Savage Rocks

I just got back from the range. I shot 100 rounds from the .17 HMR, 50 from the S&W 27-2 with new Pachmayr grips, and 50 from the SW1911. What a day.

I started with the target at 50 yards, and the first shot hit the paper. From then on, it was a simple matter of adjusting the scope. This is about 15 shots, I think:

The first shot is below the frame. You can already see how easy this gun is to shoot. Here’s the second 50-yard group:

The bullets started going through the same hole. It was clear that shooting at 50 yards was a complete waste of time, so I stopped and moved back. Here’s what happened as I sighted the scope in and tried to figure out what I was doing:

I had some trouble getting comfortable and finding the right place to put my right hand. When I grip the gun naturally, my finger contacts the trigger up by the stock, which is no good, so I had to keep moving it down. And I had problems figuring out where to put my cheek; it made the optics seem all wobbly. Finally I developed a little bit of a routine, but not before this happened:

Am I complaining? No. That’s a small target. The group is smaller than a tennis ball. By my standards, that is good shooting.

I started to get it together on the third group. You can see the shots glomming into several distinct areas. The central area, which is where they went when I did things right, and then the other areas, where they went when I did stupid things:

I still feel uncomfortable with my shooting rest. It’s too damned low. I don’t understand how anyone can be comfortable with a rest less than ten inches high. Maybe I should get a tall bipod. And I see what Chris Byrne was talking about, when he said target stocks make for better geometry. But I think this one will be okay once I get used to it. I think the scope is too far back; he mentioned that, too. When my eye is too close to the rear lens, the optical sweet spot gets small and wanders around, making it hard to center the target.

I ordered Pachmayr grips for my Smith & Wesson 27-2, so I decided to shoot it today. The results were horrendous. I think the heavy spring may be part of the problem. Also, after my long layoff, I just plain forgot how to hold the grip:

That was humiliating. So I took out the SW1911 to see if my problem extended to all pistols. I shot considerably better, so I didn’t feel the need to seek therapy.

Here’s the rifle on the rest:

I highly recommend the Savage Mark II .17 HMR rifles. This thing shoots itself, and it was cheap. The 14 power Burris Fullfield II scope is great. I’m glad I didn’t go smaller. At a hundred yards, I can see the holes without a spotting scope.

Fantastic day.