Range Results

[GSM]

I finally got the chance to put some of the stuff I've learned from the forum into practice:

Bullet: H&G 50, San Diego Mould, sized 0.358, actual was 0.3575
Sizer: Star
Lube: Jakes NRA 50/50, on last groove only
Powder: 2.7 grains of Bullseye
Pistol: S&W Pre-Model 14, 6" barrel
Range: 50 yards
Alloy: Range scrap plus a little tin to soothe my impatience
Rest: Quirky Ransom - started out too tight, may have loosened the insert screws too much.
Number of shots: 20, 4 sets of 5

I don't know if the flyers were a QA/QC problem (I need to have a long talk with that department) or if the Ransom Rest inserts were too loose.

Results:

[Blammer]

Nice!

[fecmech]

One of the quickest ways to test the quality of your Ransom set up ( and your gun) is to buy a box of factory loaded wadcutters from Federal, WW or Remington. The 6 shot groups should be well under 3" @50 yds. I did a lot of .38 wadcutter testing with a Ransom some 30 years ago and found out it's hard to get consistantly under 3"@50yds with cast wadcutters. I used 2 S&W's and a Colt trooper and here is what I got from the experience.

1. The H&G # 50 was more accurate and consistant than the Lyman 358495 in my 3 guns.

2. No way in hell could I get anywhere near 3" with mixed commercial cases and in most cases even sorting by headstamp. I came back from a Nat Guard match with 2K of WW wadcutter match brass and that is what I used mostly. Also strangely enough Military .38 brass ( which BTW is very thick walled) worked very well and would get under 3".

3. The proverbial 2.7 Bullseye load never worked for me. All three of my guns did better in the 3.0-3.2 range.

4. The lightest of breezes will move wadcutters around the target so I only tested on dead calm days.

I no longer have the Ransom Rest but last year did some wadcutter testing with my Model 14 off of sand bags with a dot sight. The gun averaged 2.34" at 50 yds for seven 6 shot groups. That was using the H&G # 50 one lube groove filled and 3.1 BE. Using the Remington bulk HBWC's over the same load averaged 2.0" for four 6 shot groups.
Good luck with your testing. The Ransom is a great learning tool and can really help sorting out small variables with hand guns.

[dubber123]

These posts are very helpful, I spent a bit of time last year trying to get wadcutters to group at 50 yds. with not much luck. I was being pretty picky, I wanted 1-1/2". Around 3" was the best I could do. This was with the Lyman 358091. I have since gotten a H&G # 50 that casts beautifully. I will have to try again, and it appears will have to up my charge weight of Bullseye. Thanks.