Sighting in the 10/22 and SingleSix

FRAN THE RANGE OFFICER SHOOTING MY RUGER SINGLESIX 17HMR

Today way an absolutely perfect day for the range. 68F, cloudless blue sky, windless and dry. What more could I ask for? Well, I got it. For the first time all year I got the far left shooting table, which is my favorite because it's the farthest away for the big handguns and there's no one shooting at my left. Billy was to the table to my right. He's a guy that's into hi-tech precision shooting and he always comes out with a new gadget. Today he was shooting a bolt action .223 with a gadget on the end of his barrel that looked like a silencer with dials. I asked him about it and he said he can tweak the flight of his bullet minutely without adjusting his sights. Very cool. At 100 yards Billy hits the same hole over and over, so every 3 months or so he has to replace his target with a fresh one.

My first task was to check my Ruger 10/22 with the Tech-SIGHT iron sights installed at 50 yards. I shot 2 groups of 10 and they were within about 2", but slightly off. This time I fines tuned the sighting system by rotating the wheel on the front sight one click. It was perfect. From then on I was peppering the bullseye with groups of about 2". That's fantastic considering I'm nearsighted. This sight system is the best iron sights I've ever used. After firing 60 rounds, I put the rifle back in the case because it's ready for opening day. "I PITY THE FOOL" squirrel that shows itself that morning.

Next I tried to sight in the Ruger SingleSix 17HMR single action wheelgun with scope mounted. After the first 6 shots I realized I wasn't even on paper! I can't figure that one out since it wasn't shooting bad when I sighted it in at 75 feet at the indoor range. At the first ceasefire I moved the target to about 30 yards. 6 More shots and still no hits. Very frustrating. I was about to put the revolver away for another day when Fran the Range Officer came by. He offered to spot for me and after about 16 rounds we discovered where it was hitting. It then took about 12 shots to get it on target. The gun is no tack driver, but it holds its own, making groups of 2-3 inches. I don't think that's bad considering I was using the CCI TNT ammo that I pick up at Walmart. It's definitely not the most accurate stuff around, but it's less than $13/box and the hollow points do a number on small game. I felt good when I left that I could take the revolver hunting and feel confident with it. Thanks Fran for the help. When I was done I loaded it and handed it to Fran so he could get to try it. That's him shooting in the movie above. One comment on that BSA scope I trashed in my post last week. The sight picture was crisp and clean today, unlike last weekend when I shot at an indoor range. The conclusion is that it's not a good scope if you plan to shoot in low light situations, but if you're going afternoon chuck hunting in the sun, it should do the job.

I shot 65 rounds through the S&W 38 Special, mostly shooting the reloads that were given to me at the range last month. Everything shot great without a single misfire. The gun tends to shoot high an to the right at about 25 feet and there's nothing I can do about it with fixed sights. I'll definitly take this into consideration when I purchase my next defensive handgun. There should be some kind of sight adjustment available.

So it turned out to be a fun day, but I did promise to put a few hours in work this afternoon because we're getting swamped with jobs. I can't complain about that during such tough economic times. A final note: check out Mike Adam's political post CLICK HERE. He have some good video clips to go with it.

Tech-SIGHTS at the range

Ruger 10/22
It's Saturday so I took the Ruger 10/22 to the range after having quickly bore sighted the newly installed front and rear Tech-SIGHTS with my LaserLyte green laser earlier in the week. I went to the indoor range which is 75 feet long and the first thing I noticed was that it's time for an eye exam. It's been 3 years, I'm nearsighted, and that small 3" fluorescent orange target was a bit too blurry for my liking. I could still see it without a problem. It just wasn't as crystal clear as I would have liked it to be. To make a long story short, I fired a quick 60 rounds and consistently hit within a 2-3" circle with zero sight adjustment required. I'll have to contact both LaserLyte and Tech-SIGHTS to fill them in on that one. The one thing I really need to do is to paint that front sight white because it's difficult to see in low light. This is the rifle I'll be taking out opening day for small game when the season reopens in a few weeks, so I'll need a good sight picture before the sun is up.

I PAINTED THE FRONT SIGHT POST WITH MY DAUGHTER'S WHITE FINGERNAIL POLISH WHEN I GOT HOME AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW WELL IT STOOD OUT.

Ruger SingleSix 17HMR
I also sighted in the Ruger SingleSix 17HMR with the BSA scope. I guess with scopes you get what you pay for and this scope isn't good (and I don't care what the reviews I've read say). It's dark, the crosshairs are hard to see, it's not really clear at longer ranges and the field of view is narrow. It's not my eyes because I have a Banner Day/Night on the Henry Varmint Express and I've never had a complaint about it. It also isn't thumb adjustable so you have to bring a screwdriver to rotate the adjustments. What's up with that?! I ended up shooting about 100 rounds and my group sizes stayed within a couple of inches with an occasional flier. No misfires out of 2 boxes, which was strange considering how many I had when I first took the gun to the range. It must have been a break-in issue or bad ammo. Once again I used CCI TNT. The revolver really does shoot like a rifle with the scope mounted (though it is touchier and not as solid), and would shoot much better with a good scope. It required a few clicks up and to the left and my results were 'good enough for now'. This indoor range is expensive so I wanted to be out by the end of my hour. The main goal today was to get the 10/22 ready and that I did. I'll zero in the SingleSix better at the state range in coming weeks.

TAKE NOTE that I had the revolver's trigger guard resting on my wooden shooting rest that my buddy Bill made me last year. The stand had a solidly glued strip of felt on the slightly V- shaped rest area. After the second shot, the felt blew off and went flying into the next shooting station. Don't think you can be careless just because you are shooting a small caliber firearm like 17HMR. It can do a lot of damage if your hands are in the wrong place.

NOTE: There's more info on Tech-SIGHTS on my PRODUCTS and GENERAL INFORMATION pages.

17HMR CCI TNT in my Ruger SingleSix and Henry Varment Express

If you read Saturday's post in my hunting page, you'll read that I had 2 misfires with the Varmint Express using CCI TNT ammo. This isn't a firearm issue because the misfires were consistent at the range in all 3 of my 17HMRs. Today I took the Varmint Express and SingleSix revolver to the range to keep an accurate count of the misfires. As Murphy would have it, I shot 250 rounds without a single misfire. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. My only conclusion is that I had a few bad boxes of ammo. I'm going to write CCI about this tomorrow and see how they respond.

I had a couple ridiculous misses on Saturday as well. These were shots at about 35 yards where I was braced against a tree with the crosshairs on non-moving squirrels. Today I took the 17HMR to the range to check the scope. I was a few clicks off, but not enough to miss those targets. Once adjusted, I noticed that I'd get 3 shots almost in the same hole, then one about 2-3" to the lower left. This was happening repeatedly and the flier was always to the lower left. I added a shim the front of my scope mount when I first mounted the scope using my LaserLyte bore laser. When I originally finished sighting in the rifle at the range, I felt that I had to over adjust the scope to get on target, but I didn't have time to pull the scope off and add another shim. I really should have but I would have missed the following Saturday's hunt.

After having this happen repeatedly today, I backed off my scope adjustment a few clicks which should have moved my hits to the upper right of the 'X' ring. I was surprised that it didn't, and with the next 50 rounds I was able to consistently hit a series of black chipping dots the size of a nickle without a single miss. This is something you should keep in mind if you are having consistency problems. Be sure that you aren't over adjusting your scope when you should have added a shim or bought another set of scope rings.

Next I moved the target stand in from 50 yards to about 25 to check the sights on the revolver. Again, there wasn't a single misfire and I was able to keep most of my hits within the 2 center rings. I'm sure the groups would have been even better if the iron sights were designed for precision shooting. The stock sights on this revolver are exactly the same as those on my mid-70's model SingleSix 22LR/22Mag convertible. The difference is that the 17HMR model uses a much more accurate cartridge than either of these 22 calibers. Ruger should have refined the sighting system to match the precision of the caliber, but I think they left it the same to maintain the gun's classic look.

In conclusion, the CCI ammo shot well as did both firearms. I know I missed 6 squirrels yesterday due to 2 misfires, 2 fliers, and twice my glasses fogged up blinding me. I think I have the first two issue solved. Now I have to deal with the glasses...

Sighting in the 10/22 with a LaserLyte LBS Kryptonyte laser and putting the finishing touches on my Varmint Express for opening day of squirrel season

Tomorrow is the day that we've all been waiting for; opening day of squirrel season. To get ready for tomorrow morning, my son and I headed out to the range to fine tune our rifles. Jamie will be hunting with my Ruger 10/22 and I'll be carrying my new Henry 17HMR Varmint Express. LaserLyte sent me a fantastic green laser to try out and it just worked amazingly well. This laser is called the LBS Kryptonyte laser (for obvious reasons) and unlike the red lasers that I've been using, this laser can be seen in daylight without the need for a reflector. I tested it out in the Ruger since the smallest caliber the LBS can fit is 22. I would have really liked to try this on my new Henry 17, but the rod that fits the barrel has such a small diameter in the 17 version that the unit becomes fragile and doesn't lend itself to the larger calibers which this unit can fit.

I screwed the fitting into the end of the laser before we left for the range with the tiny allen wrench which is provided in the kit, so all Jamie needed to do was to slide it into the barrel and rotate it clockwise to snug it in. Then it's just a matter of aiming at a target and adjusting your scope to center the green dot in the crosshairs. It literally takes only seconds. After removing the laser, it took Jamie about 10 rounds to get the Ruger shooting dead nuts. Gone are the days of shooting box after box of ammo to get our rifles sighted in. These units pay for themselves very quickly considering the rising price of ammo. The green laser is a bit more expensive than the red, but I think it is well worth it. The unit itself is somewhat bigger and more solid looking than the red laser unit, so I think it will stay accurate longer.

Last week I used my LaserLyte red laser to sight in my Henry 17HMR Varmint Express. Today I wanted to refine my scope settings for tomorrow's hunt and by the time I was through, I can honestly say that this rifle shoots as well or better than my Henry 17HMR Golden Boy. Jamie was having fun filling the brim with lead and shaking the table in the process. The guy at my left was shooting a 45 so I had to try and sneak in a shot between there rounds when the table settled down. When I was able to get off a shot during the seconds when things were calm, I was landing every shot near dead center of the black dots. Not bad at all for a lever action. Now if we can just find something to shoot at tomorrow, we should have a blast. Best of luck to all my hunting buddies who will be hitting the fields as well. Send me photos and stories if you have some luck. Have fun and stay safe!

Sighting in the Henry Varmint Express

My 17HMR Henry Varmint Express arrived yesterday, so I took the 'Dusk to Dawn' Banner scope off my Ruger 10/22 and put in on the Henry's cantilever scope mount. I didn't have a range reservation, so I took a trip to the range today in hope that someone wouldn't show. I was in luck and I was able to shoot the VE for the first time.

I fired 200 rounds; 100 'CCI TNT' hollow point varmint cartridges (my standard round for the Golden Boy) and 100 rounds of 'Remington Premier Magnum Rimfire' with ballistic tips. I began shooting the Remington ammo and my past experience tells me this will be crap ammo like the other Remington cartridges I've shot. Their 22 rounds gum up my rifles with a wax coating that's on the cartridge, and I usually have numerous misfires. Accuracy stinks as well. The 38 Special ammo I shot in my snubby less than a month ago proved to be just as bad, having numerous misfires. The VE holds 11 rounds in the feeder tube, and out of the first 11 CCI rounds fired I had 2 misfires. The firing pin hits looked good, but no fire. In total I had about a half dozen misfires out of the 100 CCI rounds. I had a similar experience with the Remington ammo, but about half the number.

AMMO ACCURACY: The Remington ammo actually likes this rifle, and was so accurate that I hit the same hole in the target on numerous occasions. Most shots stayed within the area of a dime, and I bet that if the gun was clamped down it would have been dead on. The CCI ammo didn't shoot quite as well, with a spread of about 3". It seems that the more I shot, the tighter the groups became. The Remington was shooting about an inch higher and to the right of the CCI. Higher I can understand, but why to the right? I tried to set my scope to a happy medium because I'm not sure what ammo I'll be hunting with. By the time I fired 200 rounds, they were hitting close to the same spot, so I feel comfortable that if I aim at something next Monday (opening day of squirrel hunting), I'll hit it. Once the rifle is broken in I'll fine tune it again.

BALANCE: I fired 11 rounds from an unsupported standing position. The GoldenBoy balances perfectly under the receiver. In fact, I can basically hold the rifle with two fingers under the receiver when carrying it and when shouldered, only one finger under the receiver is required to balance it. The same isn't true for the varmint Express. I found myself putting my hand under the lever instead of the receiver to balance it. I thought the reason might be that the stock on the VE might be longer, so I put the rifles side by side and compared them. They are almost exactly the same in length, though their shapes differ a bit. Their triggers are equal distance from the end of the stocks. My conclusion is that the octagon barrel on the Golden Boy is so much heavier than the round VE barrel that it tips the rifle forward, actually creating a nice balance when shooting. If you put a GoldenBoy in a gun case and pick it up, the front is so heavy that it's almost impossible to carry by the strap. That isn't true of the VE. In fact, the large stock comb adds even more weight to the rear, which I'm guessing is why the center of gravity is so far rearward.

If I had to choose between the GoldenBoy and the Varmint Express.... tough choice. The GoldenBoy is balanced like a work of art. But last time I hunted I noticed that the sun off the brass looked like I was pointing a flashlight into the trees. I had to cover the receiver with my arm and hands while I walked. The Varmint Express is black. The stock on the Golden Boy is absolutely beautiful American Walnut. So beautiful that I'm sometimes afraid of scratching it when hunting. The VE is also America Walnut, but it's more functional with its checkered stock and a grain, color and finish that isn't as beautiful. The GoldenBoy isn't designed for a scope. The VE is, arriving with a cantalever scope mount and pre-drilled and tapped. The design of the VE's stock is also better suited for a scoped rifle.

MY RECOMMENDATION: Buy the Varmint Express if you are going to do hardcore small game hunting. It's less expensive, more functional and better designed for the job. If you want a beautiful gun that you can hunt small game with using iron sights, then the GoldenBoy is for you. Either way, they're both a great choice.

Sighting in the 10/22 and the Ruger SingleSix 17HMR

This will be a quick report on my shoot today. Jamie and I hit the range for a couple of hours this afternoon. He sighted in my 10/22 for upcoming squirrel hunting and I sighted in the new Ruger SingleSix in 17HMR. I also fired 5 rounds with the 38 Special. Good +P ammo for the 38 runs a buck a round so I shoot it sparingly. Today I fired what I carry in the revolver, then proceeded to do the job of sighting in the SingleSix. Jamie's target was set at 50 yards, and at that range I rarely hit much of anything shooting double action in a standing position. I do like to at least fire 5 rounds from the 38 every time I hit the range just to stay in practice and to rotate the ammo. I walked up to the firing line, took my position and fired 5 quick rounds. When I had finished I had to do a double take when it registered that all the rounds were in a group not far north or the bullseye! I had reinstalled my larger Hogue grips and was shooting good COR-BON hollow point ammo, which I'm sure was the reason for the hits. After shooting the lousy Remington ammo a couple weeks ago and having multiple misfires and lousy scores, this was a pleasant surprise. My suggestion when you carry is to have COR-BON loaded in your weapon at all times. Five dollars is a small price to pay in exchange for your life. This stuff fires and goes where it is supposed to. What more can I ask?

The hot brass hit me in the neck and went right down the front of my shirt!

Jamie and I shared a bench and he was shooting to my left. I noticed that his shells would eject right at me, but since his 50 yard target was at the left and my 25 yard target was to the right, we couldn't switch. We made the best of it until he fired his FIRST round. The hot brass hit me in the neck and went right down the front of my shirt! What's the odds of that happening? I never realized how hot a 22LR shell casing could get. I quickly shook it out of my shirt and told Jamie to switch places. I had pulled the Bushnell scope off the 22 and replaced it with my old 4X BSA scope. I then used my LaserLite laser to get the rifle on paper for Jamie. Next week I will be switching the scope to a Henry Varmint Express (17HMR). Jamie had no trouble sighting in the BSA, and it should be fine for him over squirrel season since it's rare that I ever zoom over 4X with the 4-9X Bushnell. Any more magnification and target acquisition becomes too slow for squirrel hunting.

While Jamie was having fun with the 10/22, I fired 200 rounds through the Ruger revolver. I was amazed at the gun's accuracy at 25 yards. When I first bought the Ruger and took it to the range, it was shooting all over the place. One reason was that the stock sights stink (designed more for belly shots than precision 17HMR shooting) and in a dark indoor range, I had difficulty seeing the front sight (which should be white instead of black). With a 6.5" barrel you don't have to be off much to be way off. Today I was consistently hitting a small rifle target that was about the size of a chuck's head. It took me awhile to get there, but by the time I left I felt comfortable taking this gun hunting. I would love to see what it could do if it was locked into position because I have a feeling that any error was due to me and not the Ruger.

Father's Day Blast'n with Jamie

Today is Father's Day and my 14 year old son Jamie and I hit the range right after church. Jamie hasn't gone out shooting since he got his hunting license two years ago, so this was a special occasion. I could tell he was a bit apprehensive since he had never shot these firearms, but it didn't take long for him to warm up to them. I started him out with the Ruger 10/22, then switched him to the Ruger SingleSix with 22LR, and lastly the 22 magnum. We shot for a solid 2 hours and had a great time. Hope you had as much fun this Father's Day as we did.

Note that prior shooting, Jamie and I went over the gun safety rules and that was followed by a safety talk by the range officers. I reminded Jamie to keep his finger off the trigger at all times until are ready to fire. Keep the muzzle pointed down range at all times. Stand perpendicular to the line of fire when loading and unloading the revolvers in order to always keep the muzzle pointed down range, etc. Safety should always be first. I also had him put plugs in his ears with the ProEars on top. The ProEars amplify the non-dangerous frequencies so Jamie was able to clearly hear my instructions while blocking out the damaging sounds of the gunfire.

Ruger 10/22

Ruger SingleSix firing 22LR

Ruger SingleSix firing 22Mag

If you are wondering if allowing a minor to shoot a handgun in CT is legal, read the following:

Handgun Transfers to Minors

"The law bars transfer of handguns to people under age 21, except for temporary transfers at a target shooting or firing range, provided use is under the immediate supervision of a person eligible to possess handguns."

Here's a LINK to that information.

May 3rd shoot with Bill

It was windy, cold and nasty out today, so Bill and I decided to skip our Saturday pre-range coyote hunt and go straight to the range at noon. It's been raining all week, so I can tell you with certainty that the WMAs are totally flooded. I brought my 22 revolver and Bill brought 2 22s. One rifle was given to him by his father-in-law and Bill had recently restored it. All Bill knows is that it's a GECO and that it's quite old. I Googled it tonight and discovered that it was likely made around 1919 in Germany. Some GECOs were made exclusively for US import to open trade between the US and Germany after WW1 since there was still hostility between the nations after the war. GECO also made training rifles for the Hitler youth, and from what I've read the company is still in business but only manufactures ammo. One thing about guns that most people don't realize is that they are truly a piece of history which you can hold in your hands. That's very cool.

38 Snubby

Me shooting my snub nose 38 Special w/ +P ammo.