Char-Gar
03-03-2006, 02:10 PM
A nice morning in deep South Texas found me at the 50 yard bench. I had two guns I had never fired, one new powder and one new application for an old powder.
FIRST up to bat was my cut down Krag. The bullets was the group buy 311407 and the powder charge was 30/H335. Groups were five shot, nice and round and averaged 1.25". When every things works right this rifle will do 1" or 2 MOA. I have never been able to beat that 2 MOA barrier with this rifle.
I was quite happy with these groups for a new bullets from a six hole mold, with no special slection and a SWAG load of a new to me powder. The load has enough snap for deer, but was still a comfortable load to shoot and easy on the 105 year old rifle.
SECOND up was my, new to me, 1959 vintage Winchester 94 in 32 Win. Spl. The bullets was the RCBS 170 GC and the powder was the same 30/H335. Experience has taught me, these saddle carbines are quirky about how they are held on the bench and results were as expected.
3 shot groups of 1.2" were the order of the day and when fivers were fired, the groups opened up to 1.5. This is 2 - 3 MOA for fast shucking of rounds and about what I expect from these rifles. This load is full snort and has plenty of snap and on both ends. I was glad for the recoil pad the previous owner had installed. He also added a good Lyman 66 rear receiver sight.
THIRD us was my 1954 vintage Winchester 70 in 30-06 and wearing a Weaver K-3 scope. I have never found a load that would not shoot well in this rifle. It is all just a degree of good.
The load was 16/2400 and the bullets were some 20 year old 311467U cast from Lino and sized .309. I sized the top two bands to .300.
I fired four five shot groups and they measured .89, .90, .91 and 1.20. The largest group was produced when I elevevated the muzzle and bump the but before each shot to settle the powder next to the primer. The rest of the rounds were fed from the magazine with no thought to powder position.
The bullets were not inspected, or weighed. They were just grabbed at random from a box of aout 1 K that have been ratteling around since 1984. I think I am going to select and weight some and give this rifle a better chance to shine.
FOURTH was my new (to me) Thompson Center Contender is 7mm TCU. This is where my bubble was burst.
I loaded some 154 Hornaday Spire points in some necked up LC-02 cases with 23/H335 for the powder charge.
The first round went BANG and was about two feet high and a foot and a half to the left. I cranked the rear sight down and the next round went BANG and droped about half the needed distance. The third round went "click" and continued to do so after about three strikes. The fourth roung went BANG and it was click..click..click thereafter for about eight more rounds when I quit.
The primary cause is "insufficient smack" on the primer. Now what the secondary cause if I don't know.
1) Could be the cases. I have read somewhere not to use GI cases in these pistols. The primers did go sorta deep. Maybe the primer pockets are a little deepr to allow for the crimp and use in full auto weapons. I really don't know Jack about these 22 Govt. cases.
2) Might be the "go-round gizzie" in the hammer. You know that little thing that rotates to convert from center to rim fire. It seems to just spin around at will. I notice a little hole in the side of the hammer which corresponds with a hole in the gizzie. I wonder if there is supposed to be some kinda little pin to hold this thing steady and in the right spot.
3) Or it might be some kinda spring or who knows what kinda problem. I really am dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to this pistol and this round. I guess I am going to have to get up to speed on these strange new things.
I do know that little round kicks lile a "sum-buck" in that pistol. The recoil slammer my elbow into the bench. Now a fun pistol to shoot. It is going to have to be better behaved with cast bullets at a lower velocity if it is going to find a place in my heart.
So I had three victories and one defeat. But that doesn't bother me. When all goes well at the range that kinda scares me. It means something else is going to hell in a handbasket before my day is done. It is good to get it over with and know what it is.
FIRST up to bat was my cut down Krag. The bullets was the group buy 311407 and the powder charge was 30/H335. Groups were five shot, nice and round and averaged 1.25". When every things works right this rifle will do 1" or 2 MOA. I have never been able to beat that 2 MOA barrier with this rifle.
I was quite happy with these groups for a new bullets from a six hole mold, with no special slection and a SWAG load of a new to me powder. The load has enough snap for deer, but was still a comfortable load to shoot and easy on the 105 year old rifle.
SECOND up was my, new to me, 1959 vintage Winchester 94 in 32 Win. Spl. The bullets was the RCBS 170 GC and the powder was the same 30/H335. Experience has taught me, these saddle carbines are quirky about how they are held on the bench and results were as expected.
3 shot groups of 1.2" were the order of the day and when fivers were fired, the groups opened up to 1.5. This is 2 - 3 MOA for fast shucking of rounds and about what I expect from these rifles. This load is full snort and has plenty of snap and on both ends. I was glad for the recoil pad the previous owner had installed. He also added a good Lyman 66 rear receiver sight.
THIRD us was my 1954 vintage Winchester 70 in 30-06 and wearing a Weaver K-3 scope. I have never found a load that would not shoot well in this rifle. It is all just a degree of good.
The load was 16/2400 and the bullets were some 20 year old 311467U cast from Lino and sized .309. I sized the top two bands to .300.
I fired four five shot groups and they measured .89, .90, .91 and 1.20. The largest group was produced when I elevevated the muzzle and bump the but before each shot to settle the powder next to the primer. The rest of the rounds were fed from the magazine with no thought to powder position.
The bullets were not inspected, or weighed. They were just grabbed at random from a box of aout 1 K that have been ratteling around since 1984. I think I am going to select and weight some and give this rifle a better chance to shine.
FOURTH was my new (to me) Thompson Center Contender is 7mm TCU. This is where my bubble was burst.
I loaded some 154 Hornaday Spire points in some necked up LC-02 cases with 23/H335 for the powder charge.
The first round went BANG and was about two feet high and a foot and a half to the left. I cranked the rear sight down and the next round went BANG and droped about half the needed distance. The third round went "click" and continued to do so after about three strikes. The fourth roung went BANG and it was click..click..click thereafter for about eight more rounds when I quit.
The primary cause is "insufficient smack" on the primer. Now what the secondary cause if I don't know.
1) Could be the cases. I have read somewhere not to use GI cases in these pistols. The primers did go sorta deep. Maybe the primer pockets are a little deepr to allow for the crimp and use in full auto weapons. I really don't know Jack about these 22 Govt. cases.
2) Might be the "go-round gizzie" in the hammer. You know that little thing that rotates to convert from center to rim fire. It seems to just spin around at will. I notice a little hole in the side of the hammer which corresponds with a hole in the gizzie. I wonder if there is supposed to be some kinda little pin to hold this thing steady and in the right spot.
3) Or it might be some kinda spring or who knows what kinda problem. I really am dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to this pistol and this round. I guess I am going to have to get up to speed on these strange new things.
I do know that little round kicks lile a "sum-buck" in that pistol. The recoil slammer my elbow into the bench. Now a fun pistol to shoot. It is going to have to be better behaved with cast bullets at a lower velocity if it is going to find a place in my heart.
So I had three victories and one defeat. But that doesn't bother me. When all goes well at the range that kinda scares me. It means something else is going to hell in a handbasket before my day is done. It is good to get it over with and know what it is.