Benjamin Working Out DOPE w/.357 Benjamin Bulldog for Upcoming Hunt

[Ezana4CE]

Worked on this for a few hours today. Hadn’t broke out a Bulldog in months. Another few days and it’s trouble for something walking on all fours…

Target work from 45-65 yards. 5 shot groups. Some of the good, the bad, and the ugly shooting slugs with a moderator.

 

[DirtyGator]

Sounds like a day we'll spent! Hopefully will be doing the same thing next weekend.

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

You're good to go! Looks like the last group really tightened up. You should streeatch it out some, like 100 yards. I love shooting the big bores at long distances.

 

[Ezana4CE]

You're good to go! Looks like the last group really tightened up. You should streeatch it out some, like 100 yards. I love shooting the big bores at long distances.

@Airgun-hobbyist I’m getting there. I’m not as confident as I’d like to be. I generally don’t shoot this gun beyond 50 yards at game animals, but I’m doing nuisance animal work. I dont see myself shooting beyond 75 yards and that would be a stretch. I have another Bulldog setup for 100 yards.

I was more pleased with that last group. The one to the left was from the same distance. Next outing I’ll shoot from a tripod or bipod. I don’t like shooting from that table. The ground is so uneven I dealt with a lot of canting. I used a tin beneath a table leg to sort of compensate for the uneven ground.

@DirtyGator It was work and it was hit and humid, but it was necessary and work that I don’t mind doing. I hope you have or make some time to get out there and get at it.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

@Airgun-hobbyist I’m getting there. I’m not as confident as I’d like to be. I generally don’t shoot this gun beyond 50 yards at game animals, but I’m doing nuisance animal work. I dont see myself shooting beyond 75 yards and that would be a stretch. I have another Bulldog setup for 100 yards.

I was more pleased with that last group. The one to the left was from the same distance. Next outing I’ll shoot from a tripod or bipod. I don’t like shooting from that table. The ground is so uneven I dealt with a lot of canting. I used a tin beneath a table leg to sort of compensate for the uneven ground.
View attachment 363876

@DirtyGator It was work and it was hit and humid, but it was necessary and work that I don’t mind doing. I hope you have or make some time to get out there and get at it.

Sweeeeeet!!

Grab you a 2×4 that spans the legs by a bit more than even; drill in holes for your table legs. Add the board under your legs when needed

 

[Ezana4CE]

Sweeeeeet!!

Grab you a 2×4 that spans the legs by a bit more than even; drill in holes for your table legs. Add the board under your legs when needed

@iAMzehTOASTY1 That sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. Not quite as practical as a turret rest with telescoping legs. If I were handy at machining, I’d like to design a way to alter the rear legs on this turret rest to add some sort of feet that screw in and out to help level the gun when the base rests upon an uneven surface. The front leg telescopes, I have no idea why the people who designed this thing stopped at just the one leg.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@iAMzehTOASTY1 After my previos reply I was also thinking about how I tend to shoot from uneven ground a lot. Once zeroed, level ground is pretty useless to me. When I hunt the ground is rarely level in many spots that I stop after stalking or tracking an animal. Learning to deal with that is critical to how I handle shots in the field.

When I post photos and the rare video clip of targets or quarry, the reader only see the POI and end result. What is rarely seen are the terrain (where my feet and/or rear are planted) or the awkward position that I may have shot from. I’ve taken shots half-bent over, contorted, seated twisted at the waist, and laying flat on my back in the woods. One of the only things I haven’t been enthusiastic about doing is laying prone in the mud in the dark, although the thought has crossed my mind. All of this can occur with less than ideal footing, balance, level ground, or the most solid rest (it may be a sapling) and within a very short period of time. My point is that practicing in less than ideal conditions helps some, but I’d still like to alter my turret rest so that I can level it off from the tabletop to really see how accurate some of my longer shots would be under more ideal conditions. I think it’s a more practical approach than trying to level the table to compensate for every rut, ant mound, gopher hole, cow hoof or horseshoe print, or depression.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

@iAMzehTOASTY1 After my previos reply I was also thinking about how I tend to shoot from uneven ground a lot. Once zeroed, level ground is pretty useless to me. When I hunt the ground is rarely level in many spots that I stop after stalking or tracking an animal. Learning to deal with that is critical to how I handle shots in the field.

When I post photos and the rare video clip of targets or quarry, the reader only see the POI and end result. What is rarely seen are the terrain (where my feet and/or rear are planted) or the awkward position that I may have shot from. I’ve taken shots half-bent over, contorted, seated twisted at the waist, and laying flat on my back in the woods. One of the only things I haven’t been enthusiastic about doing is laying prone in the mud in the dark, although the thought has crossed my mind. All of this can occur with less than ideal footing, balance, level ground, or the most solid rest (it may be a sapling) and within a very short period of time. My point is that practicing in less than ideal conditions helps some, but I’d still like to alter my turret rest so that I can level it off from the tabletop to really see how accurate some of my longer shots would be under more ideal conditions. I think it’s a more practical approach than trying to level the table to compensate for every rut, ant mound, gopher hole, cow hoof or horseshoe print, or depression.

Understandable. Went out for a bit this morning; didn't use my table(been using it alot lately), shot off hand and off my stick.
Didn't too half bad, but I feel like you do. I try to take weird shots bc comfy isn't always there.
Even did a bit of walk n stalk. Ended up with 1 for sure DRT pest bird(fell into a thicket I couldn't get into) and 1 clean miss on a rabbit
Still dialing in the Dragonfly

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

@iAMzehTOASTY1 After my previos reply I was also thinking about how I tend to shoot from uneven ground a lot. Once zeroed, level ground is pretty useless to me. When I hunt the ground is rarely level in many spots that I stop after stalking or tracking an animal. Learning to deal with that is critical to how I handle shots in the field.

When I post photos and the rare video clip of targets or quarry, the reader only see the POI and end result. What is rarely seen are the terrain (where my feet and/or rear are planted) or the awkward position that I may have shot from. I’ve taken shots half-bent over, contorted, seated twisted at the waist, and laying flat on my back in the woods. One of the only things I haven’t been enthusiastic about doing is laying prone in the mud in the dark, although the thought has crossed my mind. All of this can occur with less than ideal footing, balance, level ground, or the most solid rest (it may be a sapling) and within a very short period of time. My point is that practicing in less than ideal conditions helps some, but I’d still like to alter my turret rest so that I can level it off from the tabletop to really see how accurate some of my longer shots would be under more ideal conditions. I think it’s a more practical approach than trying to level the table to compensate for every rut, ant mound, gopher hole, cow hoof or horseshoe print, or depression.

Your spot on. I feel that it is always best to practice with field conditions to become a better marksman and not develope "bad" habits of relying on ideal conditions. Because everything changes in the field, the scope bubble level is the one tool I'd recommend over anything else.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Your spot on. I feel that it is always best to practice with field conditions to become a better marksman and not develope "bad" habits of relying on ideal conditions. Because everything changes in the field, the scope bubble level is the one tool I'd recommend over anything else.

I have been interested in getting some of those
Just not sure how I personally would utilize it...
I understand how they work...I think
But I'm not sure why I would neeeeeed it?
Thoughts?

 

[Ezana4CE]

I have been interested in getting some of those
Just not sure how I personally would utilize it...
I understand how they work...I think
But I'm not sure why I would neeeeeed it?
Thoughts?

@iAMzehTOASTY1 As far as I know they’re used to get in the habit of holding your rifle level so your aren’t canted when taking your shots.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

@iAMzehTOASTY1 As far as I know they’re used to get in the habit of holding your rifle level so your aren’t canted when taking your shots.

Ooooooooh!!!
...I'm still not sure if I personally would even "check" the bubble...
I mean I like them. They look cool. Serve an awesome purpose. I just don't see me utilizing them honestly in my head it would "slow" me down more...
When I hunt; I usually use a fixed scope. Dialing in and changing turrets n such while walk n stalk is a no go for my discombobulated thought processes but on a bench or posted up while hunting, I take way more time per shot.
So maybe for my bench slingers it would be beneficial. I'll have to find some to try eventually
Just being honest and true

 

[Airgun-hobbyist]

Ooooooooh!!!
...I'm still not sure if I personally would even "check" the bubble...
I mean I like them. They look cool. Serve an awesome purpose. I just don't see me utilizing them honestly in my head it would "slow" me down more...
When I hunt; I usually use a fixed scope. Dialing in and changing turrets n such while walk n stalk is a no go for my discombobulated thought processes but on a bench or posted up while hunting, I take way more time per shot.
So maybe for my bench slingers it would be beneficial. I'll have to find some to try eventually
Just being honest and true

Yes, it does get you in the habit of holding true and level. You don't really "check" the bubble too much, because you actually see it in your periphery. Once you used to it being there and the hold, you will likely hold everything level unconsciously. Our shooting position and the environment can make the appearance of the horizon and what is truly vertical change constantly; grass blowing in the wind, tree lean, branches, terrain and hills, all making the horizon not what it appears. As an experiment, take a series of shots with the gun intentionally canted slightly off in one direction, then do it again but in the other direction. There's usually quite a bit of difference between the two groups, depending on the scope setup.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Yes, it does get you in the habit of holding true and level. You don't really "check" the bubble too much, because you actually see it in your periphery. Once you used to it being there and the hold, you will likely hold everything level unconsciously. Our shooting position and the environment can make the appearance of the horizon and what is truly vertical change constantly; grass blowing in the wind, tree lean, branches, terrain and hills, all making the horizon not what it appears. As an experiment, take a series of shots with the gun intentionally canted slightly off in one direction, then do it again but in the other direction. There's usually quite a bit of difference between the two groups, depending on the scope setup.

I really like them, don't get me wrong. I will probably end up getting some.
Just feel like its another step that i wouldnt use much in a split second decision style of shot....I've been shooting since I could hold a bb gun up(blame my dad). The more basic, the more i like it sometimes

 

[Ezana4CE]

Got the .357 Bulldog out with a tripod for a bit this evening. Didn’t have much time before it started raining. I found that I had to adjust my elevation turret from the settings I used to shoot from a table. My saddle doesn’t hold this gun well and it fell off the tripod. It was in the grass and thankfully it landed rubber but cover down before falling over on the scope. It’s an SWFA. Nothing happened to it other than a little dirt on the scope covers which were closed. So I don’t know what to attribute the necessary adjustments to. I have them all recorded in my DOPE so it’s nothing to dial it back. I shot these from 40 and 45 yards. The first two are the low shots that let me know I needed to adjust. The lowest shot is a result of me dialing the elevation on the wrong direction. The final two shots were rushed trying to beat the rain. The last shot is just below the bullseye. I can use this a baseline for when I go out using a bipod or another tripod next time, so every little bit of info helps.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Got the .357 Bulldog out with a tripod for a bit this evening. Didn’t have much time before it started raining. I found that I had to adjust my elevation turret from the settings I used to shoot from a table. My saddle doesn’t hold this gun well and it fell off the tripod. It was in the grass and thankfully it landed rubber but cover down before falling over on the scope. It’s an SWFA. Nothing happened to it other than a little dirt on the scope covers which were closed. So I don’t know what to attribute the necessary adjustments to. I have them all recorded in my DOPE so it’s nothing to dial it back. I poop these from 40 and 45 yards. The first two are the low shots that let me know I needed to adjust. The lowest shot is a result of me dialing the elevation on the wrong direction. It’s a baseline fore when I go out using a bipod or another tripod, so every little bit helps.

View attachment 364298

Not bad!
All in the black rings

 

[Ezana4CE]

Not bad!
All in the black rings

@iAMzehTOASTY1 the rings are black out to the “3” ring. That’s about an 8.25” radius.

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

@iAMzehTOASTY1 the rings are black out to the “3” ring. That’s about an 8.25” radius.

I see 9 shots....? Did you shoot 9 times?
If so; that's hitting the target 100%!

 

[Ezana4CE]

I see 9 shots....? Did you shoot 9 times?
If so; that's hitting the target 100%!

I thought I shot 10 times, each mag holds 5 rounds. Since I rushed I my last two shots I may not have. They’re may be one in the breech, unless I shot precisely through the same hole as a previous shot which is highly unlikely, especially in cardboard targets. Cardboard shows the slightest POI shifts clearer when shooting larger diameter ammo compared to paper IMO. On this large target I’m happy to keep shots within the 8 ring which has between a 3.25” - 3.5” radius until I get things adjusted the way I’d like them. From there I want to stay within the 9 ring (which has no number in it). It has a 2” radius.

If I can’t hit such a large target from this close I have no business with this rifle.

 

[RM.510bigbore]

I would imagine a lil air lapping or hand lapping the bore a lead lap may do wonders for your accuracy just like with my texan... My groups before lapping when I was dealing with leading where pretty similar.. Accuracy definitely good enough for your 75 yard pesting. I can't shoot very good groups from my BOG Tripod... Its tough getting a steady portable setup for shooting without be so heavy it breaks your back... Glad you got the big bores slinging lead