.416x.348 Range Report

[gitano]

Some of you may recall that I built a Cape Gun (SxS rifle/shotgun) on a Huglu SxS 16 ga I have. The chambering is the .348 Win case necked up to .416. Nice lookin' cartridge. I'd consider the arm appropriate for grouse hunting this weekend where I might see a moose while I was looking for grouse.

Anyway, I hadn't regulated the barrel yet, so since I was headed to the range yesterday to do some load workup for the .375x.284 Win and the .308 Win with some 85 and 130 grain HPs, I thought I'd take the Cape Gun and get the rifle barrel regulated.

I was very pleased with the regulation process. I've read and been told that it can be a 'bear'. Fortunately, this is only one rifle barrel, so I only have to get it to hit point of aim, instead of getting both barrels to hit the same point of aim as I would in a double barrel. At 50 yds, the first shot was just over 4" left of point of aim but right on in elevation. Using the rule of thumb that 0.001" of barrel movement equals 1" of movement of point of impact at 100 yds, I shimmed the barrel 0.008". The image below shows the target.





The hole to the left is the first shot. The three holes in the center are after the shimming. I was using the Hawk 400-grain bullet ahead of 50 grains of AA2495. I didn't measure the muzzle velocity, but according to QuickLoad it's supposed to be something like 1879 f/s.

That's the good news....

This firearm has the distinction of being the single most unpleasant shoulder-arm I have EVER shot. It knocked the snot outta me! I HATED having to shoot those last three shots. The first shot actually seriously HURT my arm. I didn't know whether to cry or curse. (You can guess which one I chose. ) I knew the shotgun is light, but the surface area of the butt is also small. Especially it's narrow. Shooting that gun was like putting the end of a 2x4 against your shoulder and having someone hit it with a sledge hammer. I'm going to have to do SOMETHING to mitigate this problem or remove the rifle barrel. It's simply horrible to shoot. On top of that, since it's a shotgun, you have to get 'down' on the stock to aim it. (aim rifle - point shotgun)

The first thing I will do is put as much lead in the butt as I can. Then I will change the butt-plate, which now is just plastic. A recoil pad - a BIG one - is definitely called for.

So... good news and bad news. Oy!

Paul