Shooting heavy metal.

[Bob Mc Alice]

I went out to CRC for a few hours of practice today. I set up 10 of every target just as the sun was coming up. I wanted to get some trigger time in before the expected mass of club members showed up. Winds were light out of the west at sun up. I had 5 rifles and 250 rds with me. One of the things I wanted to try was hitting extra heavy rams with big bullets. We had talked of doing this at our next match on the 3rd but I got the drop on you guys and got my 7-08 out of the way today . I c-clamped up to three chickens to two rams that fit the rail with no wobble at all. Short of a ballistic pendulum I figure this ought to tell what 7mm bullet has what it takes to push over a regular weight ram. I was using the Hornady 162 SST and the Hornady 175 Interlock bullets for the test. I used a M700 that shoots these bullets well for the test. All shooting was done from the bench. The 162 was at approx 2550 fps. MV and the 175 at 2500 fps. MV.

Test one was a single chicken and clamp adding 13 lbs. to the ram. Test two was two chickens and clamps adding 26 lbs. to the ram. And finally test three adding three chickens and clamps for adding 39 lbs.to a ram. A 94 lb. super ram. Running this experiment was a real pain in the ass driving back and forth resetting. Always looking back to see if any one had showed up to shoot. I had two hours to my self and completed this crude experiment before a few club members showed up.

Both bullets knocked over the single chicken set up with mid body hits. The 162 SST would only topple the double set up with high back hits. The 175 had no problem tipping a double with center hits. Finally I smacked the triple set up with four different hits with the 162 SST. The super ram would not go over. Next try with a 175 Interlock to the center. It stood it's ground. Another hit to the high back at the horn knocked it over. I drove down to reset it . Another hit at the top of the butt tipped it again. I had to quit messing with this project as too many members showed up to shoot. I spent the next couple of hours knocking down targets. Good day.

What does all this prove? Not much, but I had fun doing it....or does it?. http://s766.photobucket.com/albums/xx302/seveno8/rams/

[malinois]

looks like you are having too much fun over there...But from your test I see that the 162 hornadys are more than a match for all but the fattest Rams and even then we could always switch to a 175 or a 180 to do the job. Gotta love the 7mm.

[Trent]

That Ram is being attacked by a swarm or unhappy chickens!!!

[Trent]

Bob, did you run out of time to try some match kings?

[Jerry G]

First time I have ever seen some chicken attack anything.

[kevinbear]

I shot highpower silhouette today for the first time since my shoulder surgery with the boys, made it through one match.....useing a .223.
69grain matchkings are not reliable ram killers...obviously! In practice I was able to topple several with above center hits, during the course of the day the wind switched to coming from behind, 5 hits netted 0 x's on my score card during my ram relay. I lost a turkey and pig as well but I'll know better next time to use 69's on all the targets,55's don't get it. One big surprise was that the 69 mk's grouped under moa at rams in spite of the 700 having a 1-12 twist, very interesting.

[kevinbear]

I'd like to see the same test run with 6.5's, Dave??

[Snake]

McAlice---that ram appears to have sticky chicken syndrome. We have a ram swinger made from 1" armor plate (the metal came from Lake City arsenal testing area). It barely "swings" with any hit except the 50 bmg. But using a 223 seems a bit futile....maybe that's why the 6mm or larger rule? We did notice that some bowing takes place on the ram targets if one doesn't reverse their direction now and again....that keeps them honest so even 6.5's can knock 'em down

[kevinbear]

[quote="Snake"]McAlice---that ram appears to have sticky chicken syndrome. We have a ram swinger made from 1" armor plate (the metal came from Lake City arsenal testing area). It barely "swings" with any hit except the 50 bmg. But using a 223 seems a bit futile....maybe that's why the 6mm or larger rule? We did notice that some bowing takes place on the ram targets if one doesn't reverse their direction now and again....that keeps them honest so even 6.5's can knock 'em down [/quote]

I was shooting the 223 just for fun because I had shoulder surgery{rotater cuff} 5 months ago, those do not heal quickly, I've heard people say it takes a year before you can shoot a centerfire that recoils without pain. It was sore last night but ok today.

[Trent]

Good job getting out there Kevin!!!

[kevinbear]

Thanks but it's just an addiction to burning gunpowder, I couldn't stay away if I wanted to.

[Snake]

Kevin, My friends who have had that operation tell me that the physical therapy is a must do to get back at it almost like normal. Good luck.....but do 6.5's even recoil? Trent will know!

[kevinbear]

After 20 years of 6.5's I changed to the 7's about 15 years ago because of our heavy targets at Colorado Rifle club, I don't own any of the little guns anymore. Probably should have kept one for instances like this.