Tallbald
04-06-2015, 05:21 PM
I haven't posted in quite a while. Six or so months ago before the weather turned cold here in Kentucky, I was learning to cast with lots of kind help here and I was posting sometimes daily. Seems like a lifetime ago to me.
Anyway, I wanted to sort of check in and say hello, and let folks know I wasn't a flash in the pan, but rather that I'm still here in the background eagerly awaiting warm weather. Penny and I are waiting to see if we will get membership into the local outdoor range this year (we've been on a waiting list two years). With help here I've come up with a .357 load that my beautiful Ruger 77/357 loves, using 125 grain cast Lee RNFP's, and upper range Trail Boss charges. I'm now happy with 3/4 inch groups of five at 50 yards. I'd like to change out scopes though from the current 2-7 Leupold Rifleman to a higher power to see what I can do with the load at 100 yards. I'm going to have to go with pure wheel weights when casting them though in the future, because of deteriorating accuracy after a dozen rounds with softer alloys. As an aside, my 6 inch Ruger half shroud GP100 loves the Trail Boss loads too, giving me rested 2 inch groups at 25 yards, which is about as good as I'm capable of shooting a handgun.
I've tried out the 250 grain REAL .50 caliber slugs I learned to cast here in my CVA Optima V2 pistol, and with 50 grains of 3F Triple Seven they are hard, accurate hitters!. Cast of pure lead and tumble lubed they load easily, and sound like a two by four slapping a side of beef when they smack the cardboard target backer.
I also took the sage advise offered here to obtain a larger capacity loading scale, so I can weigh my cast slugs for consistency.An RCBS was offered on sale last fall and I bought that from MidwayUSA along with a check-weight set as recommended.
Now that I can once again cast outside or with the shop door open, I'll be firing up my Coleman stove again soon. Right now, Miss Penny and I are fostering a mama dog and her litter of four pups for the local Humane Society, and they take a good bit of attention. We've also been spending great time with our newest granddaughter, born December 26th of 2014.
I just wanted to say hello to all once again, and thank everyone for kindnesses shown a new person to the game! As I get to shoot more, and Miss Penny can join me, I'm sure I'll be asking more questions in the next few months. Don.
136178 Miss Mckinzie, our second grandchild.
136180 A wonderful litter of four American Randombred puppies we are fostering until old enough to adopt out. Their mama is a friendly, loving girl.
Anyway, I wanted to sort of check in and say hello, and let folks know I wasn't a flash in the pan, but rather that I'm still here in the background eagerly awaiting warm weather. Penny and I are waiting to see if we will get membership into the local outdoor range this year (we've been on a waiting list two years). With help here I've come up with a .357 load that my beautiful Ruger 77/357 loves, using 125 grain cast Lee RNFP's, and upper range Trail Boss charges. I'm now happy with 3/4 inch groups of five at 50 yards. I'd like to change out scopes though from the current 2-7 Leupold Rifleman to a higher power to see what I can do with the load at 100 yards. I'm going to have to go with pure wheel weights when casting them though in the future, because of deteriorating accuracy after a dozen rounds with softer alloys. As an aside, my 6 inch Ruger half shroud GP100 loves the Trail Boss loads too, giving me rested 2 inch groups at 25 yards, which is about as good as I'm capable of shooting a handgun.
I've tried out the 250 grain REAL .50 caliber slugs I learned to cast here in my CVA Optima V2 pistol, and with 50 grains of 3F Triple Seven they are hard, accurate hitters!. Cast of pure lead and tumble lubed they load easily, and sound like a two by four slapping a side of beef when they smack the cardboard target backer.
I also took the sage advise offered here to obtain a larger capacity loading scale, so I can weigh my cast slugs for consistency.An RCBS was offered on sale last fall and I bought that from MidwayUSA along with a check-weight set as recommended.
Now that I can once again cast outside or with the shop door open, I'll be firing up my Coleman stove again soon. Right now, Miss Penny and I are fostering a mama dog and her litter of four pups for the local Humane Society, and they take a good bit of attention. We've also been spending great time with our newest granddaughter, born December 26th of 2014.
I just wanted to say hello to all once again, and thank everyone for kindnesses shown a new person to the game! As I get to shoot more, and Miss Penny can join me, I'm sure I'll be asking more questions in the next few months. Don.
136178 Miss Mckinzie, our second grandchild.
136180 A wonderful litter of four American Randombred puppies we are fostering until old enough to adopt out. Their mama is a friendly, loving girl.