Well, that was fun!
I set up my new Lynx with the SSK 445 barrel that I hadn't shot in a bit and was eager to try out the combination, along with my new stock. Also just got my DVH 357 Mag carbine barrel yesterday and simply couldn't wait to try it out. A quick range session this morning was very rewarding!
:)
I've been on the hunt for a good 357 carbine barrel lately and when one showed up in the DVH list, I had to call up Craig and get it nailed down. He actually held on to it for a bit while I freed up some cash and I'm grateful that he did. The barrel is a stunner and the most perfunctory accuracy check shows sub-MOA capability right off the bat. I had some factory ammo around and I loaded up a few generic loads with bulk JHPs and a charge of H110 that was literally wherever the powder measure landed when I cranked it down from my 44 mag level. The measure was throwing a consistent 15.4 grains and the max load goes from 16 to 17 depending on the data source. I called that good enough and filled some cases.
I threw the barrel onto a frame that's been bouncing between barrels and used a stock that's been having trouble and to which I added an aluminum shim in the frame slot. I hadn't been able to tighten it because the wood is worn and weak but the shim locked it down dead tight. I had a 3-9X Bushnell Trophy sitting idle so that went on along with a weaver base.
At the range, the set up was exactly what I had hoped. Recoil is mild and the barrel length makes for a very handy feel. It really is nice to shoot. I lobbed some rounds at 25 to zero the scope a little and moved out to 50 to see how the quickie loads performed. I cleaned the barrel a couple of times and the last group was promising to say the least - fouling shot sitting just outside a 3-shot cloverleaf.
The SSK rig is just a beauty, as seen in a couple of other posts and I was eager to see what my new stock would do with some snappy recoil. The 445 is just a bit of a beast in the Contender, no matter how you set it up but I found the shape of the stock and a decent recoil pad went a long way toward making it very bearable. :)
The new Lynx frame is cranky about closing with this barrel and requires a bit of force to get it to fire at all. I'm leary of lock-up inconsistency causing accuracy problems but that concern is completely unnecessary in this case. A few loads that I've worked up on another frame shot even better than they had before.
Can't wait to get some time to refine the set-up on the 357 and try some different barrels on the Lynx frame.
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