@forindooruseonly - I'm anxious to hear/see your results. 400 yards is certainly gonna' be a fer stretch for the .17 Fireball. But, to me, that's one of the major attractions to shooting P-Dogs ... taking shots you normally wouldn't take because you figure you're pushing the limits! And, it's so satisfying when you connect!
When I used to go a few times a year a friend shot a .17 Rem if it wasn't windy. Most of our shots were 150-400 yards unless early season when pups were stupid.
Especially with a 14" contender. But I want the challenge, I've been using a 6mm PPC rifle and it's just murder. It's not even close to sporting.
Dammitt! Y'all have got me to thinking. I actually have a .221 Fireball rifle, and it hasn't been shot in years! I oughta' drag it out and start carrying it for critters. I'd go to Hutch, but I just know ... with my luck ... some a-hole would call the police and spoil my fun!
I shot some p-dogs witha friend with a .17 Remington. His biggest complaint was the small size of the bullets gave him problems loading them. He also had a .223 that he shot the most, he sold the .17 rem but kept his .17 hmr.
Well, a month and a half later, I have an update.
Sent the first 10 down range today in the 103 degree heat. First five just went to barrel break-in, sighting in the scope, and making notes.
Second five went into a 2 1/2 group at 100 yards. 3 were in a nice one inch group, another was close but out a bit and the last was a flyer that I'm pretty sure I dropped.. I'm pretty sure if I do my part, this would hold an 1 and a half at 100 yards. Not bad for a starting load with a 14" contender.
Now that I have some fired brass, I can check where the lands are. The new brass was tight enough that I ringed the bullets getting them seated and just went with SAAMI specs for COAL. The jacket is extremely thin, requiring careful seating.
Some initial thoughts
First, before today I hadn't shot a Contender in probably 15 years. So this is all new again to me.
Second, there is a surprising amount of recoil and muzzle blast from the .17 Fireball in a Contender. Having shot a lot of .22 Hornet and .221 Fireball in rifles, I didn't expect much. Reminds you how different a handgun is from a rifle.
Third, my spotting scope is an older Redfield 60x. I couldn't see the bullet strikes on the cardboard. I can see .22 caliber just fine, but the .17 is about impossible to see through my spotting scope. Makes for some long walks from the table to the target for each shot.
Fourth, it looks like the .17 Fireball is still going to cause a lot of fouling.
Fifth, reloading .17 is a chore. So much of the tools and stuff I use are geared towards .22 or bigger. I've had to spend quite a bit in accessories just to deal with .17. Add to the fact it's a contender and not your typical bolt action, and it gets finicky kinda quick.
All in all it was a good day. I'm gonna load another batch and see if I can get it to group. Mostly, I think the limiting factor today was just from my poor technique in trying to shoot on a sand bag with a handgun. Gonna have to work on that.
I'll take pics next time.
Sent the first 10 down range today in the 103 degree heat. First five just went to barrel break-in, sighting in the scope, and making notes.
Second five went into a 2 1/2 group at 100 yards. 3 were in a nice one inch group, another was close but out a bit and the last was a flyer that I'm pretty sure I dropped.. I'm pretty sure if I do my part, this would hold an 1 and a half at 100 yards. Not bad for a starting load with a 14" contender.
Now that I have some fired brass, I can check where the lands are. The new brass was tight enough that I ringed the bullets getting them seated and just went with SAAMI specs for COAL. The jacket is extremely thin, requiring careful seating.
Some initial thoughts
First, before today I hadn't shot a Contender in probably 15 years. So this is all new again to me.
Second, there is a surprising amount of recoil and muzzle blast from the .17 Fireball in a Contender. Having shot a lot of .22 Hornet and .221 Fireball in rifles, I didn't expect much. Reminds you how different a handgun is from a rifle.
Third, my spotting scope is an older Redfield 60x. I couldn't see the bullet strikes on the cardboard. I can see .22 caliber just fine, but the .17 is about impossible to see through my spotting scope. Makes for some long walks from the table to the target for each shot.
Fourth, it looks like the .17 Fireball is still going to cause a lot of fouling.
Fifth, reloading .17 is a chore. So much of the tools and stuff I use are geared towards .22 or bigger. I've had to spend quite a bit in accessories just to deal with .17. Add to the fact it's a contender and not your typical bolt action, and it gets finicky kinda quick.
All in all it was a good day. I'm gonna load another batch and see if I can get it to group. Mostly, I think the limiting factor today was just from my poor technique in trying to shoot on a sand bag with a handgun. Gonna have to work on that.
I'll take pics next time.
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