Indoor range day
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2025 9:56 am
I went into Spokane to the indoor range yesterday. While it’s nice to have a warm place to shoot in the winter I sure don’t like indoor ranges. Thankfully it wasn’t too crowded.
I brought my newly acquired Ruger SP101 in 327 Fed Mag, S&W M/63 22lr, CZ 75b and Springfield 1911 the last two in 9mm. Goals/tests were: SP101 just first shots, S&W continuing my std velocity ammo test, CZ chambering my XTP hand loads and the 1911 because it has been ignored since I got the CZ and it wanted a day out too.
Ammo brought along were std. velocity 22lr: CCI, Agullia, Top Shot (?), and Norma. Also I threw in a box of Federal Gold Match HV for fun. For the 327 I brought a box of factory Federal 85 gr HP, a few factory 85 gr HP in 32 H&R and my 32 H&R reloads using the Hornady 85 gr XTP. The 9mm’s got my reloads in Hornady 115 XTP, Berrys 124 gr plated flat point and Berrys 124 plated RN.
First up was the SP101 327. Nice comfortable revolver to shoot with the 32 H&R’s and while the 327 Feds were much stouter still pleasant to shoot. I know better than to shoot the Federal 100 gr load as they are very powerful and not fun in a small frame revolver like mine. I save those for the Henry. Shots below at 25’ and typical for me shooting offhand. It’s definitely a keeper.
Next up was the S&W M/63 continuing the ammo test I started earlier. That test was just the CCI standard velocity which dropped freely from the cylinder firing three cylinders of six. This time I added some Norma, Top Shot (?) and Aguila as well as some Federal Gold Match HV for the fun of it. I had intentionally not cleaned the chambers prior. The CCI’s again dropped freely but the other three std velocity’s required a sharp strike on the ejector rod with the palm of my hand. Grrrrrrr. Finally I shot the high velocity Federals and surprisingly like the CCI SV’s they dropped freely. (Huh?) Then I shot groups the the CCI and the Federal’s at 15’.
Then I shot the CZ 75b 9mm. In the past it has had a few issues shooting my XTP reloads occasionally not going into full battery in the middle of a shot string. I shot 40 - 50 of the XTP’s and it only failed to go into battery once. Better than my earlier trips. Shooting both the Berry’s FP and RN it was 100%. I’m hoping as it gets more broken in it will shoot the XTP’s every time. Sure do love that gun and it’s wonderful trigger. Shots at 25’ offhand.
And lastly it was the forlorn 1911’s turn to make some noise. Don’t know why I’ve been ignoring it for so long as it’s trigger is nearly a nice as the CZ and it’s not snobby like the CZ and will eat my XTP reloads without a hiccup. Just a pleasure to shoot. Below is the impacts at 25’ using the Berrys and the XTP’s. Not surprising as the Berry’s are loaded to a much lower fps.
All in all it was great to get behind the trigger again, first shots for me since Thanksgiving and that’s just wrong.
I brought my newly acquired Ruger SP101 in 327 Fed Mag, S&W M/63 22lr, CZ 75b and Springfield 1911 the last two in 9mm. Goals/tests were: SP101 just first shots, S&W continuing my std velocity ammo test, CZ chambering my XTP hand loads and the 1911 because it has been ignored since I got the CZ and it wanted a day out too.
- IMG_5722.jpeg (3.69 MiB) Viewed 1631 times
Ammo brought along were std. velocity 22lr: CCI, Agullia, Top Shot (?), and Norma. Also I threw in a box of Federal Gold Match HV for fun. For the 327 I brought a box of factory Federal 85 gr HP, a few factory 85 gr HP in 32 H&R and my 32 H&R reloads using the Hornady 85 gr XTP. The 9mm’s got my reloads in Hornady 115 XTP, Berrys 124 gr plated flat point and Berrys 124 plated RN.
- IMG_5723.jpeg (2.46 MiB) Viewed 1631 times
First up was the SP101 327. Nice comfortable revolver to shoot with the 32 H&R’s and while the 327 Feds were much stouter still pleasant to shoot. I know better than to shoot the Federal 100 gr load as they are very powerful and not fun in a small frame revolver like mine. I save those for the Henry. Shots below at 25’ and typical for me shooting offhand. It’s definitely a keeper.
- IMG_5724.jpeg (833.67 KiB) Viewed 1626 times
Next up was the S&W M/63 continuing the ammo test I started earlier. That test was just the CCI standard velocity which dropped freely from the cylinder firing three cylinders of six. This time I added some Norma, Top Shot (?) and Aguila as well as some Federal Gold Match HV for the fun of it. I had intentionally not cleaned the chambers prior. The CCI’s again dropped freely but the other three std velocity’s required a sharp strike on the ejector rod with the palm of my hand. Grrrrrrr. Finally I shot the high velocity Federals and surprisingly like the CCI SV’s they dropped freely. (Huh?) Then I shot groups the the CCI and the Federal’s at 15’.
- IMG_5725.jpeg (649.25 KiB) Viewed 1623 times
Then I shot the CZ 75b 9mm. In the past it has had a few issues shooting my XTP reloads occasionally not going into full battery in the middle of a shot string. I shot 40 - 50 of the XTP’s and it only failed to go into battery once. Better than my earlier trips. Shooting both the Berry’s FP and RN it was 100%. I’m hoping as it gets more broken in it will shoot the XTP’s every time. Sure do love that gun and it’s wonderful trigger. Shots at 25’ offhand.
- IMG_5726.jpeg (781.11 KiB) Viewed 1620 times
And lastly it was the forlorn 1911’s turn to make some noise. Don’t know why I’ve been ignoring it for so long as it’s trigger is nearly a nice as the CZ and it’s not snobby like the CZ and will eat my XTP reloads without a hiccup. Just a pleasure to shoot. Below is the impacts at 25’ using the Berrys and the XTP’s. Not surprising as the Berry’s are loaded to a much lower fps.
- IMG_5728.jpeg (981.59 KiB) Viewed 1619 times
All in all it was great to get behind the trigger again, first shots for me since Thanksgiving and that’s just wrong.