MattOrgan
09-04-2013, 08:16 PM
I made my first batch of Ben's Red a few months ago. In my early testing I saw better accuracy and bright bores in .308, .30/06, and Ruger BH level .45 Colt loads compared to the same loads with LBT Blue and some 50/50 Alox. I've read the concerns about hot weather and Ben's Red.
I have a mid 70s production Winchester M94 in .30/30 that is a utility rifle. Carried in the truck, on the tractor and ATV year round. It is a 2 1/2 to 3 MOA gun on average with a receiver sight using jacketed and cast.
My load is 15.5 grains of IMR 4759, WLR primer, and a Lyman ( Ideal) 30841 sized to .311,
Lubed with Ben's Red, old style Lyman gas checks. Lubed and sized the bullets weigh 184 grains. Last time I chronographed this the load averaged 1650 fps.
Today it was 90F outside. I put the rifle and an MTM 100 round plastic box in the truck. (all the rounds were placed base down in the box.) By 2pm my smoker thermometer registered 107/108 F. I drove to the gun club and parked in the sun with the ammo and rifle closed in the truck for a couple hours, and shot some other rifles Must've been hotter there, my thermometer registered 112F.
First 3 shot group at 100 was under 2 inches, so far so good. I then fired 60 rounds at clay pigeons on the 100 yard backstop, fairly rapidly with mostly 1st round hits. Not so many on the fragments. Rifle was warm, bore bright, light lube on muzzle. Shot a few at a 1x2 foot rock on the 200 yard backstop, once I figured the hold over I hit it regularly.
Finally test before shooting a group was 20 rounds loaded through the magazine as fast as I could load the magazine and fire. Targets were clay pigeons on the 50 yard back stop. broke them all and the larger pieces. The rifle was very hot. I could not touch the barrel. I sat down and fired a 5 shot group at 100. Group was slightly over 3 inches and was strung vertically. I think the vertical stringing was caused by the very hot rifle. (Or the 20 rounds of .458 I fired earlier, it does induce a flinch.) Bore was bright as I've seen with Ben's Red in other rifles, cleaner than with LBT blue lube. I'd never shot the rifle this fast before fearing leading, so I don't know how it compares to other lubes, but Ben's worked today. It didnt seem to migrate from the bullets to the powder sitting in the heat bullet up. I'm sold on BR for loads over 1000 fps.
I have a mid 70s production Winchester M94 in .30/30 that is a utility rifle. Carried in the truck, on the tractor and ATV year round. It is a 2 1/2 to 3 MOA gun on average with a receiver sight using jacketed and cast.
My load is 15.5 grains of IMR 4759, WLR primer, and a Lyman ( Ideal) 30841 sized to .311,
Lubed with Ben's Red, old style Lyman gas checks. Lubed and sized the bullets weigh 184 grains. Last time I chronographed this the load averaged 1650 fps.
Today it was 90F outside. I put the rifle and an MTM 100 round plastic box in the truck. (all the rounds were placed base down in the box.) By 2pm my smoker thermometer registered 107/108 F. I drove to the gun club and parked in the sun with the ammo and rifle closed in the truck for a couple hours, and shot some other rifles Must've been hotter there, my thermometer registered 112F.
First 3 shot group at 100 was under 2 inches, so far so good. I then fired 60 rounds at clay pigeons on the 100 yard backstop, fairly rapidly with mostly 1st round hits. Not so many on the fragments. Rifle was warm, bore bright, light lube on muzzle. Shot a few at a 1x2 foot rock on the 200 yard backstop, once I figured the hold over I hit it regularly.
Finally test before shooting a group was 20 rounds loaded through the magazine as fast as I could load the magazine and fire. Targets were clay pigeons on the 50 yard back stop. broke them all and the larger pieces. The rifle was very hot. I could not touch the barrel. I sat down and fired a 5 shot group at 100. Group was slightly over 3 inches and was strung vertically. I think the vertical stringing was caused by the very hot rifle. (Or the 20 rounds of .458 I fired earlier, it does induce a flinch.) Bore was bright as I've seen with Ben's Red in other rifles, cleaner than with LBT blue lube. I'd never shot the rifle this fast before fearing leading, so I don't know how it compares to other lubes, but Ben's worked today. It didnt seem to migrate from the bullets to the powder sitting in the heat bullet up. I'm sold on BR for loads over 1000 fps.