Leupold VX-6 3×18 44mm Scope Mounting Eye Relief on Browning X-Bolt Speed

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Ed Hale

I purchased a pair of Browning 30mm scope rings for my favorite Leupold VX-6 zoom scope (a $100 add-on to the $1299 for the rifle).

VX-6HD 3-18x44 CDS-ZL2 Side Focus Illum. FireDot Duplex

At first, the scope and Browning rings seemed to fit my VX-6 fine, but I noticed that the eye relief was so far away that I got a serious case of “tunnel” effect when looking thru the scope at high power. Tech data says eye relief should be around 3.8 inches, I was perhaps 5 inches or more away in eye relief.

The objective bell taper on this scope is so long that it prevented rearward scope movement with a 2 ring system mounted on my rifle.

I can only get about 8x out of my existing setup and nixes any higher magnification. All else being equal, that stinks, doesn’t it?

Accordingly, I bought a Tally Picatinny rail with bubble level designed for the Browning X-Bolt Long Action and a set of Burris 30mm 1/4: height rings. I mounted the rail with a dab of blue Permatex Blue (medium strength) thread locker on the mounting screws. I also had to shorten the front of the Picatinny to clear the scope bell.

Browning X-Bolt 20 MOA Burris Xtreme Tactical Signature Rings 30mm 1" Height - 4Shooters

Browning X-Bolt Speed taken apart with picatinny installed

Leupold VX-6, Picatinny and Burris Rings allows front tapered bell to clear the mount.

The secondary problem some shooters will run into, is that the combined height of rail and rings can cause the shooters cheek weld to be too low for eye/scope alignment but the Burris 30mm 1/4 inch rings work.

Looks like I am building a custom rifle, doesn’t it? Just wait, the new Timney trigger will complete my custom build soon.

More Soon…

Smokeless Gunpowder Shelf Life

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Ed Hale

Recently, I hand-loaded some Alliant Reloader Powder I had in my lower cool dry garage cupboard.

Reloder 19

It was for my 7mm Rem Mag rifle and discovered the powder lost some of its potency. It was an opened can and had about a half pound left. All of the loaded ammo fired fine but lost a couple hundred feet-per-second from published data. This powder had very little solvent smell and looked fine.

I was looking for a near max load.

I loaded rounds later in steps to see what I could wring out and did so just fine.

I would buy a new pound of Alliant Powder as soon as it is available and consider quickly using the older powder.

I also loaded some rounds with a new can of IMR powder which had a potent solvent smell. These rounds followed published data very well.

New powders often have a solvent Acetone like smell and over time the opened can will lose the solvent smell. Over longer periods, it will degrade to an acidic off smell. When powder has that off smell it is time to dispose of the powder. Below is what Alliant says about storage and handling of modern powder.

https://www.alliantpowder.com/getting_started/safety/storage_handling.aspx

Another article I liked below.

https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/how-to-determine-gunpowder-shelf-life/83922

Good Shooting!

Browning X-Bolt “Speed” 7mm Rem Mag – Fast Follow-up Shots with 168g Nosler ABLR at 150 yards

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Ed Hale

After sighting in my rifle, one of my moose hunting shot techniques is to shoot multiple “fast” long range shots like I am in the field, off my Bog Death Grip below as an example off my Bog with my heavy recoiling .375 Ruger.

I can hear my guide excitedly shouting; “Put another one in him!”

My Browning X-Bolt has a 60 degree bolt lift thus shortening the bolt throw time significantly and is a smooth push-feed.

Below, I shot a string of 2 fast shots, after my first and best shot (three total shots off my Bog Death Grip) at a paper target with no bullseye but shooting for the center of the 15 inch paper target at 150 yards.

If you look hard, you can see the target below. I used 8x to see the target face.

Veteran moose hunters suggest using just enough magnification that also allows a field of view for reacquiring the target after the first shot.

Your hunt guide can also help to see the con-trail of your bullet hit with his binoculars.

Below is the 3 shot string target. Shot #1 is at the paper crease. Rapid Shot #2 is below shot #1.The third rapid shot went left 4 inches. The outer cardboard is close to the overall chest height of a moose at around 30 inches or so.

Many big game animals such as moose often don’t fall at the shot. And likely, are not really sure what just happened to them and can move quickly making a follow-up shot more difficult.

I believe the hunter should be practiced for follow-up shots to drop the animal as fast as possible. Bench rest shooting does not qualify here.

In Africa, close big wounded dangerous game require, for your life’s sake, to drop the animal before it drops you.

On that note, you should also chamber and cycle your ammo in the rifle you hunt with, especially if it is hand-loaded. We don’t like surprises!

It can be just as dangerous to have a 1000 lb. bull moose shot at less than 30 yards and he decides to charge and give you some smack-down with his massive antlers. Yea, a follow-up here, for sure as an 8 foot giant frontal moose image appears at 20 feet or less.

More Soon!

Browning X-Bolt Factory Trigger Adjustment?

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Ed Hale

First, I like my new Browning X-Bolt rifle, but some of you know I had difficulty cleaning the red sealant out of the adjustment screw Allen wrench hole a few weeks back. Thinking my 2mm wrench stripped the hole. But I revisited the adjustment with a tool that I can put pressure on to get deeper in the Allen socket hole.

And it worked. The screw turned.

Thinking, now I can adjust it down to 3 pounds, but the adjustment screw did not lower the trigger to 3 pounds in fact just an ounce below 4 pounds, no matter what I did. And I am pretty good with tools!

Accordingly, frustrated I reassembled the trigger base and shot some snap caps for how the trigger felt. Nope, not much change. They say you can buy an adjustment spring and replace the existing trigger spring but it is not an easy job.

For me, I will test a Timney trigger when it arrives. It will adjust 1.5 to 4 lbs. Mine will be set at the factory to 3 pounds.

The only downside is that it costs around $200.00 and you have to take the stock off, remove and replace the trigger and proof the safety latch works. The Timney will no longer lock the bolt however. Many shooters see this as a minor loss.

https://timneytriggers.com/browning-x-bolt/

More Soon!

Shooting a scoped semi-auto .308 or 6.5 Creed AR for Hunting?

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Ed Hale

Shooting a semi-auto .308 or 6.5 Creedmoor AR for hunting can be done and done well. An AR example below. I prefer a bolt action but hey…this works. A great wild boar rifle too, where southern and western farmers are overrun with them.

Savage Arms MSR10 Hunter Overwatch 6.5 Crd Semi-Automatic AR-10 Rifle, Matte Camo - 22994

The semi-auto AR 10 platform for hunting is a do-it-all rifle for protection, hunting game, and predators.

I personally prefer a bolt action rifle but in the right hands, this rifle works. In brown bear country, this reliable rifle gives comfort to folks living off-grid as does a 44 mag pistol as a side arm.

Ranchers use this tool like they use a hammer. If you have a nail, then the hammer is the right tool. If you have a brown bear sniffing in your direction, having a large clip of .308 cartridges at the ready can be comforting. Or live in Texas or Florida where they are overrun with pigs.

I am no expert on AR Rifles for hunting big game but I did find a great article on the web by Outdoor Life.

https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/guns/rifles/centerfire/2011/11/20-best-semi-automatic-rifles-big-game-hunting/

Check it out, they are fun to shoot.

Browning X-Bolt Speed – Nosler 168g ABLR w/ IMR 4831 Groups – Updated 2/2/23

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Ed Hale

As you may know, I have been working up hand-loads for my moose hunt and finding the Nosler 168g ABLR reaching over 3000 fps with IMR 4831. But the question is, with what accuracy or groups?

Well, I shot this group below and it looks like a tight 3/4″ except for the flyer. I shot the third shot in the upper right target and extrapolated its position on the string below. Why I shot that upper right target? Because I wanted a smaller target as a focal aim point.

But it needed to be repeated in the second target below for me to validate it. The trigger is a heavy 4 lbs. but I was able to get used to where it breaks. The thin mountain barrel does heat fast and after 3 shots to warm it, it begins to string.

I repeated the same shots a week later with all the same components at 100 yards. The first 3 shots group 3/4 ” from a cold barrel and the 4th shot drops an inch. I know that a lighter trigger may also help. But overall, I was very pleased with the cold shots for hunting purposes.

Tests continue Using my Labradar

I loaded some 168g ABLR’s with hot H1000 Powder to compete with the IMR 4831. See below low left and right 100 yd 3 shot cold barrel groups with extreme spread of 78 fps an 2 inch groups. The IMR 4831 wins!

I did shoot 168 ABLR today for a third bench rest group for the IMR 4831 and Statistics. Below this group was 1 1/4 inches. Shown below with associated Labradar Stats with Extreme Spread of 14.34 fps and a Std Deviation of 8.17. Very nice indeed!

Labradar Report for IMR 4831

Device ID	LBR-0028541

Series No	4
Total number of shots	3

Units velocity	fps
Units distances	yd
Units kinetic energy	ft-lbf
Units weight	grain (gr)

Stats – Average	2937.25	fps
Stats – Highest	2946.69	fps
Stats – Lowest	2932.35	fps
Stats – Ext. Spread	14.34	fps
Stats – Std. Dev	8.17	fps

Shot ID	V0	V25	V25	V50	V75	V101	Ke0	Ke25	Ke25	Ke50	Ke75	Ke101	Proj. Weight	Date	Time
1	2933	2893	2893	2852	2814	0	3207	3120	3120	3034	2953		168	2/2/2023	13:01:22
2	2932	2882	2882	2841	2801	0	3207	3098	3098	3011	2925		168	2/2/2023	13:02:44
3	2947	2907	2907	2868	2829	2788	3238	3151	3151	3067	2984		168	2/2/2023	13:04:08

Interestingly, I did note that a drop in outside temperature affects ignition and velocity. Last week I shot at 37degrees F and MV avg was 3003. Today at 26 degrees F, MV avg was 2937 a drop of 70 fps. At 600 yards that equates to a drop of 4 inches on a moose. I’ll keep that in mind!