RhodeHunter
02-20-2012, 12:26 AM
Finally got some range time to do some testing. Tried 5 different things:
1. My normal boolit: Lee REAL 320 grain with crappy old black lube very stiff
2. Lee REAL 320 grain with dry felt wad over the powder
3. Sabot: Hornady XTP 44 cal 240 grain HP
4. TC maxi-ball 370 grain prelubed (new from the factory)
5. TC maxi-ball as above with dry felt wad over the powder
The factors that were common to all were:
Rifle: CVA Optima magnum .50 (1 in 28 twist), fiber optic sights
Powder: Pyrodex RS (Rifle and Shotgun), 60 grains
Shooting 4-shot groups from the bench at 50 yards. After each shot: one solvent patch, and one dry patch.
First target (My normal boolit: Lee REAL 320 grain with crappy old black lube very stiff):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/Real320grainnowad.jpg
You only see 3 holes, because one shot was TWO FEET down and to the right of the target!!!!
Not very special, particularly with a 2-foot flyer. This is why I’m out here. This is the “control” group. Earlier in the year, I had found 60 grains of Pyrodex was the highest I could go with the REAL. Looks like maybe I need to go down even lower.
Second target (Lee REAL 320 grain with dry felt wad over the powder):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/Real320grainwithwad.jpg
Wow! People on the forum said try over-powder wads. This 4-inch group shows that they can make a big difference under certain conditions.
Third target (Sabot: Hornady XTP 44 cal 240 grain HP):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/HornyXTP44cal240grain.jpg
Best group of the day (just under 2-inches). I shouldn’t be too surprised, since this gun was designed to shoot Powerbelts or sabots. The 4th shot went through the bottom hole with the 1st shot.
Fourth target (TC maxi-ball 370 grain prelubed (new from the factory)):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/TCmaxiball370grain.jpg
This is about an 8-inch group. Maybe 60 grains isn’t enough to upset the boolit enough to gain purchase on the rifling. After using a micrometer on these boolits, I didn’t have high hopes. At .504 at the top band, they’re smaller than the REAL. Maybe more blackpowder would help, but these 370 grain boolits were already smacking my shoulder pretty hard. That’s a test for another day, with a fresh shoulder.
Fifth and last target (TC maxi-ball as above with dry felt wad over the powder):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/TCmaxiball370grainwithwad.jpg
Shots 1 and 2 are 10-5/8” apart. I am thinking that the felt inhibited the upsetting of the boolit, making this loose-fitting boolit (for this gun anyway), less accurate.
1. My normal boolit: Lee REAL 320 grain with crappy old black lube very stiff
2. Lee REAL 320 grain with dry felt wad over the powder
3. Sabot: Hornady XTP 44 cal 240 grain HP
4. TC maxi-ball 370 grain prelubed (new from the factory)
5. TC maxi-ball as above with dry felt wad over the powder
The factors that were common to all were:
Rifle: CVA Optima magnum .50 (1 in 28 twist), fiber optic sights
Powder: Pyrodex RS (Rifle and Shotgun), 60 grains
Shooting 4-shot groups from the bench at 50 yards. After each shot: one solvent patch, and one dry patch.
First target (My normal boolit: Lee REAL 320 grain with crappy old black lube very stiff):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/Real320grainnowad.jpg
You only see 3 holes, because one shot was TWO FEET down and to the right of the target!!!!
Not very special, particularly with a 2-foot flyer. This is why I’m out here. This is the “control” group. Earlier in the year, I had found 60 grains of Pyrodex was the highest I could go with the REAL. Looks like maybe I need to go down even lower.
Second target (Lee REAL 320 grain with dry felt wad over the powder):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/Real320grainwithwad.jpg
Wow! People on the forum said try over-powder wads. This 4-inch group shows that they can make a big difference under certain conditions.
Third target (Sabot: Hornady XTP 44 cal 240 grain HP):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/HornyXTP44cal240grain.jpg
Best group of the day (just under 2-inches). I shouldn’t be too surprised, since this gun was designed to shoot Powerbelts or sabots. The 4th shot went through the bottom hole with the 1st shot.
Fourth target (TC maxi-ball 370 grain prelubed (new from the factory)):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/TCmaxiball370grain.jpg
This is about an 8-inch group. Maybe 60 grains isn’t enough to upset the boolit enough to gain purchase on the rifling. After using a micrometer on these boolits, I didn’t have high hopes. At .504 at the top band, they’re smaller than the REAL. Maybe more blackpowder would help, but these 370 grain boolits were already smacking my shoulder pretty hard. That’s a test for another day, with a fresh shoulder.
Fifth and last target (TC maxi-ball as above with dry felt wad over the powder):
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d73/TerryLaPierre/TCmaxiball370grainwithwad.jpg
Shots 1 and 2 are 10-5/8” apart. I am thinking that the felt inhibited the upsetting of the boolit, making this loose-fitting boolit (for this gun anyway), less accurate.