Dispatch 08/19/2019 1405hrs
What better way to size up the new guy than with a trip to the top-secret shooting range where I test rifles?
Our “numbers guy” has killed more deer than I-95. Has yours? Sporting Classics CFO Wayne Nanny.
Sporting Classics CFO, Wayne Nanny has been on me for a few months to set up his new Montana Rifles’ 30-06 with a set of Talley Rings and his Swarovski scope. Two Africa trips and three young children gave me a few excuses that lasted through June, but it was time to get Wayne operational before his hunting property comes into season.
About the same time that my schedule opened up to help Wayne, Sporting Classics CEO, Duncan Grant, let me know that he picked up a nice pre-64 Model 70 in 30-06 that didn’t seem to fit him. The guy can bench press a Buick and because of his frame he was having a hard time getting his eye relief right with the Leupold scope that someone mounted when he bought it. Arguably South Carolina’s top gunsmith, Ron Cox, got Duncan squared away with some offset mounts so the old man’s rig was field ready. Just needed a quick zero.
Wayne spots for Duncan using the world’s first spotting scope…owned by Duncan. May be time for an upgrade.
We planned our range day last week and invited our new Sporting Classics Daily editor, Scott Mayer. None of us were sure if we liked him yet so we figured a cool 147-degree range morning in Columbia, SC, was a great way to see if he knew his way around a rifle.
This morning we sat down to the bench around 0900hrs. First, I bore-sighted Wayne’s rifle the old-fashioned way by removing the bolt and looking down the barrel and then back up through the scope, making adjustments until they lined up reasonably well at our 100-yard target. I still swear this is the best way to bore-sight. Anyway, after a few quick fouling shots, Wayne’s rifle was printing 3/4-inch groups and the scope was zeroed.
Scott Mayer settles in behind the Leupold glass on top of his Forbes 24B.
Second on the bench was Duncan’s pre-’64. With 150-grain Norma ammo I put two bullets through the same hole as soon as we got started. I told him to get the rifle away from me because I’d empty my bank account for it if I put a third through the same hole…and I was sure the rifle was up to it.
Duncan sat down at the bench and showed us they just don’t make them like they used to. He shot incredibly small groups with the Norma and then he loaded some 115-grain loads from Grizzly Cartridge Company. Now this I was curious about. Duncan proceeded to shoot tiny little groups with the reduced recoil load that sends the 115-grainers down the barrel at 3,450 feet-per-second. I shot a half inch group with it myself so I’m a believer.
Lastly, it was Scott Mayer’s turn to shoot. He opened his case and pulled out his Forbes 24B in 30-06 and loaded it with the Winchester Deer Season XP 150-grain ammo. He fired two fouling shots that hit their mark and then he changed to a different bullseye. He quickly sent three rounds down range into a group that may have been as large as 1/4-inch, but it seemed a bit smaller to me.
We’re still not sure if we like Scott, but we’ll definitely hunt with him if we’re going hungry around here.
Duncan’s expression when he saw Scott’s 1/4-inch group.
