More beginner questions

[wiljen]

Well having decided to try conicals in my inline, I have gotten a hold of a mold (thanks Ken) and have started casting a few of the slugs. I have a suitable beeswax/olive oil lube and am going to just hand lube the bullets and let loading remove the excess. I am planning on using loose triple 7 FFg grade and starting at about 60gr and working northward.

Any problems with that plan?

2nd - Should I use a wax wad, a felt wad, or no wad between the powder and the bullet base when loading this combination?

(I've always shot pellets and sabots so haven't had to use wads and not sure what I need in this case.)

[Rattus58]

I think starting at 60 grains is a useful place to start. Go up in 5 grain increments. Do all this at 15 to 25 yards till you get your most accurate group. Then start moving downrange. Don't stop just because you get an accurate group at 70 grains, opens up at 75... you might find that it get's accurate again at 85 or 90, something you can use as a hunting load.

If say 75 becomes your most accurate load, use that load also for hunting. You don't need 150 grains to kill something with a heavy conical. If you're using a medium weight conical, 320 to 400 or 420, as a rule of no reason, I'd keep my shots to roughly the same yardage as the grains of powder you're using. Heavy conicals aren't affected this way and will happily do the job as far out as you can place your shots.

Aloha... :cool:

[Blammer]

I'd use no wad between powder and bullet.

I'd use as few components and procedures as needed when you start.

Be conistent, use the same pressure to seat every bullet on the powder, it matters.

Get more complicated later on.

For target work and consisitency, I'd run one wet patch then one dry patch between each shot. It will help in keeping the barrel consistent, in the fouling.

In my opinion, 60gr is a little low to start, personally I'd start at 70. Why? because I've found that most of my accuracy loads are around 80 gr's of powder, and that way I don't have to deal with extra fouling by the time I get to my 80 gr load.

[Underclocked]

You might cut a few cardboard wads just to see if a wad will help. I think they do help with the hotter powders.

Only flaw in your plan that I see is letting the lube be sheared by insertion. You will wind up with variable amounts of lube on the crown and in your bore. At least take a rag to wipe the excess from around the crown.

[Rattus58]

I concur wit me Uncle Rich.... I'd try the wad and I'd even suggest cutting bullet sized hole in a planters peanut cover to wipe lube off with if you want to try something different (heard about this haven't tried it myself yet... but am going to... sounds reasonable).

Aloha.. :cool: