Anyone compete w/ cast boolits?

[d_striker]

I mainly shoot steel challenge with a 9mm Sig or XDm. Last year at a regional SC match, I shot about 300 rounds of my cast loads. It seemed accuracy was still decent after 300 rounds.

I'm thinking this upcoming year, I'm going to run the same gun in two different divisions. This means that I'm going to shoot 500-600 rounds in one session. I'm thinking that accuracy might significantly decline. I don't really want to go shoot 600 cast bullets at the range for the sole purpose of seeing how accuracy is after this many rounds. (I get attached to my cast loads after all the work that goes into them.)

This is my 9mm load with 3.8 grains Bullseye. Last year I used Rooster Jacket for these boolits with just a little bit of leading. I just started lubing with JPW/Alox but haven't had the chance to test them yet. I'm thinking the JPW/Alox will be better for the velocity of the given load but will definitely be dirtier.

So what's the most cast boolits you've shot at the range before accuracy noticeably declined?

[Marlin Hunter]

With light loads through my 45, I have shot 100+ with no lose in accuracy. With max loads, I lost accuracy after about 10 rounds and there was barrel leading.


Can't you clean the barrel in-between rounds or heats? I doubt you shoot 15+ magazines non-stop.

[d_striker]

With light loads through my 45, I have shot 100+ with no lose in accuracy. With max loads, I lost accuracy after about 10 rounds and there was barrel leading.


Can't you clean the barrel in-between rounds or heats? I doubt you shoot 15+ magazines non-stop.


It depends on the size of the squad. If it's 4-6 people per squad, it moves quick. After each shooter, everyone is responsible for policing brass and painting steel. Usually 1-2 people painting steel and 1-2 people picking up brass which leaves one person running a timer/writing times and the shooter to sign his score sheet.

So, there's not really time to go clean the gun at the car.

[MtGun44]

I have shot IPSC with .45 ACP and .38 Super since 1980. NEVER had a problem with
a match due to cast boolits or needed to clean the guns. On something like the Nationals
I would do a light cleaning every night, but that was just out of 'nerves' rather than any
real need.

Bill

[d_striker]

I have shot IPSC with .45 ACP and .38 Super since 1980. NEVER had a problem with
a match due to cast boolits or needed to clean the guns. On something like the Nationals
I would do a light cleaning every night, but that was just out of 'nerves' rather than any
real need.

Bill

What's the most you shot in one day?

[AZ-Stew]

So what's the most cast boolits you've shot at the range before accuracy noticeably declined?

Hundreds and hundreds.

Unless I'm mistaken, the targets for your action pistol game will be fairly large and at relatively close range. You shouldn't have any problems if you have good boolit fit with the bore, the right alloy for the speed/pressure of your loads and a decent lube. I know everyone here gets a kick out of making their own lube, but 50/50 beeswax/alox is perfectly adequate for most shooting, it's inexpensive and available. Cut the variables and use a proven performer. And as someone else said, you should have plenty of time between marches to run a bronze brush through the bore. I'm betting that if you take care of the basics as listed above, you won't need it.

Regards,

Stew

[d_striker]

Hundreds and hundreds.

Unless I'm mistaken, the targets for your action pistol game will be fairly large and at relatively close range. You shouldn't have any problems if you have good boolit fit with the bore, the right alloy for the speed/pressure of your loads and a decent lube. I know everyone here gets a kick out of making their own lube, but 50/50 beeswax/alox is perfectly adequate for most shooting, it's inexpensive and available. Cut the variables and use a proven performer. And as someone else said, you should have plenty of time between marches to run a bronze brush through the bore. I'm betting that if you take care of the basics as listed above, you won't need it.

Regards,

Stew


There are some stages in Steel Challenge that have 10" plates at about 20 yards. Definitely requires some degree of accuracy on the part of the load when speed is on the line. When you're trying to shoot fast, you're not always breaking the shot when the sights are in the middle of the plate.

So let's say that you're shot breaks when your point of aim is 3" from the edge of the plate. Assuming that the trigger pull was perfect, if your load is grouping 5" at 20 yards, that shot has a pretty good chance of missing.

Also, as mentioned in an above post...There is not really time to clean the gun. Your firearm is to remain holstered unless you are shooting. The only place to clean the gun would be back at the car. The parking lot is too far away to do this.

[AZ-Stew]

There are some stages in Steel Challenge that have 10" plates at about 20 yards.

To me, that's a fairly large target at relatively close range. I used to shoot similar matches in the 70s using a double action revolver (.41 Magnum using reduced loads). Take your time quickly. Speed's fine... accuracy's final. (Stole those last two from Bill Jordan's book, "No Second Place Winner", an excellet read. If you don't have a copy, get one and study it. It will help you with your game.) Concentrate on the basics: Sight alignment, Trigger squeeze. If your gun can't hit those targets at that range, even with a lousy load, get a new gun. Oh, yeah... Practice, practice, practice.

Regards,

Stew

[d_striker]

To me, that's a fairly large target at relatively close range. I used to shoot similar matches in the 70s using a double action revolver (.41 Magnum using reduced loads). Take your time quickly. Speed's fine... accuracy's final. (Stole those last two from Bill Jordan's book, "No Second Place Winner", an excellet read. If you don't have a copy, get one and study it. It will help you with your game.) Concentrate on the basics: Sight alignment, Trigger squeeze. If your gun can't hit those targets at that range, even with a lousy load, get a new gun. Oh, yeah... Practice, practice, practice.

Regards,

Stew

For me that's not a large nor small target.

The point of this thread is the question of accuracy being good enough to make this shot after 500-600 rounds of cast loads. The answer is not getting a new gun. My current pistols are plenty accurate enough.

While you're right about practice, practice, practice; this wasn't the point of the thread. My SC strategy is to break the shot when my front sight has a piece of the target. I already stated that my load was fairly good enough to make these shots after 200 rounds.

I am interested in people that have shot 500+ rounds per match with their cast loads. Not tips on strategy.

Thanks for the lead on the Bill Jordan book though. I will try to track it down. Honestly, the only book I have is Brian Enos's book: Practical Shooting.

[Recluse]

I am interested in people that have shot 500+ rounds per match with their cast loads. Not tips on strategy.

I used to shoot between 200 and 400 rounds a day for practice of .38 Special 158 gr RN boolits back during my IPSC wheelgun days. No loss whatsoever of accuracy or reliability other than in instances of my own fault--such as improperly seated primers, occasional squib, etc.

I once shot in a law enforcement round-robin tournament where we shot 1000 rounds in the course of the day. That was one long day and we DID get breaks and time-outs to clean our guns. Lot of dirty guns that day.

Don't know if accuracy suffered due to the cast boolits. I think mine began to suffer from shooter fatigue.

:coffee:

[archmaker]

Why don't you not clean your gun for a few sessions. Nothing to say you have to do all 600 in one shooting.

Instead do 5 sessions of 200 rounds each (just to be sure).

Start off with a clean barrel shoot 10 shoots at a target for accuracy before each time and see if it gets worse.

There are too many factors to say yes you are good to go or no don't try it, like how hot is your load, your alloy, and who knows what else. If I was worried about it I would find out just so I could remove that fear from when I was at a match. Nothing worse to your confidence then getting ready to shoot and thinking to yourself "I wish I knew this was shooting where I am aiming".

[mag44uk]

How about taking a bore snake with you in a back pocket?
Regards,
Tony

[clintsfolly]

i shoot in a informal falling plate shoot for a test of just how dirty my 45 acp 1911 can get and work i stopped cleaning the insides and shot all summer long. At 1500 rds i just had to scrap the lube and powder crud off the breach face at 1750rds i shoot my personal best of a 42/48. at 2000rds i just had to clean and it still had not stopped. all this gun got all summer was 3 lite shot of lube on the rails and the face scraped and the outside wiped off with a oily rag Clint :lovebooli :D

[ANeat]

I shoot a lot of NRA Bullseye and its not uncommon for guys to go 1000 rounds between cleanings.

I do as well and I even Ransom Rested my gun after about 1200 rounds and had no loss in accuracy, normally about 2" at 50yards

I dont get any leading and I would guess that the gun would begin to malfunction before any loss in accuracy

[mpmarty]

We shoot a match (IPSC) every month and have a practice session every Friday night either on the indoor or the outdoor range. Match is usually less than two hundred rounds and practices vary from a hundred or so up to crazy numbers for some nights when there are only a couple of us there. In 2006 I went the whole year without cleaning the bore of my 1911 stock gun on a bet. I didn't count every round shot but would guess the average was more than five hundred rounds a month for twelve months. I'd toothbrush the breech face and lightly oil the outside of the barrel near the muzzle and the hood over the chamber as well as the slide rails then wipe down the outside. At the end of the year is was shooting just as well as it ever did and on cleaning the barrel there was just a small amount of lead on the leading edge of the lands. These loads were 200gr semi wad cutters over enough 700X to make major not the cleanest combo around either.

[Hafast]

My guess is there is a problem with boolet fit to the barrel. Like others have said I shoot Bullseye and have no loss of accuracy after 1200 rounds of 200 grain LSWC. But my boolet's are sized to fit my barrel very well.

[fredj338]

When possible, I only shoot cast lead bullets. In CAS, it's all you are allowed to shoot & I have shot 300-400 at one match w/o cleaning, accuracy was fine.

[AZ-Stew]

D_,

Here's a link to Jordan's book. Scroll down the page a bit and you'll find another one that will help you learn the intricacies of trigger control when shooting rapidly, "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting", by Ed McGivern. Forget the fact that both books are written with revolver shooters in mind, the basic principles apply equally to auto pistols.

http://www.amazon.com/Second-Place-Winner-William-Jordan/dp/0936279095

And as I said, and as has been repeated by others, proper boolit fit, alloy and lube will make it possible to shoot hundreds and hundreds of rounds without barrel leading or accuracy loss.

Regards,

Stew

[Shiloh]

Oh yeah.

In our modified Bullseye matches. Informal pin and falling plate matches all the time.

Shiloh

[richbug]

I USPSA shooting I don't clean the barrel in my Para Ordnance 40, like ever. I oil it every time it come out of the case. The extractor gives trouble if I don't pull and clean it every 2000 or so rounds. I detail strip once a year to clean out unburned powder flakes that end up looking more like grease from soaking up the oil.

[Bob Krack]

Long ago and far away I shot IPSC and cleaned each time I got home.

Never tried to bust aspirin tablets with my .45 but pie plates, human shaped targets, pie plates, or milk jugs at 25 or so yards din't care if'n I cleaned or not.

Many courses were 200 or more rounds with 2-3-4 courses per meet.

I shot 200gr RCBS .45 SWC cast from air cooled wheelweights and junk lead only.

Bob