Topper
03-29-2009, 09:03 PM
Don't get around to posting often, but I hope someone finds this useful and it's generates advice as well:coffee:
Finally got out to do some serious shooting with the TCArms Texas Scout.
In preparation, I had purchased a Lee Hollow Base Mini mold to cast my own pills.
Using pure lead it cast a 360gr bullet which drop at .500 diameter.
When I got this rifle, it was loaded :roll: , so I had to carefully remove the bullet (a whole different story).
The pulled bullet measured .508 into lands.
Well I needed to do something to enlarge the diameter of my cast, so I decided to give paper patching a try.
Using tracing paper that measures .002 and using a two layer rap, I got a .508 diameter bullet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Topper_1950/HB_Cast.jpg
It was a perfect day for shooting, wind at 20 mph and gusting to 35 mph [smilie=b:
All shooting was from 50 yards at the bench, Scout has a buckhorn open sight.
For lube I used walnut oil (we were out of olive oil and grocery store shopping is not something I fond off) and beeswax.
Great stuff for chap lips as well, which I needed due to the windy conditions ;-)
Since I already had some Hodgens RS & 777 FFG, that what I used, swabbing barrel after each shoot with a two damp patches of 50/50 Ballistol & Water followed by 2 dry patchs.
I fired a total of 45 rounds, and the best group was using the 777 powder. I choose this powder since I had read a lot of post regarding misfires with this carbine which I glad to report I didn’t have. I did pay careful attention to ensure I could see daylight through the ignition port (I think that is what it’s called but am open to correction) and bumping the above the butt stock to ensure power was against the port.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Topper_1950/Scout_360gr.jpg
Note that powder was measure by volume and not weight.
I filled the hollow base with lube as well as wipe a thin film on the paper.
I had used a ½ inch pipe to cut wads to place on the base but unfortunately, they were to big (should have checked against bullet base before I went to the range :neutral:.
Bullets loaded fine but took some effort so I’m sure I deformed the nose shoving them down to the power, but there was no leading to the barrel and after cleaning the bore was smooth.
One thing I noticed.
After each shot upon cleaning the bore, there was a rough spot which I believe was where the base of the bullet was positioned.
I assume this is where the heat of the powder igniting against the base of the bullet melted the lube and formed a “crude” ring.
Once cleaned, there was no further resistance felt when running the dry patch through the bore.
It may be that the lube it not necessary since I’m cleaning after each shot (further investigation required or feedback appreciated).
Not to be long winded, but I did shoot a few round with my Encore 45-70 using cast bullets.
One was the Lee 340gr cast and the other the 500gn GC.
As you can tell from the photos it really seems to prefer the 500 heavies.
Fortunately it does have a break, so it’s not to punishing to shoot.
And yes, my shoulder is sore, but from the muzzle loader, not the 45-70 8-)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Topper_1950/OTT_500gr.jpg
Finally got out to do some serious shooting with the TCArms Texas Scout.
In preparation, I had purchased a Lee Hollow Base Mini mold to cast my own pills.
Using pure lead it cast a 360gr bullet which drop at .500 diameter.
When I got this rifle, it was loaded :roll: , so I had to carefully remove the bullet (a whole different story).
The pulled bullet measured .508 into lands.
Well I needed to do something to enlarge the diameter of my cast, so I decided to give paper patching a try.
Using tracing paper that measures .002 and using a two layer rap, I got a .508 diameter bullet.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Topper_1950/HB_Cast.jpg
It was a perfect day for shooting, wind at 20 mph and gusting to 35 mph [smilie=b:
All shooting was from 50 yards at the bench, Scout has a buckhorn open sight.
For lube I used walnut oil (we were out of olive oil and grocery store shopping is not something I fond off) and beeswax.
Great stuff for chap lips as well, which I needed due to the windy conditions ;-)
Since I already had some Hodgens RS & 777 FFG, that what I used, swabbing barrel after each shoot with a two damp patches of 50/50 Ballistol & Water followed by 2 dry patchs.
I fired a total of 45 rounds, and the best group was using the 777 powder. I choose this powder since I had read a lot of post regarding misfires with this carbine which I glad to report I didn’t have. I did pay careful attention to ensure I could see daylight through the ignition port (I think that is what it’s called but am open to correction) and bumping the above the butt stock to ensure power was against the port.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Topper_1950/Scout_360gr.jpg
Note that powder was measure by volume and not weight.
I filled the hollow base with lube as well as wipe a thin film on the paper.
I had used a ½ inch pipe to cut wads to place on the base but unfortunately, they were to big (should have checked against bullet base before I went to the range :neutral:.
Bullets loaded fine but took some effort so I’m sure I deformed the nose shoving them down to the power, but there was no leading to the barrel and after cleaning the bore was smooth.
One thing I noticed.
After each shot upon cleaning the bore, there was a rough spot which I believe was where the base of the bullet was positioned.
I assume this is where the heat of the powder igniting against the base of the bullet melted the lube and formed a “crude” ring.
Once cleaned, there was no further resistance felt when running the dry patch through the bore.
It may be that the lube it not necessary since I’m cleaning after each shot (further investigation required or feedback appreciated).
Not to be long winded, but I did shoot a few round with my Encore 45-70 using cast bullets.
One was the Lee 340gr cast and the other the 500gn GC.
As you can tell from the photos it really seems to prefer the 500 heavies.
Fortunately it does have a break, so it’s not to punishing to shoot.
And yes, my shoulder is sore, but from the muzzle loader, not the 45-70 8-)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Topper_1950/OTT_500gr.jpg