At last!

I made it to the outdoor range for a bit of testing and general fun.  Couple of light loads in .30-06, sighting the project rifle, and some other crap.  Including a .22 just for fun.  Well, and making sure it was zeroed, but otherwise for fun.

The two light loads were using the 100-grain SWC and 115-grain spitzer, both sized .311" over 3.0 grains of Bullseye, at fifty yards, ten-round groups, target has a 3" bullseye.
SWC

I have no idea what happened with that one up high-left, all others went well as I could hope for with iron sights.

Spitzer

I was able to set up the Chrony:
SWC loads highest velocity 899, lowest 818, average 840fps.
Spitzer loads highest 781, lowest 729, average 760fps.  That extra 15 grains in the bullet did pull it down a bit.
I still get a bit of a giggle-fit at times when pulling the trigger on a 1903 produces a mild 'bang' and about as much recoil as a .22 while creating groups like this.

For straight practice, I'd go with the spitzers; with my dies(Lee) they're a lot easier to get seated evenly at the depth I want than the SWCs.  For pest control around a garden/farm/whatever, I'd go with the SWCs; that flat nose would, I think, work a lot better for putting them down.  I do need to find a set of .30-06 dies of different brand to try, see if the SWC problem is with the bullet length and shape, or something about the dies.

Also had a few .30-30 loaded with the SWC over 2.5 grains of Bullseye, which produced this:

There was one more that I pulled a bit high, and I didn't save that particular target.  Also didn't think to take a picture before pulling this one(it's at the top of the spitzer target).  That group is about 6" below the point of aim as I didn't adjust the sight for the load.  Velocity for these, high 826, low 723, average 793fps.


On the project rifle, in no particular order:
Capable of fine accuracy.
Since they don't make one, I need to get a grind-to-fit Limbsaver pad and modify to fit; few rounds hunting, no big deal; bunch of rounds in cold blood from a bench, for my shoulder at times, problem.  I had a Limbsaver slip-on in the range servant, otherwise I'd have been in trouble.
I looked at the ballistics charts Federal has for their factory ammo, they show very little difference in trajectory between the 185-grain and 200-grain bullet loads; at least in this rifle, the hell there's not.  A zero with the 200-grain at 100 yards had the 185 hitting right at 6" high.  I really need to find a longer range to use for some shots, only way to know exactly how these things will perform at longer distances.
I took along some handloads made from Winchester and Federal .308 brass formed to .338, using Varget and 200-grain Speer softpoints; they shot nicely.
No, I didn't pull that target or take a picture.  Blame it on getting really hot and worn at that point; once summer got here, it really did.

Thus ends my report for the day.