I went to the range yesterday to start the process of regulating the sights on the .50 Alaskan. Being Labor Day weekend, it was packed. I've never seen so many people there. To my right was a cop (with his brand new Corvette) with every fully automatic weapon imaginable as well as an M82 Barrett. To my left were a couple of young bucks with semi-auto "black" arms. The cop was impressing everyone with his fire-power, and the youngsters were spraying me with their ejected .223 cases - and shooting my target, because they weren't looking at the angle at which they had set theirs and what was beyond them. Oh well....
 
In spite of all of that, it wasn't a bad day with the .50. I have never before drilled and tapped and installed open sights, and then regulated them. I had some reservations on how it might all work out. For the most part it was 'good'. As usual when I'm sighting something in, I set my target at 25 yds to start with. Using some of the cast-bullet cartridges from the elk hunt last year, I was on the paper right away. Most significantly, windage was perfect. I was, however, about a foot high.
 
I moved the target to 100 yds and changed to the 500-grain Northwest Custom Projectiles-loaded cartridges. Again, the windage was perfect. I had hoped that the extra weight of the NwCP bullets and the increased range would mitigate the elevation issue, but it exacerbated it. Pretty much what I expected, but hoped against. At 100 yds I was 32" high. This however isn't that bad of news. I was using the very lowest post made for the front ramp. These posts are interchangeable, and come in a variety of heights. I do in fact have a high post, but I didn't bring it to the range with me.
 
I'll put that high front post on and head back to the range next weekend. Maybe the range won't be so crowded, and maybe the high post will bring things right into shape.
 
Paul

Why heck, gitano, my range ain't never crowded. It's just a fer piece to drive

Wish it was closer.

Sounds like the 50 is coming together. I wish I could say the same for my 300RUM. I wonder if some of my problem isn't the shooter.

RJ

QuoteI wish I could say the same for my 300RUM. I wonder if some of my problem isn't the shooter.

I'm still having serious problems with the MAI. Yesterday the best 5-shot pattern at 100-yds was about 5". While I've had my doubts about "the shooter," I've shot a couple of other groups with other rifles that strongly suggest it's the rifle, not the shooter. So far there have been problems with scopes and problems with powder. I bought new powder and new rings, and changed to a 'scope that 'should' be fine. I'm going to fire-lap the barrel. However, I now doubt this 'scpope, so I'm going to break down and buy one of the new Simmons. I am absolutely certain this rifle will shoot, I've just got to eliminate the garbage, and find the right load.
 
Yeah, it is certainly too bad your range is just a tad distant.
 
Paul

Hi All,

    Ahh Gitano, at least with the .50 you could easily tell your holes apart from those of the black rifles users . Hope it goes better next weekend.

Ah yes, fun at the range.

I was wearing a small C-cut under my left eye for a few days from a "range day" this past spring.  A blockhead operating a FAL four stations down sprayed me with a 7,62 shell casing and caught me right under my shooting glass lense.  Fortunately (for him) at the cease fire the range officer jumped him before I could and made him put up a blocking screen.

I find it incredulous how some people can sit down at a station and blast away without a concern of where their ejected brass is flying off to; like do they think it's going off into a black hole or something?

Cop with a Corvette and a Barrett?  In Alaska?  I'll say no more.

Good luck with the 50.  Being on paper but just high, sounds like you're down to the short strokes now.

Nels

QuoteBeing on paper but just high, sounds like you're down to the short strokes now.

I think so... By my way of thinking, if the high post doesn't bring the shots down far enough, I'll be filing the rear leaves down 'til I get where I need to be. The leaves on the rear sight are made to be filed off for fine tuning. Since I had four shots that were less than a bullet's diameter apart in windage, I'm feelin pretty good about things working out. Wish I could say the same about the MAI.
 
Paul[/SIZE]

Paul,

Before you firelapp the MAI, I'd suggest using "Wipeout" to get every atom of copper out first.  I had a clean barrel I thought needed "fixin" and experimented with Wipeout instead of Sweets to remove the copper before lapping. Took a tremendous amount of copper out of that  barrel using Wipeout, handsdown better than Sweets.

I firelapped using soft cast bullets rolled hard in 320 grit and wanted the lapping to cut steel and not gum up on copper.  Who knows, maybe getting the copper fouling out helped as much as the lapping.

Nels

Well that's good info Nels, as I do use Sweets. By the same token, this is a brand new barrel. I doubt if I have more than 50 or 60 rounds through it. That's not to say 50 or 60 rounds isn't enough to foul a barrel with copper, but I don't see any great buildup when I look down the bore. A borescope would be nice.
 
For what it's worth, I have shot mostly the 200-grain Combined Technology Ballistic Silver Tips, which are moly-caoated. Nonetheless, I'll give the barrel the Wipeout treatment before I fire-lap. At this point I'm willing to get down to the nitty gritty if necessary. I am absolutely certain this Lothar Walther barrel can do better than 5 inches at 100 yds... and so can I.
 
Paul

Wow.  For some reason I had it in my head LW barrels were lapped in the factory, but can't find anything that says that in writing.  I do see they are button-rifled. Alway wanted a LW barrel for my next project.

For what it's worth, one school of thought out there says not to fire lapp until you've put a couple hundred jacketed bullets down the bore to get the surfaces "conditioned" or "broken in".  I don't know personnally if that holds water or not.

In one case I had a new A&B barrel that when I took bright lights and a strong magnifying glass to the muzzle end I could see the fine chatter marks left by the button.  I got right to it and after 48 lead lapping bullets later those chatter marks are gone.  My most accurate rifle too.

Paul, with that small number of rounds, I'd be tempted to ditch the moly and try a diet of copper jacketed for a while to see if she "comes in".

Nels

Well, I certainly thought LW barrels were well-made, but one can always get a lemon. Still, I've never even heard of a new barrel that won't do better than 5" at 100 yds. "Sumpin' ain't right". I suspect the 'scope - again. I suppose I won't be willing to eliminate the 'scope as culprit until I put a brand new 'scope on it, even though the last 'scope shouldn't hav a probem unless the MAI caused it.
 
As for going to copper jacketed bullets and breaking the bbl in, I'm fine with the concept when the starting point is 2 or 3 MOAs... but 5! To me, 5 inches at 100 yds means something is wrong, and something that wrong isn't likely to "wear in". I could be wrong about that I suppose, but if I am, it will be new territory for me.
 
As for the moly-coated bullets; I have no interest in the moly coating one way or the other. It just turns out that Nosler (Combined Technology) makes these 200s with moly coating and John chambered these barrels for that specific bullet. I had no problem getting John's A&B barrel to start off at 1.5 MOAs with those 200-grain bullets. In my rifle, with a 24" barrel vs John's with 26, I am also using the Nosler Accubond 180s, which are not moly-coated. There seems to be little difference in precision between the non-coated 180s, and the coated 200s.
 
In my .338 Win Mag, the bullets that give me the smallest groups are the Nosler 210 Partition, and the Hornady 225 SP. Both are flat-based bullets. After blaming the 'scope, next highest on my blame list is boat-tailed bullets. Both the 180 and the 200 are boat-tails. I would try some of my Barnes 160s, 175s, and 185s, but being solid "soft copper", I figured they would foul the barrel faster than "regular" jacketed bullets, and especially moly-coated bullets.
 
I don't particularly want to use either the 210 or the 225 on this x57 case, as muzzle velocities will be down in the 2600 f/s range at best. Hornady makes a FB 200 in .338 that I may hafta try. I've always had good luck with FB Hornady bullets. QuickLoad predicts a MV of 2700 with 50.6 grains of I3031. At that MV, and sighted in for a 6" target, the bullet is carrying 1900 ft-lbs and 7" low @ 300 yds. While not as "nice" as the 180 or the 200 CST, I can certainly 'live with that' if it shoots well.
 
Please keep those creative juices flowing, as I am nearing wit's end. (I seem to come to that "end" so much quicker these days. :) )
 
Paul

Paul, I would throw that barrel away and start over or have it rebored to something else. Something just ain't right and I think it's the barrel. There is bummers in every crowd..........Paul H

Well Paul, that option isn't out of the question, but before I throw away what would be a $300 bill, I'd like to eliminate all other possibilities. If the barrel does indeed turn out to be a lemon, I'll be having a little talk with Lothar Walther before I have it rebored.
 
Paul