Well, if it's a petal issue then I'll try my Nosler black sabots instead of my MMP ones....
Well, if it's a petal issue then I'll try my Nosler black sabots instead of my MMP ones....
Huntsman -
I am not sure of your experience with black powder so if this is to elementary then I apologize.
Concerning your powder charge... I would first start with a minimum charge of 60 grains and work your way up through 80 to 90 grains. I think with the advent of Pyrodex pellets and the in-line rifles that many black powder hunters are mislead by thinking that you have to have 90+ grains to hunt whitetail deer. It is just not so. I have several black powder rifles (from .32 through .69 cal) and everyone of them are extremely effective on deer with less than 100 grains of powder. I would recommend that you find a large white sheet and lay on the ground in front of you when you are increasing your charge. When you begin to find unburnt powder on the sheet, then you are at the maximum charge for that rifle with that powder and that bullet. You will probably also find that the most accurate load is less than the maximum charge that the rifle with burn.
Also, (again if elementary, sorry) the most important factor in black powder accuracy is consistency in loading. The greatest advantage of the cartridge was the fact that a weapon could be loaded in any reasonable fashion and that powder charge/bullet seating would be "consistent". You must load your black powder rifle exactly the same every time you load it. If you very the amount that you compress the load prior to seating the boolit then you will change the point of impact.If you very the amount that you compress the load when seating the boolit then you will change the point of impact. This is the art and the science of black powder shooting. Once you master this, then its a matter of finding the boolit that the weapon likes to shoot.
Kind Regards
Everett
Thanks alot for your comment Everret, I will definitely use your tips my next trip out to the range, hopefully this weekend. I suppose I never really gave my loads much of a chance and the frustration got the better of me. I'll post my results when completed,
Thanks again,
Jamie
I think its too big!
Drop back to 65 or 70 grains. Do some testing useing 10 65 grain loads, then 10 70 grain loads and so on.
I have hunted with 40, 45(sabot) and 50 caliber, the largest hunting load was 75 or 80 grains......
Less is More, when you want to hit the bull and not just the target.
Like the other guys said.....slowww downnn start with less powder,,,, work your way up * looking for the sweet spot*
you never mentioned the primers have you tryed others ? sometimes the accuracy comes from within the primers!! there was some speculation that some off the hotter primers may dislodge the bullet/sabot from the powder casuing a airspace- jump causing inaccuracies
you never said if you picked up any of the sabots* the sabots should all be pretty close to the same area* ... and inspected them for torn petals or were the petals folded back/open or were there rifle engravings on them if so were the stripped or torn in any way shape or form ,if the cup portion was burn/undercut from gas escaping
you never lubed the bullets... before you incerted them in to the sabot,, did ya?* they are ment to shoot dry/unlubed*
how did they load.....nice and smooth,,,,,,,,or fall down the barrel....... or so tight you had to stand on the ramrod to load them
give us some more detail and take your time i'm sure in no time the fellows will have you shooting groups you'll be happy with
Howdy fellow BP shooters!
While I've been on CB for 2 years now, I don't recall making any contributions to this section. I have however been a BP hunter for 20 years now.
I've been down the many roads of various rifles/boolits/powders/ignition systems.
I own both a sidehammer T/C White Mountain (which would be one of the last guns I'd ever part with) and a T/C Omega. I know to some, that the inlines don't count as real BP guns...and I'm fine with that.
What my personal experience has been. My White Mountain loves MMP sabots and .45/250 Gr. XTP bullets and cast #429421's.
The Omega despise's cast #429421's in ANY sabot. I was almost ready to give up on it and as a last resort..'gulp' I bought factory made projectiles designed just for my T/C inline. BINGO!
That being said, I have since wondered if anyone else has considered putting together a group buy for a mold that drops boolits designed as a carbon copy of what T/C sells?
Perhaps we should kick around this idea?
Thanks,
Murphy
If I should depart this life while defending those who cannot defend themselves, then I have died the most honorable of deaths. Marc R. Murphy '2006'.
Well today I had a chance at the range, I started with 60gr/3 shot
group @50yds.(no wind)..SWEET Damn near all holes touching. I then moved to 70grs with a 1" group at 50yds as well, with 80grs the group opened up to 1.15"- 2" group and right of bullseye.
Now I tried at 100yds (wind started to pickup) the 70gr hit about 2.5" high of bull and 2" left, then it was too windy to carry on to achieve reasonable/proper groupings. So definately the 70 gr so far....??
Here is what I chronied; All loads were with Triple 7 FFG, Lee 300gr .45 RF boolit,
1) 60grs 1521 fps
2) 70grs 1649 fps
3) 80grs 1675 fps
I'll be going back out next wknd to work my 100yd groups.
Cheers,
You are gettin there, Huntsman. Now you just need to go full bore with the lead.
For years I shot my TC Renegade with saboted pistol bullets and it was hard to find one that didn't perform well, at least well enough to drop a deer at 100 yds. Two years ago I picked up an H&R Huntsman, it just loves the Lee REAL boolit. Haven't fired my Renegade since.
Thinking about it though for old times sake. She sure is a reliable weapon.
Lucky Joe
"There's always a way."
well it sound's like your a little happier this time ( glad its starting to come together for you ) you'll have the energy you need to get the job done.... don't read to mutch in to the fps..... as it's not as importiant as the grouping...... you got hit the target,,,,,, to kill it,,,,,, being fast as h3ll don't get the job done,,, if you can't hit it.....at some point they're becomes a trade off
good luck with the sabot quest
Thanks again Onlymenotu, I really appreciate the support. I'm heading out again this wknd, weather depending....it may start snowing again but that's CANADA for ya!!
When you said full bore you mean like a Minie or REAL boolit right?
Cheers,
Well things are definately getting better group wise. 1st I switched sabot size from short to long petals, loaded up 100grs loose T7, shot at a 50yd target, "BULLSEYE!!" on the 1st shot!!
I must add to that it was -15 degrees celsius which equals= 5 degrees fahrenheit.
So it was pretty chilly. Well I fired four more shots after that, 2 holes were touching at
2 O'clock and 2 were touching at 4 O'clock. So that make a total of 1 bullseye, 2 touching @ 2 and 2 touching @ 4. I must say that I am pretty happy with this as it shows some consistency.
I must also point out that the sabots I used were close to 3 years old(Nosler .451-.452). I found some that were good, ok and missing petals. So two things to consider are the -15 weather and the age of the sabots. I will try again once it gets alot warmer out.
Nope, like a conical such as those Bull Shop produces.
I tried shooting .49 roundballs in sabots out of my .54 rifle.. Definitely a different experience. Has anybody ever tried moulding their own plastic sabots.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |