"How To Burn Up Scoopshovelfuls Of Powder Uselessly"

Went out last night to ensure my .358 STA was sighted and ready to slay pigs this weekend. I specifically wanted to compare two different loads so I had only 9 of each---3, 3-shot groups. Should be great plenty, right?

First 3 shots were not on the paper at 50 yards (indoor range--unfortunately, all I got). "Huh...", says I. Pull it back to 25 yards and find out I am 6" low and 3" left. Adjust back to center at 25 with the next two shots and it's back out to 50. Three shots later and I have two touching and a third 'high and outside'. Figuring that I might have pulled one, I am now oficially out of the one load.

Switching to the heavier load, another 3-shot group gives the same performance; two touching and a third considerably outside. At this point, I am disappointed as all three shots 'felt' right. Being stubborn, I racked up another 3 shots and these three were all widely separated. At this point, I am thoroughly frustrated and I put the rifle down for a while.

It finally occurs to me to check the tightness of my scope mounts only to find that the windage screws on the rear mount are loosey-goosey. "Sigh...." I did fire the final three shots "sighting it in" with the final round being where I want it but I have no real confidence. I can load more but do not know if I will have adequate time to get back to the range.

I hate re-re-relearning old lessons....

I have never experienced a similar situation, but that would be a bald-faced lie. The list of little goof ups which caused me to waste heaps of powder and otherwise perfectly good bullets keeps getting longer every year. Loose mounts, loose action screws, loading mistakes, lost load data, poor range technique, brought wrong loads to range, brought wrong load on hunt after sighting in with another, forgetting ammunition, forgetting firearm, are just a few of the foul-ups I have done. That does not include the equipment malfunctions, such as loose sight blades, optics breaking, broken springs, broken firing pins, triggers mysteriously out of adjustment making hammer fall erratic, and the list goes on....

Anyone who has been shooting any length of time has experienced the same, I think its called. Pre-occupied ???

nm

. . . preoccupation.

However, in entirely too many cases it's just plain ol' rectocranial insertion, and I hate to admit that.

.

Very much...or show up at the range with no ammo...or the wrong ammo...

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Of the Troops & For the Troops