Paper patch and steel

[Eric Johanen]

Managed to fit into my schedule another gong match in Merrill, WI. today. Used my Shiloh Rough Rider 30 inch standard barrel that I have shot on steel twice before with the semi buckhorn rear and blade front. This time out I had the globe front and tang sight installed from testing some paper patched loads last week. Load used was fired/neck sized Winchester brass, 2.100 length, CCI BR primer, 78 grains of OE 1.5 fg compressed with a .060 poly wad to allow seating the Sagebrush 535 grain money bullet to .140 in the case. .444 dia. bullet patched to .4515 with Southworth 9# onion skin 25% rag bond paper. My 200 yard zero is 41 up and it shoots really great. Started at 300 yards and put 53 on the sight, just over the top of the largest gong. Dropped down to 51 and had 4 very nice hits on steel. Moving to the smaller middle gong and coming up 1.5 minutes I was rewarded with 3 solid hits and last shot a close miss at 4 O'clock. 1 hit on the smallest gong. 3 close misses. (front aperature was just a little too big to center up and I should have switched to a smaller one). 220 yards off hand I could not find my ass with both hands! Just plain poor performance. I got close but no dings. 220 prone went well with 4 hits on the large disc, 3 hits on the smaller diamond (1 very close miss off at 2 O'clock and no hits on the small 8 inch disc. Again, should have switched to a smaller front. 600 prone I guesstimated sight setting at 95 up. Several shots and no indications of where it was hitting. Dropped down to 91 again no hits. Up 97 and no hits. About ready to surrender but thought give it 1 more and raised it up to 100. Hit followed by 3 more. Smaller middle gong 3 hits by adding 1.5 minutes. Smallest gong at 8 inches came up another.5 and had close misses. Should have used a smaller front again! Light was good and did not need more that 1.5 wind changes for the match. Very hot and humid. Wiped with 1 damp and 1 dry with a good cleaning between stages. Not too bad first time out with this load. The load shoots very well out to 600 yards and would like to give it a try on the Creedmoor range. Had way too much fun!