THESE ARE MY PRIMARY PRCTICE REVOLVERS FOR THE BLACK BEAR HUNT.
TOP GUN IS A FA 9 1/2 INCH MODEL 353 IN 357 MAG. FOR YEARS I SHOT AN OLDER BUSHNELL FIXED 2X ON IT BUT LAST YEAR I BOUGHT SOME SWIFT 158gr Aframes INTENDING TO MAYBE DEER HUNT WITH THIS REVOLVER, SO I SWITCHED TO A LEUPOLD FX-II 4x28. HAVEN'T HUNTED WITH THIS REVOLVER YET BUT OVER THE LAST MANY YEARS I HAVE SHOT SEVERAL THOUSAND PRACTICE ROUNDS OUT OF THIS GUN. CURRENTLY I AM SHOOTING SOME SPEER 158 FMJ's THAT I GOT A GOOD BULK PRICE ON SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I LOAD THEM OVER 16.5grs OF 296, IN IMI CASES, WITH FEDERAL 200 SMPP PRIMERS. ON A DECENT DAY, WHEN THE WIND IS NOT TOO BAD, I CAN ALMOST HIT 100% ON A 6.5 INCH GONG @ 105 YARDS, OFF OF A REST.
THE BOTTOM REVOLVER IS A FA MODEL 83 454 8 3/8ths INCH MNP STALKER, ITS TWIN IS MY PRIMARY HUNTING REVOLVER FOR THIS HUNT. BOTH TWINS WEAR NO LONGER MADE B&L FIXED 2X SCOPES, AWESOME SCOPES FOR BIG GAME HUNTING IN FAR AWAY PLACES. THE HUNTING GUN HAS A BETTER TRIGGER THAN THIS PRACTICE GUN SO I HAVE ALWAYS PRACTICED WITH THE ROUGHER TRIGGER AND HUNTED WITH THE BETTER TRIGGER.
I AM THINNING OUT MY AMMO VAULT AND AM USING OLD AMMO TO PRACTICE WITH IN THIS 454, USING IT WITH EITHER ITS 454 CYLINDER OR ITS 45 COLT CYLINDER. YESTERDAY I SHOT SOME 1993 45 COLT LOADS USING THE 320gr COR-BON RN PENETRATOR. MY RECORDS INDICATE THAT THAT LOAD WAS DOING 1,650fps, THIS IS THE LOAD I SHOT MY FIRST CAPE BUFFALO WITH. IN 20mph WINDS YESTERDAY, OFF A REST, I SHOT AT THE 6.5 INCH 105 YARD GONG WITH THIS 26 YEAR OLD BUFFALO LOAD, AND BINGO!
A TYPICAL PRACTICE SESSION IS SHOOT 4 TWICE IN THE 353 OFF A REST AT THE 105 YARD GONG, THEN STAND AND SHOOT 4 AT THE 50 YARD GONG, THEN SHOOT THE MODEL 83 @ THE 50 YARD GONG, 1 OFF A REST AND 2 SHOTS STANDING. THEN REPEAT THE SEQUENCE 3 MORE TIMES, BASICALLY SHOOTING 50 ROUNDS OUT OF THE 353 AND 12 ROUNDS OUT OF THE MODEL 83. IDEALLY I LIKE TO DO THAT AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK, DID IT YESTERDAY BUT AS I STARTED MY SESSION THIS MORNING A WET NORTHER BLEW IN AND THERE WENT THAT. I ALSO SHOOT A FEW ROUNDS STANDING AND/OR SITTING WITH ONE OF MY RUGER BISLEY 45 COLTS, MY SEMI-PERFECTED RUGER SINGLE SIX 22lr, AND MY LINEBAUGH RUGER REDHAWK 45 COLT.
