Buckshot
06-29-2005, 02:13 AM
............I'd been loading up 50 rounds for the M1917 (23.0 H4198, Ly 311284 + dacron) and figured what the heck! I haven't had the Ruger M77 out in a long time. In fact I haven't had it out of it's cloth sleeve since moving to town, almost 5 years ago!
I decided to load a case full of surp WC860 (lot 48368 from 7-97) and the Ly 311284, since I had those boolits out on the counter. I had to hunt high and low to find a box of 20 rounds labeled for the Ruger. I found a box of R-P headstamped cases scaled to 1.0gr for the 20 that were sized and primed with WLRP. These weighed 192grs and had been fired 14 times.
I could get 68.0grs of the ball powder in via an 8" drop tube with a teeny bit of compression so that was the load.
The boolits were visually inspected (previously TL'd) lube-sized to .310" and with Javalina & Hornady GC's. They weighed 218grs bare, and were of 13.5 BHN alloy. I loaded 10 rounds no crimp, and 10 rounds with a taper crimp to a 3.395" OAL. The rifle has a Busnell 4-12x44 scope.
I fired 2, 10 round groups at 100 yards and they were for crap :D! So I abused myself to learn that they were either too soft or Javalina isn't gonna handle it. As I sit here 12 hours after firing them, I can still feel it and my shoulder is tender! I don't do much of that stuff.
The 10 rounds uncrimped went:
Avg: 2159 fps
SD : 19.3
ES : 53.6
The 10 rounds crimped went:
Avg: 2174 fps
SD : 9.8
ES : 26.5
Cleaned it at home to check, and not a sign of leading and it cleaned up quick, but of course that had been only 20 rounds.
Sure felt weird shooting a modern rifle, and with a scope yet! Pretty un-natural.
................Buckshot
I decided to load a case full of surp WC860 (lot 48368 from 7-97) and the Ly 311284, since I had those boolits out on the counter. I had to hunt high and low to find a box of 20 rounds labeled for the Ruger. I found a box of R-P headstamped cases scaled to 1.0gr for the 20 that were sized and primed with WLRP. These weighed 192grs and had been fired 14 times.
I could get 68.0grs of the ball powder in via an 8" drop tube with a teeny bit of compression so that was the load.
The boolits were visually inspected (previously TL'd) lube-sized to .310" and with Javalina & Hornady GC's. They weighed 218grs bare, and were of 13.5 BHN alloy. I loaded 10 rounds no crimp, and 10 rounds with a taper crimp to a 3.395" OAL. The rifle has a Busnell 4-12x44 scope.
I fired 2, 10 round groups at 100 yards and they were for crap :D! So I abused myself to learn that they were either too soft or Javalina isn't gonna handle it. As I sit here 12 hours after firing them, I can still feel it and my shoulder is tender! I don't do much of that stuff.
The 10 rounds uncrimped went:
Avg: 2159 fps
SD : 19.3
ES : 53.6
The 10 rounds crimped went:
Avg: 2174 fps
SD : 9.8
ES : 26.5
Cleaned it at home to check, and not a sign of leading and it cleaned up quick, but of course that had been only 20 rounds.
Sure felt weird shooting a modern rifle, and with a scope yet! Pretty un-natural.
................Buckshot