Range time on Friday!

[Little Joe]

Well guys I just got out this morning so I decided to make a vistit here to tell you about some shooting I did last Friday.

My 444 Encore shot very good with some cast bullets I had left and my new 357mag barrel I got did ok out at 100 but not great.The best I could get was some 1 and 3/4 inch groups.Out at 200 groups opened up to 4 and 1/2 inches or so.

I was lucky and bought one of those Lee .358-180gr gas checked 6 hole bullet molds from a guy on another forum.He let it go for $25.00 shipped and i grabbed it up as fast as I could.I was looking for one of those molds all winter and I got lucky.

Wheel weight lead was used and I sized the bullets to .3585 with my grove size measureing out at .357.I lubed these bullets with three coats of Lee Brown Alox and I see no leading at all so that is good.I also seated these into the lands so they are engraved.

You think I should be able to do better with these bullets?Maybe some more powder should be added to speed things up some?More pressure?How much over max can I go?I hear cast bullets dont have the same pressure as jacketed so I should be able to raise it up a notch.

Maybe I should send this barrel out and have it rechambered to 357max?Those are shooters from what ive seen.

Out of here,
Little Joe

[Buckshot]

.................It's hard to say just what you might do to improve the groups. I don't know how your Encore is set up but I don't think 1-3/4" groups at 100 yards is all that bad. I also don't know what your loading routine is. The simplist thing to do is to scale your boolits for starters. You might look at your crimp. I assume you didn't have any leading issues so the load and alloy and probably the lube is fine.

You said the barrel is new so that may play a part if it hasn't been shot much. I'd load up 100 rounds with some inexpensive jacketed slugs and do a break in routine. The cast loads may just perk up all on their own after that.

.................Buckshot

[Little Joe]

Thanks Buckshot for the ideas.

I did not weigh any of the bullets I shot.I just cast them and sorted them in a two piles,good looking ones and not so good looking ones.Maybe its time for a scale to weigh them.

I better clean my barrel to before I head back out to the range again.

Out of here,
Little Joe

[44man]

I would also break in the barrel. You are shooting good for a new barrel.
My next step would be to start testing lubes after smoothing the bore. You might be surprised. Just preventing leading does not mean you are getting all the accuracy the gun is capable of.
I have tested 2 lubes side by side and even though they looked and felt the same and did not lead, one cut groups in half. Working lubes is just as important as working powders. I always have 5 or 6 lubes to test with each gun and boolit.