I haven’t shot my chronograph yet!
Anyway, today I loaded eight 180 grain CEB Safari Solids in new Norma .300H&H brass using 62 grains of 2209 (one of my go-to loads using Hydros or TSXs - I’m not a speed demon). I went out-bush with my chronograph. First I fired-off a cartridge just to “feel” it - haven’t used this projectile before. Then I tried to balance my chronograph on an ant hill, but I could see it would only end in tears. So I looked around a bit further and tried a nearby borrow pit beside the track, but the main dirt heap was too tall and too grassy. So I settled for a plateau just in front of the little mound, and I popped down into a dry depression about five metres away. From a sitting or crouching position I could shoot through the chronograph. My three shots were extremely disappointing even though they all felt good and the rifle seemed to like them: 2331fps, 2559fps and 2737fps. Not cool! Of course, I instantly blamed the bullet. My loads were perfect, all between 62.0 and 62.2 grains. I puzzled about it and eventually wondered if dust from the muzzle blast (or, less likely, some dust being blown back through from the mound just behind) could be the culprit. It didn’t seem too dusty by Australian standards, but to be honest dust was present. So I decided I needed to eliminate the positioning of the chronograph as a problem by going and finding my tried-and-proven 44-gallon drum. Using this taller, steady platform from a standing position, my next four shots were very pleasing, and made sense: 2807fps, 2818fps, another duplicate of 2818fps and 2830fps. I’m happy with this and hope to test it on buffalo soon.
Has anyone else buggered things up with a chronograph?
