ktw
07-12-2007, 09:57 PM
I went out and did some blasting today. No bench, no paper targets, no chronograph. Just two 45 colts, some miscellaneous boxes of ammo and an old 18lb propane canister at 175 yards in a gravel pit. I hung the propane canister from a scrap wood tripod in front of a crushed gravel berm where I could see where the missing rounds went.
Single action revolver (FA 97)
All shots fired from sitting position (on the ground, leaning back against truck wheel). Partridge sites.
Loads: 454190/Unique, NEI 454-270-PBK/Unique and Group Buy 454-255-K/HS-6 (45acp brass/cylinder) all moving at something in the range of 900-1000fps.
Lessons learned (handgun):
1) 454190 flys remarkably straighter past 100 yards than either of the Keith designs, at least at the velocities I was pushing them. The Keiths were randomly all over the berm. Only got two hits on the canister with them and one of those was a low shot ricochet. The 454190's all fell into a relatively tight cluster and, after finding a good aiming point, over 40+% were on target and all the misses were withing a couple of inches of the target.
The Keiths do fine at 50-60 yards. There must be some trick to shooting Keiths at longer ranges that I still haven't figured out. In the meantime the 454190 mold is going to get a real workout.
Lever action carbine (Win 94 Trapper)
All shots fired from sitting or off-hand positions, no rest.
Loads: Lee 457-340-F/H110 and Lee C452-300-RF/H110, both at something in the vicinity of 1375-1400 fps.
Lessons learned (Carbine)
2) The trigger on this thing really sucks; relatively crisp but very heavy. This is tolerable at the bench but really shows when shooting off-hand. Need to figure out how to make it lighter.
3) Either load is plenty accurate enough to use on deer out to 150 yards or so without excessive hold-over. almost 90%+ hits from sitting position. 50%+ hits from offhand. Really need to do something about that trigger pull.
4) a 340 grain lead bullet at 1400fps will penetration ONE side of a freely swinging propane tank at 175 yards, but only with a square hit. 300 grain and lighter bullets will dent it but not penetrate.
Propane tank front. Fresh hits are all 454190. Penetrating hits are all Lee 457-340-F
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/ktwna/propane_front1.jpg
Back of Tank
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/ktwna/propane_back.jpg
-ktw
Single action revolver (FA 97)
All shots fired from sitting position (on the ground, leaning back against truck wheel). Partridge sites.
Loads: 454190/Unique, NEI 454-270-PBK/Unique and Group Buy 454-255-K/HS-6 (45acp brass/cylinder) all moving at something in the range of 900-1000fps.
Lessons learned (handgun):
1) 454190 flys remarkably straighter past 100 yards than either of the Keith designs, at least at the velocities I was pushing them. The Keiths were randomly all over the berm. Only got two hits on the canister with them and one of those was a low shot ricochet. The 454190's all fell into a relatively tight cluster and, after finding a good aiming point, over 40+% were on target and all the misses were withing a couple of inches of the target.
The Keiths do fine at 50-60 yards. There must be some trick to shooting Keiths at longer ranges that I still haven't figured out. In the meantime the 454190 mold is going to get a real workout.
Lever action carbine (Win 94 Trapper)
All shots fired from sitting or off-hand positions, no rest.
Loads: Lee 457-340-F/H110 and Lee C452-300-RF/H110, both at something in the vicinity of 1375-1400 fps.
Lessons learned (Carbine)
2) The trigger on this thing really sucks; relatively crisp but very heavy. This is tolerable at the bench but really shows when shooting off-hand. Need to figure out how to make it lighter.
3) Either load is plenty accurate enough to use on deer out to 150 yards or so without excessive hold-over. almost 90%+ hits from sitting position. 50%+ hits from offhand. Really need to do something about that trigger pull.
4) a 340 grain lead bullet at 1400fps will penetration ONE side of a freely swinging propane tank at 175 yards, but only with a square hit. 300 grain and lighter bullets will dent it but not penetrate.
Propane tank front. Fresh hits are all 454190. Penetrating hits are all Lee 457-340-F
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/ktwna/propane_front1.jpg
Back of Tank
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g232/ktwna/propane_back.jpg
-ktw