2nd round at the range with the Ruger American 450 Bushmaster and Lee 310's

[Tripplebeards]

Made my 2nd trip to the range today (and second try with cast boolits to date)with my 450BM to continue my quest for MOA at a 100 yards. It was a short test since I only took a dozen boolits with me. I also took my Ruger 77/44 and shot it for the first time with 310's as well. I haven't measured any groups from the 77/44 but can tell you my Bushmaster outshot it being it has a lighter trigger and higher power optic to help my old eyes.

So the things I changed from my first session is...I tourqued my action screws that vibrated loose.

I lengthened my OAL from 2.035" to 2.055" so my case lip lined up with the lower boolits crimp groove so it folded into it when I tapered to .474".(thinking it will keep boolits from shifting durring recoil)

I also tried one load "AC" PC COWW that I added 2% pewter instead of all WQ COWW last time through.


My best grouping last time at a 100 yards was 1.25" with WQCOWW backed by 35.5g of H110 loaded at 2.035" and taper crimped to .474" so that was what I was trying to beat.


Well , on to the 100 yard test results....

My first group measured 2.2",which I'm going to retest was with 35.5g of H110. The reason I need to retest it is because I tried to lightly roll crimp these three casings and found out they wouldn't cycle. So I pulled the boolits, reflaired the case mouths and loaded again. Something tells me I there was inconsistent boolit neck pressures from doing this.

My second group, now my current best with this rifle, measured 1.190" with the first and only try so far with AC. The ACCOWW PC GC with 35.5g of H110 group...



I'm thinking these boolits will really do a number on whitetails with better expansion with the softer lead. They had a BH of 13.4 last time I checked compared to the WQ ones at 15. I'll have to take my chrony with next time but I'm guessing 1850-2000 fps? Hornadys load book lists 34.4g of h110 at 1800 fps with a 16" barrel with a 300g xtp. I'm guessing PCing will add a little velocity gain?


Third test was back to WQCOWW PC GC with the blue bombers loaded with 35.3g of H110 that measured 1.6"...




And my last test was with another WQCOWW PC GC blue bomber of 35.7g of H110 that measured a little over 1.8"...



After two range sessions with the 450 my 77/44 felt like a BB gun. I'm going to have to borrow a higher power optic and work the trigger a little lighter on the 44 to make things fair between the two.

Looks like the 310's and 35.5g of H110 WQ or AC is what it prefers so far and once again no leading in either rifle, just a little dirty powder burn residual that was removed with one swipe of a patch.

...well, the MOA quest continues

[Thumbcocker]

I really appreciate your attention to detail and the care you are using in your efforts. Please don't take this wrong but you are close to arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin if your goal is a hunting load for white tails. If you are chasing accuracy for its own sake and if that makes you happy I am in your corner but any of your loads so far are plenty good for deer. A boolit that size and that weight has no need to expand to put backstrap on the grill. I am pulling for you whatever path you choose to take.

[Tripplebeards]

In all reality both. I've always had an obsession of trying to shrink groups. I'm always trying to squeeze every bit of accuracy out any rifle I own. I can always get a cloverleaf from j words in just about every rifle I own so this cast boolit thing is a new challenge for me. There is more gratification for me to cast my own than purchase a manufactured boolit to reload.

[Eldon]

This rifle is a natural for a suppressor to drop the noise, blast and recoil.

[Thumbcocker]

Good luck on getting that clover leaf.

[Tripplebeards]

I picked up a pound of lil gun and will get around to trying it next week to see if it dose any better.

probably will load AC boolits for the test since they grouped a little tighter. Just going to have to cast some more since I only casted a few but have about a 1000 WQ made.

[Digital Dan]

...you are close to arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin....

37. The argument is settled.

Carry on,

Dan