distance myself, just a whole new spectrum that keeps it fun and challenging. It's addicting though, you'll see!

Next you'll be buying scope tapes, thinking about distances in MILS or MOA, looking at weeds/trees to get an idea of wind holds, etc... Then finally you'll become good friends with Dale at Varmint Knockers and have him on your speed dial... It's a new addiction, just like when you got into air guns! If it's fun, why not right?

Have a good one. Stoti

 

[Bigragu]

Oh, you’re much too kind, Stoti. My “long distance” pales when compared to the likes of Chuck, Bob O, Matt, and the Hans and Franz bird killers(can’t remember their name, lol) 

My long distance to them folks are what my 35 yard zero was for years, lol!

 

[CampFussell]

Wow, you and that Wildcat are makin' the Vortex pellets look good!

 

[Guest]

bigragu what kind of platform is your wildcat on ?

 

[Bigragu]

BigBobby, my fellow union brother! Are you talking about the rest that I shoot off of? I get a lot of inquiries about this. Cabelas put these out with their name on it like back in the early 2000’s, and, after about two years after it’s appearance, they disappeared from their sales inventory. I’m wondering maybe due to the weight? It’s easily like 40-45 lbs. I’ve shot my center fires off of it before, and it doesn’t budge. 

Fully adjustable to fit long and short guns, has a built in level, and rear and front can be raised with the large easily turned dials. 

 

[Bigragu]

The front and rear bases are solid cast iron, and the tubes down the sides are solid stainless, not hollow.



At Campfussel- yeah, I really like these Vortex pellets. Price has a lot to do with it, but they are actually very well made. I’ve never been one to try all kinds of different pellets to see which one my gun likes. As it stands, from my 177 to 22 to 25 calibers, both a mix of break barrels and PCP’s, it’s either Barracuda Hunter extremes or the Crow magnum pellets. Both of those shoot equal in my guns up to 25 cal. For the two 30’s I own, Vortex 44.75’s all the way.

 

[Aimright]

Nice shooting there Bigragu! That rest is awesome, I have an older Lead Sled that I like but doesn’t hold a candle to that Cabelas unit.

 

[Bigragu]

Thank you, Aimright. I’m really trying, man. One of these days I’d like to go to that EBR and rub shoulders with guys like Centercut, JoewayneRhea, Holdover Ted, etc. I know I’ve got a long long ways to go, lol, and who knows? May have to invest i a better rifle? Think the WC is up to the game? Wouldn’t that be awesome, to win the overall title at EBR with my Hatsan Hercules Bully, lol.

Something I’ve been made aware of on today’s shoot, was my Bully and the WC just a month ago grouped way better than today. Sometimes that bully would do hole on hole, and the WC would do it 75% of the time if I did my part. I couldn’t understand why my groups opened up, till I realized I’m now shooting un washed pellets. Last Xmas, between my postman and the way amazon shipped pellets, I ended up with a soggy shipping box with 600 pellets all out from their tins, muddy and wet. I washed all those in a cleaner degreaser solution, dried, and soaked them in my favorite solution of 30 drops of FP10. 

While going thru those four tins, my groups were nice and tight, about 80% of the time. Well, those washed up batches ended two tins ago, and for some reason, especially with the WC, my hole in hole groups are gone. I may have to experiment and wash up a tin of 150, and next shoot outing shoot a group of unwashed at 55 yards, then do the washed group, to verify.

No way am I getting into weighing and sorting! I already do enough of that OCD stuff when I reload for my centerfire rifles. Concentricity, run out, head space....the madness doesn’t stop!!

The one thing I told myself when getting into PCP guns, is I’m not going to add a hobby within a hobby, or turn a hobby into a chore of some sort, hence the reason I don’t even try and melt up lead to make my own slugs.



Then, it’ll all seem like work, and being retired, I don’t wanna work!(unless my wife makes me- ha!)

 

[Guest]

Great shooting ... glad to see you're having so much fun with your new Wildcat 30. Also very nice to see how accurate the Hatsan 44.75 pellets are at lower velocity. Keep up the good work for you now 35 yard is nothing

 

[Bigragu]

I just googled that cabelas premium rifle rest of mine, and came up with nothing. On my 5 acres I have a strip of land about 25 yards wide and 125 yards long. At the end is a 6’x12’ slab, from an out building that burnt down last year. I’m eventually going to build a cool a$$ shooting shed on it, and invest in a couple of these, cause they look nice and light, along with a lot of adjustability.

If if I already didn’t own this gun rest of mine, this is the one I’d get for sure.

 

[Guest]

bigragu i am semiretired on May 14 working 3 days a week to bring them up to speed on the computer system for a few months then i am going full time

 

[Bigragu]

I’m confused...are you meaning full time retired?

 

[Bigragu]

Are you a beat up tin knocker like myself? At the 100 year anniversary for our local I saw all these old timers, in their 80’s, all beat up, and I told myself(I was 40 at the time) no way I’m looking like that. Well, I was wrong. Knees are shot, both shoulders are torn at the cuff, back is fused solid, and now I’m sporting two chins, lol. I try and make light of where I’m at.

 

[TheIceman]

Augie!

It's good to know at least one of us is getting some trigger time with their Wildcat 30. Work is eating up all my time lately. I'm hoping I get some free time Monday. Great shooting, brother! Keep practicing and stretching your legs. Pick up a bag of golf tees and a box of paintballs. They are great fun to shoot, and easy to set up just about anywhere. 

James

 

[Bigragu]

Hey, Iceman James!! How’ve you been, brother? I’ve been meaning to get golf tees and paintballs, lol. I’ve been collecting wine bottle corks, tequila bottle corks(Pedrone) but seeing as my wife and I are occasional “sippers” of alcohol, I don’t have many cork targets!

 

[Bigragu]

Hey, Chuck! I missed your reply. Yup, I’m not giving up on the magic beans just yet, lol. Wish Vortex came out with their version of the 50.15 grainers like JSB has. Then that would mean more magic beans.

Found out today those magic beans can also be bought online thru Walmart, at $12.08/tin.

 

[rkmcvey]

Very nice set-up. It does appear your target stand is getting in the way of a few strays.

 

[HeyU]

No way am I getting into weighing and sorting! I already do enough of that OCD stuff when I reload for my centerfire rifles. Concentricity, run out, head space....the madness doesn’t stop!!

lol, That reminds me of those days long ago when I reloaded. Boy,that is a nice rifle rest.Call that the Bently.Nice shootin