First sight-in session did not go well.

[Idaho45guy]

Finally got the rifle dialed in at 55 yards after some sight issues, then moved to 100 yards, got it adjusted, but the thing just hated the loads I made. Wouldn't group at all.

So, back to the drawing board. Dad gave me some moulds for heavier boolits to try, and some Swiss FFG.

Did a video of the attempt...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUHocoW5oWg

[Don McDowell]

Your fouling control needs a good bit of improvement. Also in the video it looks like you're having to do an awful lot of movement to get the sights aligned with the target , might want to adjust your sticks and shooting position so that the amount of movement is minimal. Also shooting from that dark building into that bright light isn't helping a thing.

[dverna]

You mentioned you have competed with the rifle and won some matches with it. Why not start with loads that worked when you were competing?

There seems to be a lot of movement after the shot...could be partially due to recoil from a poor shooting position (like mentioned in a previous post) or coming out of shot too soon (lack of follow through), or a slight flinch or a bit of all three.

Going back to known good loads would be a wise decision. That would establish if there is an issue with the gun/sights. I doubt trying different bullets is going to shrink 10" groups enough to make a difference.

[Idaho45guy]

Your fouling control needs a good bit of improvement. Also in the video it looks like you're having to do an awful lot of movement to get the sights aligned with the target , might want to adjust your sticks and shooting position so that the amount of movement is minimal. Also shooting from that dark building into that bright light isn't helping a thing.

Yeah, the targets were washed out in the sunlight, so it was tough to get a consistent sight picture.

What suggestions do you have for fouling control? I had forgot my blow tube, so just ran a patch between shots. Patches were soaked in 50/50 antifreeze with some Dawn dish soap.

[Don McDowell]

Depending on the temperature and humidity, 2 maybe 3 damp patches on a nylon brush followed by a dry patch before the next round. Maybe more depending on how hot and dry it is.
Blowtubing depends a lot on temp and humidity and the quality of lube combined with how well hydrated you are so that you're bringing plenty of moisture up from deep in the lungs.
That's why wiping with bore pigs of some sort have become so popular in the last 5-6 years, it's more consistent and faster.
Probably better give the barrel a good scrubbing before the next session to make sure you don't have a bunch of lead buried in there someplace.

[Idaho45guy]

Depending on the temperature and humidity, 2 maybe 3 damp patches on a nylon brush followed by a dry patch before the next round. Maybe more depending on how hot and dry it is.
Blowtubing depends a lot on temp and humidity and the quality of lube combined with how well hydrated you are so that you're bringing plenty of moisture up from deep in the lungs.
That's why wiping with bore pigs of some sort have become so popular in the last 5-6 years, it's more consistent and faster.
Probably better give the barrel a good scrubbing before the next session to make sure you don't have a bunch of lead buried in there someplace.

Scrubbed the barrel and it is good to go. I've noticed that my patches are filthy even after three passes. Dad said to only do one pass, but acknowledged that Goex is much filthier than Swiss.

My prior loads were with 520 grain boolits, but dad couldn't find the mold. Used 65 grains of Swiss FFG.

He gave me a mold that he said was the "money" mold in 560 grain from Buffalo Arms, but the mold inside the box doesn't match the sample boolit. I didn't want to tell him that he got his molds all mixed since he is getting angry about his loss of faculties.

So I will just try a couple different designs and see if the rifle likes them.

[Idaho45guy]

Depending on the temperature and humidity, 2 maybe 3 damp patches on a nylon brush followed by a dry patch before the next round. Maybe more depending on how hot and dry it is.
Blowtubing depends a lot on temp and humidity and the quality of lube combined with how well hydrated you are so that you're bringing plenty of moisture up from deep in the lungs.
That's why wiping with bore pigs of some sort have become so popular in the last 5-6 years, it's more consistent and faster.
Probably better give the barrel a good scrubbing before the next session to make sure you don't have a bunch of lead buried in there someplace.

Scrubbed the barrel and it is good to go. I've noticed that my patches are filthy even after three passes. Dad said to only do one pass, but acknowledged that Goex is much filthier than Swiss.

My prior loads were with 520 grain boolits, but dad couldn't find the mold. Used 65 grains of Swiss FFG.

He gave me a mold that he said was the "money" mold in 560 grain from Buffalo Arms, but the mold inside the box doesn't match the sample boolit. I didn't want to tell him that he got his molds all mixed since he is getting angry about his loss of faculties.

So I will just try a couple different designs and see if the rifle likes them.

Will do the next range session at my gravel pit range where there will be less stress and better light.

Thanks for the tips!

[Gunlaker]

You can actually see on your paper targets that the bore has a lot of fouling in it. When the bore is in good shape, on white paper, the bullet should leave just a little grey lead around the bullet hole. If the bullet is shooting through a barrel with lots of fouling in it, you'll get black around the hole like in your video. Now that may or may not be a bad thing as when blow tuning that'll happen.

I'd wipe 2 or 3 between shots. I personally don't use a dry patch afterward but some people do. A Tipton brush works the best. The 3rd patch ought to be pretty clean if you are using a good nylon brush and a minimum of 2" square patches.

I've never had particularly good luck with plain Goex in the .45-70. When I started shooting these rifles Goex was all that was available to me so I used a very shallow seated Brooks Creedmoor and 74gr of Goex Fg. With plain Goex it seemed the more powder I could get into the case the better. With Goex Old Eynsford 1.5, the best results seem to be around 68gr most of the time.

Are you using a soft alloy? Somewhere between 16:1 and 20:1 with the bullet at groove diameter?

Chris.

[Idaho45guy]

You can actually see on your paper targets that the bore has a lot of fouling in it. When the bore is in good shape, on white paper, the bullet should leave just a little grey lead around the bullet hole. If the bullet is shooting through a barrel with lots of fouling in it, you'll get black around the hole like in your video. Now that may or may not be a bad thing as when blow tuning that'll happen.

I'd wipe 2 or 3 between shots. I personally don't use a dry patch afterward but some people do. A Tipton brush works the best. The 3rd patch ought to be pretty clean if you are using a good nylon brush and a minimum of 2" square patches.

I've never had particularly good luck with plain Goex in the .45-70. When I started shooting these rifles Goex was all that was available to me so I used a very shallow seated Brooks Creedmoor and 74gr of Goex Fg. With plain Goex it seemed the more powder I could get into the case the better. With Goex Old Eynsford 1.5, the best results seem to be around 68gr most of the time.

Are you using a soft alloy? Somewhere between 16:1 and 20:1 with the bullet at groove diameter?

Chris.
Great info, thanks! Alloy is 20:1 and boolits we're cast and lubed by my dad, who was until recently, a subcontractor bullet caster for Buffalo Arms.

[Gunlaker]

I imagine you have some pretty good quality bullets then :-)

Chris.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

Without a proper fouling control method, you will never be able to properly evaluate any load.

1 dry patch isn’t going to ever cut the mustard. Fouling has to be wet and soft, that’s were your leading issue is.

If you have excess fouling it’s the Goex you don’t have enough powder and not enough compression. And you never mentioned the load.

A 560 grain bullet is pretty heavy and long for a 1-18 Twist barrel. When I ran a 45-70 525 grs was a plenty.

Damp patches with a jag on the rod or a nylon brush will do a much better job of fouling control.

Everyone successfully using Swiss in a 45-70 runs 1.5 powder, in that I mean winning.

You are shooting at angle also, a lot of bind on the cross sticks on the right side of your barrel. Need to shoot square to the target. Position has a lot to do with your left bullet strikes, I bet, and or not keeping an eye on the wind.

Shooting at that angle in the dark has quite an effect on sight picture too.

Your video shows that you obviously don’t have a clue to fouling control. Until you get a handle on that, you wouldn’t have much luck at 700 yards.

I shoot 800-900-1000 yards a good bit, if your fouling control isn’t consistent you will have tons of vertical. Has nothing to do with the load, but the nut behind the butt not doing his job on fouling control.

Group shown was fired in competition at Pedersoli’s 5@200 match in 2008, 1.336 inches at 200 yards. That’s a PP load btw, and it won.

Kenny