Chapter II

by Sarge, OK... but more round-ball results today, Sunday, December 11, 2011, 18:59 (4730 days ago) @ Rob Leahy

Today was going to be my last chance to get old Santa Fe zeroed. So back out to the rickety-azz shooting table we go.

The wind was still about 10 mph today, but dropping a handful of grass confirmed the direction was better at 30 degrees into the muzzle. For a better defined aiming point, I stapled a picnic bowl on Osama’s gizzard. Three shots at roughly 120 yards landed toward its left side and given the conditions, I’m comfortable with the zero.

Never one to quit while I’m ahead, I moved the works back to the edge of the field, about 192 yards according to Google Earth’s yardstick. Right on schedule, the wind picked up. In case you’ve ever wondered what an Osamazoid with a bowl stapled to his belly looks like at that distance, it’s that little white speck above the front sight.

I resisted the urge to fiddle with the sights and fired five shots, hoping they wouldn’t drift off the plywood backer. My wish was granted and I located an eleven inch group, just off bottom-left corner of the target.

Just a couple of thoughts… those .54 ball were taking about ¾ of a second to get to the target and making a THWACK I could heard with earplugs in. All made clean holes through ¾”plywood and all buried in the old oak logs behind it. Also, the old rifle is keeping 2/3 of its shots real close together and I’m certain the flyers are mine. I am getting real tempted to install a finer front sight and a good aperture sight on the rear. Those additions would make it easier for me to shoot well- and this long-distance round-ball shooting is getting addictive.