45/70 testing time

Running out of time, but just needed to get er done anyway.

So, yesteday, had the alarm set so I could get to a friend's range in time to have the bench, bags, Chrony and targets set up in time to begin putting rounds down range by 6:00am. The friends are out of bed and having coffee by then.

My first in-depth 45/70 testing - 2010 - was with a 350gr LBT/WFN or LFN boolit that try though I might, I could just never get to give the consistancy or groups I desired.

That brought me, after more research to a Babore 465gr WFN mold and a lot more testing.

With the lighter boolit, I tested loads as fast as 2500fps, finally settling on the best of the lot at about 2300fps. As said just never got the results I desired.

I again tested a number of powders with the 465gr. with velocities mostly in the mid to high 1000 - 2000fps range.

Bruce's powder recommendation had been 47.5 gr (as I recall) of H355.

What do you know, not only did he make great molds - sorry he is no longer producing those molds - but he knew what he was talking about with powder and load.

I was also using a sample of his green lube.

Well on to the new tests ------- I wanted to test the proven boolit with some different lubes and retry some of the other powders.

So yesterday, it was H322, RL #7 and IMR4198 and White Label "BAC" lube.

No winners! HOWEVER, the powders may not have shown positive results, but that BAC lube left the barrel clean as I've ever seen it.

Other lubes always seemed to leave a touch of fouling in the last 1 or 2" of the barrel, but with the BAC the Barrel is left clean and bright end to end.

I thought that possibly I was over driving the lighter boolits, as the good results with the 465 were in the 1600 - 1700 fps range.

Thinking this might be the sweet spot for my rifle, Yesterdays tests were again in the 1600 - 1800fps range.

So, if the weather holds and the testing resumes in the morning (Friday) I will give the proven boolit a test with BAC and the proven load of H355 - 47.5gr. and see if there is a change between it and Bruce's green lube.

With a very early anterless elk season opening in just 6 days, Here's hoping I repeat last years events when I took what was apparently the first 2011 game animal taken in Ideeeeho, putting my huge cow on the ground at 7:10am, Aug 1.

An up date will follow if the up-coming tests provide any useful info.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

Crusty Ol' Coot,
Way to go. KBO! Wow you guys get an early season. Any bugs out this time of year ? Around Maryland you couldn't stay in the woods for the ticks, no-see-ums, and flies.

Crusty
been using bac for quite some time now really like it
after all its two of my favorites carnuba red/nra

White Eagle,

After the results of this morning's test, will for sure try more of the BAC.

Excess650,

The fouling in the last part of the barrel was also happening with the 1600 - 1700fps loads. So, think it was more of a lube factor then a velocity factor.

The 350gr boolit in the 2000+range didn't seem any worse then the slower loads.

With the BAC lube, the test loads were also in that range and some maybe a bit closer to the 1800fps.

For sure will give a bit more of a go to the BAC,

725,

This season is called by some, a farmers season, as it is mostly due to the farmers pressure that this season even happens. It is outside the national forest boundry, and within one mile of a cultivated field.

The friends where I was shooting this morning live VERY close to where I hunted and plan to hunt this year.

They have a green house operation, and a BIG cooler used to keep the trees they grow in the sleeping state for storage during the winter until they are shipped for planting the following Spring.

Being an Ol'Coot, there is simply NO WAY I could take care of an elk sized critter during Aug./September heat without help and QUICK!!!!! It would be a chore during cool weather and impossible during hot temps.

So, spoke with Doug this morning and will follow the same plan as last year, when he is available, I can hunt. If he is away from the place or otherwise busy, I can't hunt. As His help and their big cooler make it possible for me to be out hunting in this ugly heat. I'm not a hot weather person to begin with!

Last years elk was taken as I was finishing the loop hunt, (7:10am) planned for the day. So, it is early mornings when Help is available.

Results from this morning point me back to last years load with the 45/70.

Confirmed a varmit load worked up for my old Flat Bolt RUGER 77 - .243 w/ 55gr Nosler Balistic tip. Went 5 for 5 out of Doug's ground critter patch as I headed home. My oh my does that "J" boolit make a mess of those critters. :grin:DRT!!:grin:

Also confirmed the sight in of my RUGER 300win Hawkeye in case I get in an area a bit out of range for the 45/70.

Ready to go, bring on the critters!

Did see a lot of deer this morning. Not sure what brought them out, but lots of critters.

CDOC