Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,392
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Post by Snyd on Aug 30, 2016 11:12:10 GMT -5
So once you've got your load(s) dialed in and know what the gun is capable of from the bench at various distances, what do you expect from yourself when shooting your Big Boomer standing off-hand? Let's define Big Boomer as Full House 454 and up. Cartridge/Load that makes you hang on to that sucker or else! At 25yds this seems to be my norm I seem to have settled into, sometimes a little tighter but usually there's that 1 that doubles the group size. 3 Different loads. 50-70 yds I'm ringing 12" steel closer to a 9" group At the end of the day it's "minute of moose"!
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Post by sheriff on Aug 30, 2016 11:43:53 GMT -5
I only have one 'big boomer', a .475 Max necked down to .457. I shoot it un-supported. I've found that I can handle the recoil better, especially went shooting paper. I've also discovered that about 15 rounds of this one is about all my hands and wrists will take, then the groups start opening up.
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Post by bobwright on Aug 30, 2016 13:36:10 GMT -5
I don't own any big boomers, biggest I have is .44 Magnum and .45 Colt calibers. But I never sight in from a bench. I've found that sighting in from a bench and then sighting in standing results in too great a difference in points of impact.
But standing, unsupported with my Super Blackhawk, I should be able to hit a Styrofoam coffee cup with reasonable frequency at 100 yards.
Bob Wright
P.S. After a rain, there would be many Styrofoam cups of various sizes washed down the ditch in front of the berm down range. One Saturday morning I was in rather good form and was plinking away at the debris on the toe of the berm. On odd looking white mass didn't break up when I hit bu sort of jumped limply with each hit. Turned out to be a pair of undershorts!
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Post by magnumwheelman on Aug 30, 2016 13:41:42 GMT -5
My "Big Boomers" transition into the Contenders & end up at 35 Remington, 375 Winchester, 444 Marlin, & 45 -70... or in snubbie double action form of 454 & 480 Ruger... I shoot them all pretty well, ( strong back & weak mind ) though I do admit, that with revolvers the longer the barrel, the more I prefer a supported shot... hotter loads in the 454 Alaskan starts getting "old" somewhere between 25 & 50 rounds
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 30, 2016 15:02:58 GMT -5
the biggest boomer i have right now is a 454 bisley.seen here with my Gallagher 45 i am shooting the cast performance 395 wfn at the moment rumbling along at 1300 fps, and getting these kind of groups at 25 yards offhand. i know the gun will do better and the longer i shoot the gun the better my groups get. planning on stretching her legs this week and see how she does at 50 and 100 yards.
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Post by AxeHandle on Aug 30, 2016 15:23:42 GMT -5
Personally a firm believer in shooting the Big Boomers unsupported. When you prop those things on a rest you are asking the beast to beat you up extra hard. Stand up, watch that front sight, straight to the rear with the trigger and... BOOM!
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Post by sixshot on Aug 30, 2016 16:51:37 GMT -5
Shooting the big boys from a rest can beat you up alright but you can also shoot them standing, supported like over the top of a car with a mat placed on top for protection, etc. This allows you to see what the gun is capable of doing as far as accuracy then you can shoot off hand to get your zero corrected. Also just leaning up against a post or pole with your left forearm helps a lot to steady your hold. Still, shooting in the field is the only way to really zero your gun. I always find when shooting jackrabbit, rock chucks, ground squirrels, badgers, etc. that I always have to tweak my sights after I've left the range. But as Stan mentioned, shooting the big boys off bags or a bench can really rock your boat. The Elmer Keith reclining position is also good & not as hard on the shooter as it is from the bench. I've taken quite a bit of game using the Keith reclining position just by laying back on a steep hillside or using a tree or big rock as a back rest. It works really good. I'm shooting one of my OM shortys here. Here's the leather master himself, Mike "Doc" Barranti doing some long range work in Idaho from the Keith reclining position. I always have this chair with me when I'm out in the country side, and I also have this foot stool, its pretty much a portable Elmer Keith reclining position you can take with you & its very steady & keeps you off the ground. This way I can whack ground squirrels & badgers & be a little bit elevated above the grass. Shooting my 357 Maximum from the Keith position, my group shooting days with iron sights are long gone, my eyes are so bad I'm shooting right handed & using my left eye. 50 yds from the Keith position with either my OM 41 shorty or my OM 45 shorty. If it was the 41 the load was 17 grs. of 2400 with the Keith 230 gr. slug & if it was with the 45 it was 18.5 grs. of 2400 with the 260 gr. Keith slug, both have turned out the lights on lots of deer, elk & bears & 1 antelope. This last 2 photo's were using the chair & the foot stool. [/URL
Dick
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Post by Alaskan454 on Aug 30, 2016 16:51:43 GMT -5
I've shot some pretty good groups from a rest but only expect fist size or larger off hand at say 25yds. 12" steel at 50 yards is about the best I can normally do.
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f3
.30 Stingray
Posts: 412
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Post by f3 on Aug 30, 2016 18:05:10 GMT -5
It makes me feel a lot better about myself seeing other peoples offhand groups. All these supported groups had me thinking I was a hopeless cause with a handgun.LOL
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cmillard
.375 Atomic
MOLON LABE
Posts: 1,951
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Post by cmillard on Aug 31, 2016 9:17:38 GMT -5
nice shooting guys!
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Post by jayhawker on Aug 31, 2016 9:31:45 GMT -5
Sixshot, I also shoot right handed and see the sights clearest with the left eye. 70+ years old eyes just don't see sixgun sights that well, tends to open them groups.
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Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,392
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Post by Snyd on Aug 31, 2016 13:41:33 GMT -5
Ok, so Bob shoots styrofoam cups at 100yds with his 44 mag, fantastic. I don't know that I could see one at that range. I need a gallon jug! You other guys are crack shots with your 357M's, 41's. 44's and 45's. I also shoot 45 Colt Ruger only loads in BisHunter and heavy 454 in a converted 4" Redhawk. But, the recoil of the 500 Linebaugh with fullhouse loads is a different animal. I know that it's more difficult (at least for me) to maintain accuracy/consistency with the heavier recoil. Can you guys shoot a cylinder full of 475's and 500's as accurately?
As a "Half Bore Big Boomer Newbie" I'm searching for comparisons from others. I feel I'm getting there and my pics show where I am at this point. My first 2 or 3 shots from a cylinder full are the tightest grouping. Which is good for hunting but I really want to be able to maintain that grip/trigger/sight picture consistency for a cylinder full.
32 Meteor and flexjr posted regarding what I'm calling "Big Boomers" for this thread. 475 and heavy 454. flex, nice shooting there for 395gr 454 @ 1300 offhand. I think I'll try the inverted "T" tape and see if it helps my with a more consistent sight picture. Anyone else have pics or group size numbers with load info of off hand target shooting with heavy 454 and up? Say 475L and 500L and the maxies?
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Post by alukban on Aug 31, 2016 14:46:34 GMT -5
I've got this as a pdf file if you want it Snyd. It has a 1" box grid built in
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Post by alukban on Aug 31, 2016 14:52:04 GMT -5
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Post by sixshot on Aug 31, 2016 15:16:53 GMT -5
Snyd, I know what you mean with the big, mean calibers! When I went to Africa I took a Freedom Arms 475 & I shot 2-3 cylinders of full house handloads about 3 times a week, that's all I could take without working into a flinch. I didn't want to download since it was Africa so I took the beating & it took a lot of concentration. Now I'm pushing 72 years old & have no intention of running anything over 1200 fps or over 385 grs. Plus I do not shoot long strings for a day, those days are for you young roosters or guys like Fermin, Tank & Max with wrists like a piece of rebar, not me. Some days I shoot best with my right eye but its almost always my left eye now, age & diabetes. Hope you whack some thing big & hairy with that 500.
Dick
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