Range Day Today

[6pt-sika]

I got my new Lyman 450 yesterday , so was able to get a bunch of Ranch Dog bullets ready for testing .

I had had the 45 cal 350 grainer for awhile but had never gotten around to trying it . Also have the two new 44 cal moulds the 265 and 300 grainers .


http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0150.jpg

Got a little bit done yesterday [smilie=1:

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0151.jpg


So after sizing a bunch in each of those yesterday . I got up about 6AM and loaded them up for use today .

All my junk laid out this AM behind my preferred bench.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0152.jpg


Well I started with the 1895CB shooting the Ranch Dog 350 grainer.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0153.jpg

End result.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0159.jpg

[6pt-sika]

Here's my First Model 444 with the round lever . Was trying the Ranch Dog 265 in it for the first time .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0155.jpg

End results.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0157.jpg


My Marlin 444 Second Model . Was trying the new Ranch Dog 300's in this one for the first time.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0154.jpg


And what I got for my eforts . That one group is actually three shots even thou it appears to be only two .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0158.jpg


And finally my Marlin 336 Zane Grey . Thought I'd try this one with the Ranch Dog 165 grainers for the next lever silhouette match.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0156.jpg

This was the only group I shot with it . The rest were sent down range at the silhouettes.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0160.jpg


All in all I think it was a pretty decent day :drinks:

[muffinman]

You need a few more leverguns 6pt. Wish all I had to do was load and shoot all day.LOL

[Boomer Mikey]

Looks like a fun day Craig,

I have the same problem... I can't go to the range unless I'm testing at least 3 rifles and make it an all day or at least an all afternoon affair.

I have a Zane Grey too but haven't worked up a load for it yet. I plan to use it for my 200 meter silhouette match rifle until I get the 35-55 on line.

Try some RCBS 45-325-FN-U's in the 1895CB, 25 grains of H4198 is great in mine with WLR's in Winchester brass sized to 0.459". It looks like we're using the same lube - LBT Blue.

It looks like the second generation 444 has some potential and I like the looks of the RD 44's. I may have to get me some of those molds. What are the 44's sized to?

These 50 yard groups are with my late model 444 Marlin with a 1:20 twist barrel and the Fat Flat 444/44 290 grain group buy mold sized to 0.434" with WLR primers, and LBT Blue. Powder charges were Thunderbird 8208 (similar to H322) 46-49 Grains. The bullet is pointing to a three shot 47 grain group after cleaning the barrel. #1 and #3 are the same with a dime added for a reference.

I put 10 firelapping rounds through this before testing then polished the bore with JB for 100 strokes. I've got about 150 rounds through the rifle now and it's breaking in very well, no leading after 60 rounds.

I used a 1.5 - 5 power scope for the range session and tested the 47 grain 8208 load again at Raton on some 200 meter rams... they went down great. WACK!!!

Have Fun,

Boomer :Fire:

[6pt-sika]

You need a few more leverguns 6pt. Wish all I had to do was load and shoot all day.LOL

You have the weekend off .

I gotta work friday , saturday and sunday night this week :???:

But next week the only day I have to work is thursday :drinks:

So that means I'll most likely get in two range trips next week .[smilie=1:

[muffinman]

True I do have the weekend off, just to rub it in my range is about 35 steps from my back door[smilie=1: Now I need to learn to cast boolits and shoot groups like you guys do. Is that the lbt soft your using?

[6pt-sika]

Mikey ,I use Thompson's Blue Angel lube .

I already have my 444 First Version with the square lever ready with the Ranch Dog 285 grain bullet .

I'll most likely let the other two 444's go with the loads I have here . Also have a 356 WIN that does fairly well with the Ranch Dog 180 grainer (its a Marlin 336ER).

I'll either put a scope on the Zane Grey or my circa 1961 336SC and hunt with the Ranch Dog 30 cal 165 bullet as well .

The one that seems to be giving me the most trouble is the 210 grain 375 bullet that I'm shooting in my Marlin 375 . Again another Ranch Dog mould .

I think the 1895CB will be alright with the Ranch Dog 420 and a circa 1978 Marlin 1895 that I have on the way will be just right for the Ranch Dog 350 bullet .

Ranch Dog is also working on a bullet for the 32 Special . I have a circa 1952 336SC in 32 Special . But I think I'm gonna keep my eyes open for a late 50's early 60's 336A in 32 Special . Like I need an excuse to buy another rifle [smilie=1:

[6pt-sika]

True I do have the weekend off, just to rub it in my range is about 35 steps from my back door[smilie=1: Now I need to learn to cast boolits and shoot groups like you guys do. Is that the lbt soft your using?

The range I was at today is about 7 miles away .

However........................................

I also have a range about 30 yards from the backdoor . However I very rarely use it any longer .
My little dog gets scared now when I shoot and goes into seizures sometimes . So for her benefit I go to the gun club most of the time .

But at the club I can shoot to 350 yards . At my backdoor range all I can get is 95 yards .

[6pt-sika]

Here's the range I was at today . The pic was taken saturday before our first lever silhouette match .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/DSCN0147.jpg

[Boomer Mikey]

Nice looking range Craig,

The closest silhouette range for me is 120 miles but they only have 2 matches a year, the next closest is 245 miles and they are closed every summer and then 428 miles for monthly matches (LASC). I can go to at least 2 cowboy matches every weekend within 75 miles.

I just got a very rough barrel from e-gunparts.com in 356 Winchester for one of my 94 top eject Winchesters. I've wanted a 356 for a long time but I haven't seen any available I can afford so I'll re-cut the shank and re-thread it to fit my 1965 1894 top eject 30-30. I'm also thinking about ordering an extra Zane Grey barrel and having it re-bored to 358 with a 1:16 twist for the 35-55 project. What's great about these projects is any of these rifles can be restored to original condition with the original barrel in 30 minutes or less. I guess I should get a takedown model and fit several barrels then make a custom case for the package.....

I purchased 90 sticks of LBT Blue soft last year, that would probably last me the rest of my days and then 357 maximum sent me a huge pile of his special version of Felix lube so I have a 3X lifetime supply now. As soon as one of my lubrisizers runs out I'll start using the good stuff.

This lever gun stuff is way too much fun!

Boomer :Fire:

[Ranch Dog]

Good shooting 6pt, nice looking range!

You might be able to tighten those groups up by switching to a powder that does a better job of filling the case. In both my 1895G and 1895MR (450 Marlin), I've been shooting some really nice groups with BL-C(2), H4895, and Varget. You can use these powders at case densities of 100 to 105% without any pressure concerns. H4895 will offer the highest velocities, within 13% of highest velocities of been able to acheive with a maximum load (max by pressure) of H4198. 1798 FPS vs. 20600 FPS at 69° (F).

Here is a group I shot with my 1895G, the TLC460-350-RF and 47.8-grains of Benchmark (90% load density). This is at 100 yards while doing the pressure trace work for this bullet...
http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/TLC460350RF/Targets/1895GBenchmark478.bmp

Two days ago, I was shooting the pressure trace work with both my 1895MR (450 Marlin) and 1895G with the TLC460-425-RF. I shot at 50-yards because I was shooting in some pretty nasty weather... thunderstorms, wind gusting to 25 mph, etc...

Here is 42.5-grains (95%) of H4895 from the 1895MR...
http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/TLC460425RF/Targets/1895MRH4895425.jpg

And 47.0-grains (105%). These two targets are very typical of what I see with the powders I mentioned.
http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/TLC460425RF/Targets/1895MRH4895470.jpg

This is with my 1895G, same bullet and 47.9 (105%). Dang the flyer. The group at 12 o'clock represents 4 bullet holes and the flyer was my 60th shot of the morning... kind of hard to hang on to these rifles with big bullets and full loads!!!
http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/TLC460425RF/Targets/1895GH4895479.jpg

I wasn't shooting for "groups" here, just collecting the pressure data and there is too much to monitor to worry about good groups. I've added a ruler to the "feed sack" targets as the scale on the rings is not consistant with any measurement. Hey, I feed my free ranging whitetails 54,000 pounds of corn a year and the sacks all have targets on them. Got to recycle where I can!

Based on the information given in your post, your load densities of 5744 are as follows:

TLC432-265-RF & 35.0-grains = 75%
TLC432-300-RF & 32.0-grains = 74%
TLC460-350-RF & 35.0-grains = 68%

This assumes that you are using a cartridge OAL of 2.500". If it is greater, the densities are less.

Thanks again for the report, you cast a nice looking bullet :drinks:

[muffinman]

I hear ya on the little dog. I am pretty fond of mine to.I can shoot 100 yards right here at the house but have to go out in the pasture a ways to get any more distance and it is a pain to get there. The club you go to looks real nice.Do you have to use a heater with that blue angel lube?Say Ranchdog how was accuracy with h322?

[Ranch Dog]

Say Ranchdog how was accuracy with h322?

It was good, again my load work was not for the purpose of recording group size or developing a load but for recording pressures. As I work through a powder with the intent of building a chart, I actually work with increments of about 5% of the case capacity. This is a larger increment than what you would use when trying to settle on a load but it makes for smoother curves on the charts. My pressure trace work with the 1895G and the TLC460-350-RF involved 46 different loads. I use TMT's Precision Records and Ballistics which makes it pretty easy to look up something like your request. Here is the Target Analysis page for my H322 loads.

http://www.ranchdogmolds.com/TLC460350RF/Images/TLC460350RF_H322.jpg

Load:
#10 = 47.3 grains
#11 = 49.7 grains
# 9 = 44.8 grains

[6pt-sika]

.Do you have to use a heater with that blue angel lube?

Yes you need to heat Thompson's Blue Angel .