Range results from Saturday

[RhodeHunter]

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.

[RhodeHunter]

When I posted these results last night I noticed user AR-15 Cowboy is having the same issues as me. Although he said the wad did not help him much with the REAL. Very interesting and timely post from him.

I plan to work with the REAL more, even though I had such good results with sabots.

There are several things I'm going to try, foremost is to get another REAL mold, since the one I am using is several years old. Someone else said they got diameters of .517 top band, even though mine only came out .513. Before I do that though, I will try another casting session with them and try to keep my temperature down to avoid shrinkage. Also I'm going to try some without fluxing the lead and some with fluxing and try them both out at the range.

Another note: the 370 grain maxi-balls didn't hurt my shoulder so much as my trigger-arm elbow. I didn't have a pad for the elbow on the bench, and my elbow was resting in between two boards when I fired.

[Swede44mag]

How far are you shooting?
Is this with your Lyman or the CVA?

[RhodeHunter]

CVA Optima magnum break action, at 50 yards.

[frontier gander]

about the same results i am having with blackhorn209 and REAL bullets. Just not getting good accuracy with the 1:28 twist for some reason. My 1:32 loves them with 80gr pyrodex rs, all other 1:48 twist rifles i have love them with 90gr pyrodex rs.

[Omnivore]

Rhode; I hear you regarding the elbow.

I was going to say "try more powder" but f. gander beat me to it. Also try some lubed felt wads, just for kicks. That's what I was using in my 48" twist Lyman with 90 grains Goex FF and the REAL 250s with great results.

Getting good fill-out with the casting is something of a balancing act. Can't have too much heat, and can't have too little, with both the melt and the mold. Not that I'm any sort of expert, but fluxing, in my understanding, is mainly to keep the gunk levels down, so you get less gunk in your pour.

[Bullet Caster]

IMO you're doing better with the sabot rounds. That one group looks really good. Before buying another mould, try Leementing the REAL to give you a larger top driving band. Of course I'd rather not shoot conicals or REALs in my flintlock, which is supposed to handle conicals really well because of the 1/66" twist rate. My flinter is dead on accurate with PRBs so I won't even consider shootin' conicals out of it. BC

[RhodeHunter]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I really appreciate your ideas.

[frontier gander]

You want a good shooting bullet? 250 - 300gr Powerbelt Aerolite, 250gr Thor conical. AMAZING Accuracy!