Second Date With The NEF Sidekick
03-25-2013, 06:34 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
Second Date With The NEF Sidekick
Sunday morning was a bit on the nasty side; fifty-two degrees of cloudy, misty damp with a bit of gusty wind. But I was at the camp with the Sidekick in the truck. It was fitted out with a new Metrics Unlimited breechplug. So I was going to shoot no matter what.
My plan was to shoot five-shot groups of 300 grain XTPs (or, for Ronlaughlin's benefit, a mix of STPx, XPTs, PTXs, and PMSs
). They were to be loaded in Harvester short black sabots and shot over loads of GOEX FFg, starting at 75 grains and moving up to 115 grains in ten grain increments.
I did that, plus a little more. All shooting was at 100 yards and the bore was wiped with both sides of one alcohol patch between shots.
Here's the first target - 75 grains.
That first shot was a jaw dropper.
I hadn't closed the action with enough authority. It opened at the shot - causing a tiny bit of consternation and bewilderment on the part of the shooter. When the action opened, causing the muzzle end to drop and the breech end to rise, I thought the breech had blown and kicked scope base up off the barrel. Fortunately, it didn't blow the primer out of the plug.
I shot the other four shots on that target, closing the breech "quite firmly" each time.
It was only nine o`clock when I finished that target. But after giving it some thought I allowed it would be a good time to go sit on the deck of my hooch for a little while and drink a beer (Michelob Amber Bock).
Fifteen minutes later, I returned to the bench and resumed shooting.
Here are the targets with loads from 85 grains through 115 grains.
Two or three of those aren't bad at all.
I can't explain the flyers. But did you ever have one of those days where you just knew you weren't shooting your best? This was one of those for me. I knew my concentration wasn't there when I touched off some of those shots. But I'm sure it wasn't so bad as to account for that wild shot on Target #9. But, then again?????
Anyway, I had time to kill and there was an old Pyrodex canister in the hooch. It looked to have enough RS for five shots. So I shot one target with 95 grains Pyrodex and got this.
I also wanted to try some .429 bullets. Returning to GOEX FFg, I shot one target with 270 grain Deep Curls and one target with 240 grain XTPs. Here they are.
Again, I can't explain that flyer. Maybe I zoned out. Anyway, both of those show real potential and will be the subject of future range sessions.
A WORD ABOUT THE METRICS UNLIMITED BREECHPLUG. What a jewel this thing is. As I stated in the report of my first range session with the Sidekick, even though the plastic primer carriers made for easy loading of the primer, the breech was filthy after just a few shots.
Not so with the MU "carrierless" plug. The breech stayed as clean as nun's joke. Pictured below are some of the spent primers, and the breech after the tenth shot. Most of the discoloration you see on the breech are a trick of the camera, picking up the old pitting around the rear of the barrel and some and very minor soot on the plug.
My plan was to shoot five-shot groups of 300 grain XTPs (or, for Ronlaughlin's benefit, a mix of STPx, XPTs, PTXs, and PMSs
). They were to be loaded in Harvester short black sabots and shot over loads of GOEX FFg, starting at 75 grains and moving up to 115 grains in ten grain increments.I did that, plus a little more. All shooting was at 100 yards and the bore was wiped with both sides of one alcohol patch between shots.
Here's the first target - 75 grains.
That first shot was a jaw dropper.
I hadn't closed the action with enough authority. It opened at the shot - causing a tiny bit of consternation and bewilderment on the part of the shooter. When the action opened, causing the muzzle end to drop and the breech end to rise, I thought the breech had blown and kicked scope base up off the barrel. Fortunately, it didn't blow the primer out of the plug. I shot the other four shots on that target, closing the breech "quite firmly" each time.
It was only nine o`clock when I finished that target. But after giving it some thought I allowed it would be a good time to go sit on the deck of my hooch for a little while and drink a beer (Michelob Amber Bock).
Fifteen minutes later, I returned to the bench and resumed shooting.
Here are the targets with loads from 85 grains through 115 grains.
Two or three of those aren't bad at all.
I can't explain the flyers. But did you ever have one of those days where you just knew you weren't shooting your best? This was one of those for me. I knew my concentration wasn't there when I touched off some of those shots. But I'm sure it wasn't so bad as to account for that wild shot on Target #9. But, then again?????
Anyway, I had time to kill and there was an old Pyrodex canister in the hooch. It looked to have enough RS for five shots. So I shot one target with 95 grains Pyrodex and got this.
I also wanted to try some .429 bullets. Returning to GOEX FFg, I shot one target with 270 grain Deep Curls and one target with 240 grain XTPs. Here they are.
Again, I can't explain that flyer. Maybe I zoned out. Anyway, both of those show real potential and will be the subject of future range sessions.
A WORD ABOUT THE METRICS UNLIMITED BREECHPLUG. What a jewel this thing is. As I stated in the report of my first range session with the Sidekick, even though the plastic primer carriers made for easy loading of the primer, the breech was filthy after just a few shots.
Not so with the MU "carrierless" plug. The breech stayed as clean as nun's joke. Pictured below are some of the spent primers, and the breech after the tenth shot. Most of the discoloration you see on the breech are a trick of the camera, picking up the old pitting around the rear of the barrel and some and very minor soot on the plug.
Last edited by Semisane; 03-25-2013 at 06:50 PM.
03-25-2013, 07:36 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
I wish I could understand why a flier happens. It happens to me more often then I care to mention. And always leaves me scratching my head. But they happen. I often blame myself for getting too lax and not paying attention to how I address the rifle.
Actually Semisane that rifle shows a lot of promise. Have you tried conical bullets out of it yet?
Actually Semisane that rifle shows a lot of promise. Have you tried conical bullets out of it yet?
03-25-2013, 07:46 PM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
Cayugad, I did shoot one target with 385 grain Great Plains conicals in my first session, and one target with the last three FPBs in my bullet bag. They did OK.
03-26-2013, 07:31 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Hayes, Va.
Posts: 2,332
I was going to ask if you tried BH209 with the updated BP, but I noticed the dirty plug in your picture. I also upgraded my BP, but after shooting I don't have that much dirt around it!
Can't remember what plug I bought, but my gun loves BH209 and Hornady XTP sabots.
Sorry pal should have asked what primers you used. that may have been the reason for the dirty BP and not blow back.
Can't remember what plug I bought, but my gun loves BH209 and Hornady XTP sabots.
Sorry pal should have asked what primers you used. that may have been the reason for the dirty BP and not blow back.
03-26-2013, 08:39 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Chippewa Falls WI
Posts: 914
www.prbullet.com also makes a breech plug for the nef also I converted mine to shoot 25 acp with magnum small rifle primers very clean and ignites blackhorn without a problem.
