CFJunkie
10-31-2018, 08:44 AM
I shoot early starting at 8 AM in Northern Virginia and others at our range have told me on many mornings that they see vapor contrails from about 25 yards to the 100 yard targets when I am shooting my 12 LRP 6.5 mm Creedmoor with a 26 inch barrel.
It has occurred numerous times shooting 130, 140, 142 and 147 grain bullets.
Several people at the range have taken videos of the vapor contrails as I was shooting the 12 LRP.
I even took a video of my granddaughter shooting my 12 LRP and videoed the contrail.
Normally, I can't see the contrails in the field of view of my scope (a NightForce Benchrest 8-32x56mm)
For the first time yesterday morning at 38 to 42 degrees in calm air, I actually saw the remnants of the contrails in the field of view of my scope while focused on the target at 100 yards.
Several times, the remnants were vivid enough that I thought my scope had fogged up until I looked up when I was reloading and could see the remnants still in the air along the line of sight.
It was calm and the remnants weren't being blown off to the side like they normally are, based upon the videos I've seen.
I can understand that vapor can precipitate out of the air under damp conditions when something passes through the air to create a disturbance.
The contrails from jet aircraft and off the rear wings of F1 race cars demonstrate this effect regularly but when the conditions are right but each of them create the contrails not just a particular vehicle.
But this vapor contrail effect occurs only with this one rifle.
I have tested and found that exactly the same conditions (within a minute of a contrail being produced by the 12 LRP) won't produce the effect with another rifle of the same caliber.
I have another Savage 10T-SR in 6.5mm Creedmoor with a 24 inch barrel that I have shot with loads that produce the exact same muzzle velocity (loads adjusted for the shorter barrel) with the same bullets but it has never produced a contrail (shot at the same time under the same conditions that just produced a contrail with the 12 LRP).
I have 4 other Savages in .308 and .22-250 and they also never produce contrails.
Have any of you ever had a Savage rifle produce a vapor contrail?
I am at a loss to explain why only this particular rifle does this when in conditions when the air is damp.
It has occurred numerous times shooting 130, 140, 142 and 147 grain bullets.
Several people at the range have taken videos of the vapor contrails as I was shooting the 12 LRP.
I even took a video of my granddaughter shooting my 12 LRP and videoed the contrail.
Normally, I can't see the contrails in the field of view of my scope (a NightForce Benchrest 8-32x56mm)
For the first time yesterday morning at 38 to 42 degrees in calm air, I actually saw the remnants of the contrails in the field of view of my scope while focused on the target at 100 yards.
Several times, the remnants were vivid enough that I thought my scope had fogged up until I looked up when I was reloading and could see the remnants still in the air along the line of sight.
It was calm and the remnants weren't being blown off to the side like they normally are, based upon the videos I've seen.
I can understand that vapor can precipitate out of the air under damp conditions when something passes through the air to create a disturbance.
The contrails from jet aircraft and off the rear wings of F1 race cars demonstrate this effect regularly but when the conditions are right but each of them create the contrails not just a particular vehicle.
But this vapor contrail effect occurs only with this one rifle.
I have tested and found that exactly the same conditions (within a minute of a contrail being produced by the 12 LRP) won't produce the effect with another rifle of the same caliber.
I have another Savage 10T-SR in 6.5mm Creedmoor with a 24 inch barrel that I have shot with loads that produce the exact same muzzle velocity (loads adjusted for the shorter barrel) with the same bullets but it has never produced a contrail (shot at the same time under the same conditions that just produced a contrail with the 12 LRP).
I have 4 other Savages in .308 and .22-250 and they also never produce contrails.
Have any of you ever had a Savage rifle produce a vapor contrail?
I am at a loss to explain why only this particular rifle does this when in conditions when the air is damp.