Boz330
04-02-2009, 09:50 AM
It was just too pretty and warm yesterday to sit in my office and do paperwork, so I slipped out at 4:30 and headed home.
I got 3 of my milsurps out that I've had loads wrorked up for since January. The 2-303s would keyhole boolits at 50 yds with the 314299, so I got a CBE 316235 thinking that they both had eroded throats from Cordite use. Well the SMLE shot a 15 shot group that was 2.5" wide by about 4 tall with numerous rounds touching. The sun was behind me and setting so I think this probably had something to do with the vertical dispersion. I had the bench set at 80yrds, just happen to be where it ended up.
The Martini's group wasn't quite as good as the SMLE's but considering the age and shape of the barrel, I still have high hopes for it. And of course the sights suck canal water for old eyes, and I have a fix for that, that won't alter the gun permanently. Big improvement over the last time I shot it, couldn't even keep the rounds on a 4X4 ft target board at 50yds.
Now the Carcano. Razor was kind enough to send me some of the 6.5 Cruise Missiles to try in this thing and the group wasn't fantastic, but it was a group. The boolits were yawing a little when they went through the target, but the load was 8gr of Unique, the lightest load listed. I also had trouble setting off the primers, several took 2 strikes to light them. The shell holder that I set the primers with was a loose fit and I don't think that they were up against the bottom of the pocket. I think more speed will stabilize the boolit a little better. This thing is very pleasant to shoot though.
The only fly in the ointment was that the 303 loads were loaded in January and I had intended on shooting them as soon as I finished loading them but rain screwed that up. I didn't put a slip in the box with the load. [smilie=b:
I saved a couple rounds to pull though. The powder was 4759 which seems to be my go to powder for cast.
All in all a pretty nice finish to the day.
Bob
I got 3 of my milsurps out that I've had loads wrorked up for since January. The 2-303s would keyhole boolits at 50 yds with the 314299, so I got a CBE 316235 thinking that they both had eroded throats from Cordite use. Well the SMLE shot a 15 shot group that was 2.5" wide by about 4 tall with numerous rounds touching. The sun was behind me and setting so I think this probably had something to do with the vertical dispersion. I had the bench set at 80yrds, just happen to be where it ended up.
The Martini's group wasn't quite as good as the SMLE's but considering the age and shape of the barrel, I still have high hopes for it. And of course the sights suck canal water for old eyes, and I have a fix for that, that won't alter the gun permanently. Big improvement over the last time I shot it, couldn't even keep the rounds on a 4X4 ft target board at 50yds.
Now the Carcano. Razor was kind enough to send me some of the 6.5 Cruise Missiles to try in this thing and the group wasn't fantastic, but it was a group. The boolits were yawing a little when they went through the target, but the load was 8gr of Unique, the lightest load listed. I also had trouble setting off the primers, several took 2 strikes to light them. The shell holder that I set the primers with was a loose fit and I don't think that they were up against the bottom of the pocket. I think more speed will stabilize the boolit a little better. This thing is very pleasant to shoot though.
The only fly in the ointment was that the 303 loads were loaded in January and I had intended on shooting them as soon as I finished loading them but rain screwed that up. I didn't put a slip in the box with the load. [smilie=b:
I saved a couple rounds to pull though. The powder was 4759 which seems to be my go to powder for cast.
All in all a pretty nice finish to the day.
Bob