Quiet here in New Hampshire. March is usually such a nasty month, but it has been like May or June. The snow you see in the few wildlife pictures below left about four days ago. It is all gone now, and nearly all the frost is out of the ground. Maple syrup season ended abruptly because of the warmth.
Raccoon with a purpose!
Fuzzy little guy on the Far Ridge.
The next two pictures are in the Near Field, in sight of camp. This particular spot lost it's last snow yesterday. Here are two scenes of fox after mice. I suspect the fox won.
Below you see a Savage model 11 FHNS (floorplate mag) in .223. I know I have been saying that I love to carry my Colt M4 and I do. But I wanted to scope it for better accuracy, as it now is equipped with an Armco red dot combat sight. Perfect for operator work, but not so good for 200 yard coyotes. Then, I thought it ought to remain dedicated to it's original purpose - protection. So I'll leave it be. I had read all kinds of things about the out of the box accuracy from Savage, so picked this up to try it. I will wring it out, see what it does, and then sell it at my cost (I am an FFL) .
Scoped it with a Leupold 3.5x10, my go to scope for accuracy. Burris mounts and rings are excellent buys, and bring the eye piece right where it should be...
Fist time at range with the Savage. 60 degrees, sunny, no wind factor...
I always seem to end up with so much gear at the range. I even had cleaning stuff with me which I did not use. (the break in the barrel stuff, you know, fire one shot, clean, fire another, clean, for ten shots etc is bunk in my opinion)
Can't find where I measured this group, but it was not bad, definitely moa!
Five shots to sight in scope at 100 yards, and we are off.
The group below was fired using Hornady's 60 grain TAP (tactical action police) rounds. This was the second day at the range and it was in the 70's but with an 8mph cross wind.
This rifle, with a 1 in 9 twist seems to shoot the 55 grain reloaded Ultramax rounds as accurately as the TAP rounds.
Looking at the TAP group below however, I like to think I threw the third shot! Remember, this is a 6 1/2 pound rifle with a whippy little barrel you can carry all day!
The tightest group I have shot with this gun was with Federal 55 grain FMJ cheap stuff. Half inch groups are nothing to complain about. If I reloaded for this caliber and let the barrel cool between groups, this little gun would be a less than 1/2 inch shooter every time!
I'll continue to shoot this rifle for a hundred rounds, really dial it in, and let you know!
jackzeller@myfairpoint.net
good work, Jack!
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