Casters Log - TLC432-285-RF

[Ranch Dog]

I thought I would start a new thread to track what casters are doing with the boolits dropped from the molds now that we are receiving the correct design. My nephew and I cast a boat load of boolits yesterday morning and I finally got some of the TLC432s out the barrel this evening.

I'm working with WC-846 and here is a picture of my five-shot group with my starting load of 54.5-grains. I shot the first two with my sunglasses on and the last three with them off as it was getting dark... check out the difference. These are clip on sunglasses that came with my RX glasses. Any idea why the shift? The max shot radius for the 5-shot group was .86" so that is nothing to sneeze at. This is a 100-yard target. The target is printed on our feed sacks so it isn't exactly the best scale so I measured it with my RSI software for the group size.

Anyway... more tomorrow and will be working with a "ladder" up to 60.5-grains. Didn't chrony the starting load as I was puishing dark.

Time to go get my nephew off stand, he's hunting hogs with an 1895G and the TLC460-350-RFB....

[Ranch Dog]

Shot more this evening. The starting load of 54.5-grains of WC846 is moving along at 2000 FPS. Shot a 5-shot group that measures .58".

[TedH]

I think I would have to try some more shooting with and without the glasses to see if you can duplicate that target.

Nice groups though. I've been bothered by the lack of a 444 in my safe lately, and your not helping matters either!:mrgreen:

[Ranch Dog]

Ted... that's not good, no 444s in your safe. Actually mine are more like a kitchen or behind the door gun. I use them a lot!

[Bodydoc447]

Michael,

Did your nephew get a hog?

Doc

[Ranch Dog]

No he didn't Doc...

4

[Ranch Dog]

405WCF asked me to post this...

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Lite_20av_20varje__20044.jpg

[steveb]

Since 405WCF has posted results from the second mold(I think) heres mine. Its not the true Ranch Dog per say with its larger meplat and IIRC a little longer length than what was per spec. Im using 17.0 grains of WC820(n) and getting consistant results. I know I posted this on the other thread but since this is the casters log...

All shots are from my Rossi 92 with 20" barrel at 50 yards offhand and using the Marbles front fiberoptic sight and the Williams FP reciever sight.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/steveb3006/TLC432-285-RF50yard.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/steveb3006/TLC432-285targetJuly301.jpg

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/steveb3006/RROTLC432-285-RF.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/steveb3006/TLC432-285CHART.jpg

And well....just cause (sorry Buckshot):castmine:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a199/steveb3006/rossicastingcologe4resized.jpg

[cast-n-blast]

RD, I'd bet a SWAG(scientific wild assed guess) it has to do with parallax and the different refraction of the light thru the different lenses. With the clip ons, it might be like looking at a stick in the water. You know the stick is straight, but it looks like two different sticks that don't meet, even thou you know they do. My $.02 .

[405 WCF]

The 3-shot gruop picture that RD posted for me is with the third mold I recived.
We have ordered 2 molds, and the third shipping gave us one good mold and one that drops .430-.431 bullets

[Ranch Dog]

RD, I'd bet a SWAG(scientific wild assed guess) it has to do with parallax and the different refraction of the light thru the different lenses. With the clip ons, it might be like looking at a stick in the water. You know the stick is straight, but it looks like two different sticks that don't meet, even thou you know they do. My $.02 .


I suspect that is correct... I guess I can't hunt or shoot with my cool shades!

[steveb]

The 3-shot gruop picture that RD posted for me is with the third mold I recived.
We have ordered 2 molds, and the third shipping gave us one good mold and one that drops .430-.431 bullets

Sorry 405WCF, my mistake. Maybe its the fella down under that hasnt recieved the third mold yet. Good shooting 405!

[Ranch Dog]

I thought I would post some info on my work with WC846 (BL-C2) and the TLC432. I shoot a "ladder" (http://kingfisher.0catch.com/guns/laddertest.explanation.html#Loaddevelopment) for load development. All my shooting is at 250-yards...

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/Loaddata.jpg
Load Data

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/LoadTable.jpg
Load Table...
The shots were fired in .4-grain increments

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/Capacity.jpg
Case Capacity vs. WC846 & the TLC432

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/V_HChange.jpg
Vertical and Horizontal Change
There are two areas where optimum barrel timing looks best. Loads within the "white" circle are obvious but the velocity is low in this area. Loads with the "yellow" area where I will investigate further. I would consider these loads to be at hunting velocities.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/FPSChange.jpg
FPS Rate of Change

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/FPSTrend.jpg
FPS vs. Charge

Why WC846 or BL-C(2)... WC846 is extremely inexpensive. It delivers extremely low chamber pressures which is great for soft boolits. The charges are also extremely accurate out of both of my 444s. I'm shooting incremental powder charges with this work but would bet any charge would shoot a 5-shot group inside a three inch circle at 250-yards!

I will try and finish this up today or tomorrow. Going to shoot another "ladder" in .2-grain increments from 57.8-grains to 58.6-grains. I will choose the "sweet spot" for my 444T from that range and then run some accuracy tests with a complete chrony workout.

[Ranch Dog]

Went out back and finished up working with WC846 this morning. Shot 57.8 to 58.6-grains in .2-grain increments.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/V_HChange2.jpg
The Vertical and Horizontal change come together at 58.2-grains.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/FPSChange2.jpg
58.2-grains is also the point that the FPS change flattens out.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/FPS2.jpg
Velocity should be around 1992 FPS. I plot this to verify the validity of the "ladder" once the load is chronographed.

http://home.awesomenet.net/~ranch-dog/Casting/TLC432285RF/Data/444M/WC846/CED_Snapshot.jpg
The snapshot from my CED Chronograph. The data was collected 8' from the barrel. The environmental conditions are: 290' MSL, 88F, 75%H, 30.06". The 100-yard group had an average shot radius of .97". Take the marked flyer out and it was .73"!

I love working the ladder, 17-shots and I've looked at all the load possiblities with WC846 and my 444T! The 58.2-grains is a definate hunting load.

[Ranch Dog]

405WCF posted this in the 444 Lodge on Marlin Owners. He hunts in Sweden and I think moose in that country must be like feral hogs in Texas as I believe he has already taken four this year...

This weekend the "Ranch-Dog" bullet killed two moose. On Saturday a calf fell for it, no camera and today, Sunday a small cow got a taste of lead. The calf was shot with a side shot behind the shoulder at 35 yards, and he took four, five steps and went down. No meat had to be cut away. The cow was hit in the neck at 70-80 yards and went down instantly. Bullet passed right trough on both of the moose.

[405 WCF]

///405WCF posted this in the 444 Lodge on Marlin Owners. He hunts in Sweden and I think moose in that country must be like feral hogs in Texas as I believe he has already taken four this year...////

Actually it's five.:) Two cow, two bulls and a calf.
If someone can put out the picts for me, I can post a pict of the "Range-Dog" cow.

[Ranch Dog]

You can send me the picture at ranch-dog@juno.com

[Ranch Dog]

Here you go...

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m150/dawei851/Liteavvarje086.jpg

[405 WCF]

Thank you RD!
I had in mind to shot her in the shoulder, so I could see how the bullet performed, but she never gave me the chance.
I hade to aim for the neck.
But the fall is not over jet, and the RD bullets will be in my 444 the next time I go to the woods to.

[Dale53]

See, I told you that cast bullets were no good for game! (LOL) [smilie=1: [smilie=1:

405 WCF:
Looks like you and your rifle are a good match!!

Concratulations!:drinks:
Dale53

[jeff223]

nice moose and with a RANCH DOG boolit.

GOOD JOBhttp://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[405 WCF]

Ty all!

[OBXPilgrim]

Sorry to bring up old nightmares, but what was wrong with the first two runs?

Sorry for such a stupid question, but I can't find anyone thing about it now. The first was undersize, I think, but what of the second one. Is that the one Lee is selling on it's site? I think it was on this site I saw a post about it, but I can't find it now.

Please have some patience with me, I've been through a bunch of painkillers since having neck surgery (fused C3-4 & C5-6) mid-September. Of course, that's been a bit of a blessing, since I've had alot more time to net-surf (& found this site).

Bill

[LET-CA]

Sorry to bring up old nightmares, but what was wrong with the first two runs?

Sorry for such a stupid question, but I can't find anyone thing about it now. The first was undersize, I think, but what of the second one. Is that the one Lee is selling on it's site? I think it was on this site I saw a post about it, but I can't find it now.

Please have some patience with me, I've been through a bunch of painkillers since having neck surgery (fused C3-4 & C5-6) mid-September. Of course, that's been a bit of a blessing, since I've had alot more time to net-surf (& found this site).

Bill

The first run of moulds was undersized, the second run was sized correctly, but with a wide-flat nose (wider than spec) and the third was correct. My understanding is that the moulds for sale on the Lee site are from the second run. They drop bullets out at .432 or better but have a bigger meplat than was specified.

[Ranch Dog]

They are still listed as available on their Surplus Page (http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1161428481.5428=/html/catalog/surplus.html). This page is not available at times as it is being updated.

[405 WCF]

My father shot a moose calf with the RD bullet this weekend, but it allso was a neck shot, so we could not see how the bullet performed.