Finally shot my .38-55 at "long range" today

[Jbar4Ranch]

After figuring out how to install this parts box tang sight on an H&R rifle...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/jbar4ranch/HRsight.jpg
... I finally got outside today to shoot it at 500 yards. After four single shots - Goex CTG, CCI-200, and a Lee 255 grain FNBB sized to .379" - with a trip to the 8' x 8' target butt after each shot, I "fired for effect" with the next three and ended up with a four shot group (the last ranging shot plus the three for effect) measuring 7 3/4" center to center. The next three went into 7" even, then I switched to KIK FF. The first three shot group printed a full four feet higher than the Goex loads, one being off the top of the backing, so I dialed the sight down and put the last three into 11 1/4". The last three were shots 14, 15, and 16 with NO CLEANING right from the start, just a blow tube between shots. All sixteen shots were also shot with new brass, the significance of this being that they had not been fire formed to fit the chamber, and, as such, not indexed in any particular manner either. I do not have a spirit level on this rifle either, and the boolits were not weighed and hand selected before loading.
The two 3 shot groups with Goex and the last 3 shot group with KIK measured 12 1/2" for all nine shots.

I've done virtually NO long range BP shooting, so I don't really know just what to expect, but I'm quite pleased with my results so far, especially considering it's a $300 H&R Handi Rifle.

[Bigjohn]

Novel solution to a vexing problem. My thoughts are thumb placement?

Good results for first outing.

John

[Jbar4Ranch]

Thumb down the right side of the hardwood pillar works well off a bench. Standing up off hand, it can lay across the wrist behind the pillar without ending up up my nose.

[Don McDowell]

Well all in all that's not to bad.
You might want to go to one of the heavier bullets and 3f powder. Goex express is the favorite of the few 38-55 shooters that I know.

[Jbar4Ranch]

A heavier bullet would be better in a breeze, but the 255 grainer is about as good as the accuracy is going to get cuz I don't think I'm capable of shooting any better than seven or eight inch groups at 500 yards anyway. I bought another mould 'bout thirty years ago to cast for a Winchester Big Bore 94, an RCBS 37-250-FN gas check design, and it drops out of the mould about fifteen grains heavier than the Lee. Maybe I'll give it a try.

Goex Express FFF eh? Hmmmm... I'm going to submit an order to powderinc tonight... maybe a few pounds of Express is in order.

[Don McDowell]

Well one thing about it I suppose as long as you keep telling yourself you can't do anybetter, you sure can't dissappoint......

Coming to the Quigley?

[Jbar4Ranch]

My 53 years are working against me, and I also had a very rare condition when I was young known as SJS/TEN (http://www.mediafact.com/sjs/ten.php). Many folks that had it back in those days died and a decade or so prior, it was generally considered to be 100% fatal. Almost all survivors suffered extreme eye damage or completely lost their eyesight to it. I lived, and can still see fairly well to boot, but sub-12" groups at 500 yards without a scope is better than I can see... or so I thought.

[Don McDowell]

I'm older and have a good start on glacoma in the right eye. Don't shoot scopes on my bpcr's either.
Keep up the trigger time and load developement, you can get those groups sizes down.

[Lefty38-55]

My thoughts are thumb placement?
Ideally, per Harry Pope, the thumb should align down the stock on the same side the finger enters the trigger guard. Agreed, that might be a tad 'tight' as pictured ... but a shallow thumb groove could be cut into that sight base.

[leftiye]

Works for me. Looks pretty good too. My hat's off to you guys who can shoot iron sights that well. I'm chicken to even try. Hope my .38-55 H&R shoots that well. I used to make my own trigger guards for my muzzle loaders (straight wrist too) I really liked to put a hook at the rear of the thing to pull the rifle in to the shoulder with. My first ML came that way, and I liked it so well that I made them that way thereafter.

[SharpsShooter]

Jbar

I wish I'd seen this thread before you did your modification. This works out so neatly.

[littlejack]

Jbar:
Thats some very good shootin. Good for you. Glad to hear your rifle is performing like it is supposed to. I had one of the Buffalo Classic in 45-70. I shot over 2000 round through the damn thing. I never could get it to shoot right. I sent it back to H&R 1871.
They sent me a refund and I bought a Uberti HiWall.
Jack

[Buckshot]

..............Some very good shooting Jbar4Ranch. I'd be tickled. Good eyesight is important and as I become older I find that it seems some days I see better then others. Add to that on occassion it seems I will get a nice clear picture but I'd better shoot instead of admire it in amazment, as it isn't going to last very long :-)

Another important element of long range shooting is being able to read the wind, or recognize similar conditions. The worlds absolute best ammo won't eliminate the need to pay attention to which way the wind is blowing! BTW, besides myself, the other BPC 38-55 shooters I know are using 3Fg in their loads.

.............Buckshot

[Jbar4Ranch]

Jbar:
Thats some very good shootin. Good for you. Glad to hear your rifle is performing like it is supposed to. I had one of the Buffalo Classic in 45-70. I shot over 2000 round through the damn thing. I never could get it to shoot right. I sent it back to H&R 1871.
They sent me a refund and I bought a Uberti HiWall.
Jack

I bought two of these Target .38-55's last year when they were discontinued, and both of them had to be sent back due to bent/warped barrels. Remington/H&R advised me that no replacement barrels were available, and no more were to be made, so they straightened one of them and the other was deemed unrepairable. They asked me what other caliber I would like it rebarreled to and I told them if I had wanted some other caliber, I wouldn't have bought it in .38-55 in the first place so they eventually bought it back.

The conditions the day I shot the 7-8" groups were absolutely perfect; cool, dry, and absolutely dead calm. I hope they are repeatable the next perfect day I get.

SharpsShooter - Now that is a very nice installation! But... it lacks character! :lol:

[STCMSW]

You guys just useing BP in the 38-55?