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Nautilus - Page 2

Range Session 4-14-03

Dashed out to the range for a couple hours before closing time yesterday. Shot some targets between 5:30-7pm. with the Nautilus Tri-Valve 32.

Remember - the rifle is fitted with Brass Sights - No Optics.

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Two different Slugs tried here. The Stinger is a 66 grain close range slug - the Shrike is an 83 grain slug.

Moving out to 75 yards, the Shrike is staying tight. That would have been a good group with a scope @ 75 yards!

And ... the Shrike @ 100 yards! Staying together. Very fine - especially with no optics. It's real easy to get "Arm Chair Callous" if you don't actually get out and shoot much - especially at distance. Just to keep a grip on reality ... I snapped the following pic ......

That's the shooting bench waaaay over there. This was taken from the 100 yard backer. Those benches are about 4-5 feet wide! How's that Brass sight group look to ya now? ;?)

Groups were also shot from the internal reservoir of the rifle. Accurate groups also indicate the metering ability of a rifle over the percentage of stored reservoir pressure drop between shots. As I've said before - a FT rifle (at 60 shots per fill?) might only be dropping 1.5% or something like that between shots. A big bore is often dropping 20% of it's stored pressure between shots. The firing system must automatically compensate for a huge variation in firing conditions, and still present the slug to the same point of impact! Number of shots per charge is relative to the weight of the bullet. I've been testing from 66-132 grain slugs.

Warning: This is one of those paragraphs that separates the Barnes Pneumatic friends from the rest of the readers. I must mention here, that the target was accomplished with a 100% scratch built pneumatic rifle and slugs. The rifle design, reservoir, barrel, lock, in fact - all components - right down to the bullet design and molds - are all Barnes. This brings a big smile to many - and I appreciate it - and it galls the heck out of some who think I'm just full of myself. But then ... this is the Barnes Pneumatic website ... and they do keep reading. Wink. ;?)

Thanks for coming along. That was a great session. It's finally warm here most days. The range was delightful. And the rifle performed very well. I enjoyed it. I hope you have a chance to get out and enjoy a range near you. Especially, if you already have a Barnes PCP!! ;?)

More Nautilus build pages:

Page 1: Nautilus

Page 3: Nautilus 3

Page 4: Nautilus Complete 8-18-04