Continued Mediocracy

I seem to have a penny pinching issue when it comes to bullets.  When I find a new bullet I want to try, I buy a minimum order of 50 so I can test them out.  If I like the new bullet, I'm stuck reordering before the next match, and usually I don't get them in time.  If I order 100 or more, I risk not liking the new bullet and being stuck with excess lead.  This month I tried two new bullets.  The first a 500 grain cast flat base, called a Saeco 1881, like so:

The second is a swaged "Creedmoor" bullet:

The uniformity of the swaged bullet was surely attractive and it seemed to carry over to the range.  It not only outshot the 1881, but also the 530 grain bullet I have been using up to now.  The improvement was small, but it was there nonetheless.  So, my challenge? I need approximately 60 rounds to compete, forcing me to use a combination of these 2 bullets.  Not only did I have to use a bullet that was sub-optimium at times, but I also had to account for different grouping locations, an elevation difference of several inches.

Despite all this, I scored only 1 shot worse than my first time out.  I am fairly convinced some significant imrovement is afoot, if just through practice, refinement, and personal consistency.

Below is a shot of me honing in on the gong for a fouling shot:

And here is a shot of Janice, my girlfriend, taking over spotting duty.  She seemed to have fun and has been hinting at shooting herself.  Maybe a modern replica is more in order.

The plan for next month is to work up minor load variations with the swaged bullet and also to test out a .22 adapter that will allow me a lot of cheap practice time, especially to tighten up my offhand (standing) shooting.

Current dollars per shot = $3.57

Current percent as shipping = 10.6%