My first deer with a pistol (hunting pictures)

December 3, 2016 my first morning getting to hunt this season was successful. I was able to make a good shot at 25 yards from a tree stand on a doe with a freedom arms 475 linebaugh shooting 420 grain hard cast bullets (I cast them using LBT molds in LFN design) with 22 grains of H110 powder. She went about 50 yard and had a great blood trail to follow after the shot hit from the front chest and exited above the rear hip.  The deer will be processed at Crumpton's in Bethel, OH.  Much of it will be made into summer sausage by the Amish.

Good hit with very good blood sign, waited 10 minutes so as not to push the deer

blood trail remained easy to follow

tracking continued across the drive and blood trail remained easy to follow

50 yards from the initial shot, the deer was motionless

First Shots: 6BR Varmint Nightmare using H322 and Nosler 70 grain ballistic tip bullets

Shooting on 2-20-2016: First results

I was able to get out and shoot on Saturday to get the rifle sighted in and collect some data on accuracy and precision.  Several groups showed some promise like this 0.211 moa group at 100 yards with ammo that had not tuning.  I think things look good for this gun to be a shooter!  The velocity should be around 3400 fps.

3 shot group at 100 yards on 2-20-2016.  Windy day, but it still produced some reasonable groups for not optimizing anything.  70 grain rosler ballistic tip bullets, 30.2 grains of H322, new lapua brass with no neck turning (0.268 loaded diameter of neck), and tested both 10 thousands jumps and jams (this was a jam) with similar groups from a very small set of data.

6BR Varmint Nightware with a Rempel bipod and rear bag, 42X Nightforce Benchrest scope.

6BR Varmint Nightmare

Varmint Nightmare

While winter continues to hold on, it is time to get back to reloading after a 6 month hiatus.  Looking forward to developing loads for my 6BR using lighter bullets with a shorter freebore.  Built by Borden and stocked by Tom Meredith, the rifle has the following characteristics:

Borden Rimrock Benchrest Right-Bolt Left Port Right Eject (RBLPRE) 6 BR Barreled action

• Rimrock BR 6 BR Barreled action 
• Borden Rimrock BR Action
• RBRLRE (Eject port for 6.5x47)
• Polished Finish
• brazed on handle
• Hart 1 in 14 barrel
• Matte finish
• HV taper 26 inches long
• 6 BR .272 NK 0 Freebore
• Borden 20 MOA rail
• Jewell Trigger (HVR with bottom safety)
• Seat depth gauge

The rifle is designed for 62 to 70 grain bullets and I will work on loading up for some Sierra 70 grain varmint bullets and Nosler 70 grain ballistic tip bullets for this zero freebore setup , hoping it warms up soon.

10 Point Buck (hunting video)

My first day out this season was very successful as  I harvested a nice ten point buck in Clermont County.  I used an 1892 Winchester with a 45 Colt with bullets that I cast (LBT LFN 340 grain bullets with 22 grains H110).

Sorry the video is only audio, google glass does not do well with dense overcast sunrise!  But it shows you the deer from my perspective in the deer stand.

TM1000 Updated

The TM1000 was updated with a v-fill system, an upgraded regulator (to go up to 250 bar and allow the gun to shoot JSB 25 cal pellets at 875 fps vs the 800 fps max previously achievable), and the barrel and action were Cerakoted by Gary Eliseo (www.gotxring.com).  The differences are subtle but the coating has more metal flake appearance and will look sharp on the bench.  It goes perfectly with the stock colors.

All work by Martin Rutterford of Rapid Air Weapons.  The gun will soon sport a second stock, a true bench rest stock.

TM1000 prior to changes on the left/ TM1000 with Cerrakote, V-fill, and updated regulator on the right.

HM1000X: First days out in the woods

HM1000X has been very successful from the bench this year.  The weather finally got cold enough to kill off the bugs and a couple of crisp days in November presented themselves to give it a try.  My first day did not produce a squirrel but I still found it useful to practice with the equipment and validate shooting with a camera at 49 yards.  The next outing produced a nice gray squirrel with a  head shot at 30 yards.  The shot is not on camera.  Next time!

Equipment included

Rapid Air Weapons HM1000X (rapidairweapons.com)
-25 caliber-JSB 25 cal pellets -Pellets 'Lead Head sorted after cleaning and Pledge coating-3 groove Benchmark Barrel-Rapid V-Fill-900 fps at the muzzle-Custom Cerrakote by Gary Eliseo-European rail with McMillan bipod attachment point-Hawke Sidewinder scope (32X)-Casio ELIXIM camera (shown at 30-240 mode)-camera mount-Google Glass used for hands free video-Leupold range finder-23 inch Harris Bipod

6BR Hunter

Tests of some loads in a 6BR Hunter Tube Rifle

Nosler Ballistic Tip 70 grain bullets over H322 (lapua brass and CCI BR4 primers), 20 thous jump of the bullet over a 16 in barrelled Tube Rifle (Eliseo/Borden).

First tests were done with a simple bipod and rear bag

100 yard targets with the 6BR Hunter

A quick test of the pressure and velocity check with a magneto speed chronograph shows that things are about what they were expected to be and no pressure signs were evident at 30.5 grains (but it was only 65 F outside).  30.2 grains of H322 just a tad over 3000 fps with the 70 grain bullets and a three shot group at 100 yards came in at 0.36 moa.  Not bad for no tuning and on a windy day shooting off a bipod.  I think the coyotes will be impressed.

A five shot group with 105 grain berger hybrids with 30.0 grains of Varget with a 14 thousands jam produced a reasonable group at 0.65 moa (again, these are with not modifications).

70 grain Nosler Varmint Ballistic Tips
As measured with a Magnetospeed Chronograph

Additional testing of 105 grain Berger VLD at 50 thousands jump with 30 grains of Varget (COAL of 2.3145") yielded some nice targets at a velocity of 2615 fps using a magneto speed chronograph.

Additional testing was done on a Gary Hayes bench rest with Eliseo F-Class adapter

105 grain Berger VLD bullets with 30 grains of Varget, CCI 41 primers, Lapua Brass.  50 thousands jump (COAL 2.3145")