krag35
09-11-2009, 12:51 AM
I recently got a GreeN Mtn. slow twist 45 cal bbl for my T/C Renegade. After the fits I have had with my Traditions (1:48) 45 cal. I thought i might not hate muzzleloaders quite so much. Well that didn't work.
First off, I can shoot, I'm not Annie Oakley, or dead eye dick, but I can pretty much ( off of bags) shoot 6" groups out of my Redhawk @ 100yds with cast boolits. My 444, 30-40, 30-30 and cast (with a peep) holds 4" or a bit better at the same distance. I know others here can do much better than that, but those guns and that level of accuracy have kept me and mine in venison and Elk meat for quite a few years now.
I tried my Renagade with the 58 cal bbl and Lee REAL bullets first. Cast out fo pure ( well as pure hospital shielding lead is) Thse pretty much fall to the bottom of the bbl. They cast .580 -.582 an better than half go thru the target sideways at 25 yads. At least I can catch them at 25 yds on a 4' X4' target (minor victory) I read the post on casting WW for Muzzle loader bullets and cast some out of ACWW. I weighed them and culled any that varied more than 1 Grain. They came out .592 on the front band and .585 on the rear. Holey Moley, at 50 yds they actually stayed on the 8X11 target. I started at 90 Gr and went up to 120 gr 5 shot groups cleaning between strings. Powder charge made NO difference in group size only in POI. Well maybe thought I I could try it at 100 yds ( I shouldn't think to much) I cought at at least 3 of the 5 on all 4 strings on that 4X4 backer board. I'm thinking this bbl has a future as a tomato stake.
I next tried the Traditions 45 cal. I have posted on here about before. I thought the bbl was bent, and bent it the other way untill you could actually see the bend in the bbl and it still shot off to the side. I cut 4" off the muzzle and recrowned and that took care of the problem i was having with windage with it. First group today was with a .437 ACWW RB 70 gr and .020 ticking. 3 into 3" @ 50 yds. I swabbed the bbl, set it aside for a bit while I shot the 58 to cool. Loaded the EXACT same load in it shot the EXact same target with it and it sent 3 into 8" a foot below the target and 6" to the right. I swabbed and let it cool again (10 min?) EXACTLY the same load as both srings before and this time it was 18" high and 8-10" off to the left. I am giving up on this rifle AGAIN.
I have shot the 45 cal green mtn bbl only once before. I started at 50 gr with a .437 ACWWRB, .020 patch and shot 3 strings of 3 shots ( swabbing between strings) and worked my way up to 90 grains. It liked the 90 grain load best (1 1/2") at 50 yds. BUT that was last time. Today I started with the 90 grain load and it was about a 4" group at 50 yds. I shot the whole string ( 3 - 3shot groups) over again. It liked 50 gr the best, 1 1/2" group. I set it aside, shot my Redhawk and 22 pistol for a while and then tried one more group before I left, 2 shots touching and one 6" above those about 5" off to the right. I'm supposed to take it hunting this year, I hope a deer will stand still long enough for me to sight in my rifle on him, because I'm sure it won't be shooting where it was when I sighted it in. Maybe I could get a bayonet lug welded on it, Steel always works if sharp and pushed hard enough.
It's late, I'm tired and it wasn't a good day at the range. I did pick up about 40 once fired Rem 30-06 brass and a double handfull fo 45 brass though, so I guess it wasn't all that bad.
First off, I can shoot, I'm not Annie Oakley, or dead eye dick, but I can pretty much ( off of bags) shoot 6" groups out of my Redhawk @ 100yds with cast boolits. My 444, 30-40, 30-30 and cast (with a peep) holds 4" or a bit better at the same distance. I know others here can do much better than that, but those guns and that level of accuracy have kept me and mine in venison and Elk meat for quite a few years now.
I tried my Renagade with the 58 cal bbl and Lee REAL bullets first. Cast out fo pure ( well as pure hospital shielding lead is) Thse pretty much fall to the bottom of the bbl. They cast .580 -.582 an better than half go thru the target sideways at 25 yads. At least I can catch them at 25 yds on a 4' X4' target (minor victory) I read the post on casting WW for Muzzle loader bullets and cast some out of ACWW. I weighed them and culled any that varied more than 1 Grain. They came out .592 on the front band and .585 on the rear. Holey Moley, at 50 yds they actually stayed on the 8X11 target. I started at 90 Gr and went up to 120 gr 5 shot groups cleaning between strings. Powder charge made NO difference in group size only in POI. Well maybe thought I I could try it at 100 yds ( I shouldn't think to much) I cought at at least 3 of the 5 on all 4 strings on that 4X4 backer board. I'm thinking this bbl has a future as a tomato stake.
I next tried the Traditions 45 cal. I have posted on here about before. I thought the bbl was bent, and bent it the other way untill you could actually see the bend in the bbl and it still shot off to the side. I cut 4" off the muzzle and recrowned and that took care of the problem i was having with windage with it. First group today was with a .437 ACWW RB 70 gr and .020 ticking. 3 into 3" @ 50 yds. I swabbed the bbl, set it aside for a bit while I shot the 58 to cool. Loaded the EXACT same load in it shot the EXact same target with it and it sent 3 into 8" a foot below the target and 6" to the right. I swabbed and let it cool again (10 min?) EXACTLY the same load as both srings before and this time it was 18" high and 8-10" off to the left. I am giving up on this rifle AGAIN.
I have shot the 45 cal green mtn bbl only once before. I started at 50 gr with a .437 ACWWRB, .020 patch and shot 3 strings of 3 shots ( swabbing between strings) and worked my way up to 90 grains. It liked the 90 grain load best (1 1/2") at 50 yds. BUT that was last time. Today I started with the 90 grain load and it was about a 4" group at 50 yds. I shot the whole string ( 3 - 3shot groups) over again. It liked 50 gr the best, 1 1/2" group. I set it aside, shot my Redhawk and 22 pistol for a while and then tried one more group before I left, 2 shots touching and one 6" above those about 5" off to the right. I'm supposed to take it hunting this year, I hope a deer will stand still long enough for me to sight in my rifle on him, because I'm sure it won't be shooting where it was when I sighted it in. Maybe I could get a bayonet lug welded on it, Steel always works if sharp and pushed hard enough.
It's late, I'm tired and it wasn't a good day at the range. I did pick up about 40 once fired Rem 30-06 brass and a double handfull fo 45 brass though, so I guess it wasn't all that bad.