1 part hair of cat (still attached to cat), 4 parts eye of newt, 2 toenails from a weasel... Naw... but -
I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!!!
OK... So last week I reported on the dismal performance of the loads using the LEE 255-RFPB. Eight inch patterns out of a rifle (Marlin 1894) at 25yds. Unbelievable. This was repeated multiple times with different powders but the same basic result.
Much good input from folks on this board will have me doing more measuring and experiments shortly to try and improve things further in the future particularly in the area of revolver throats, but... In the short term - I thought I'd load up some 300gr. Saeco-SWC-GC bullets as well as try some 315gr. PB's which are the only other two bullet designs I have on hand for .45 cal to see if the problem was bullet related (my original suspicion). As a control - I also loaded up some of the LEE 255-RNFP-PB's, ACWW, unsized & tumble lubed in the Johnson's wax from the same batch as last time behind the same 8.5 gr charge of SR-7625. I wanted to also check on some changes in bench technique to see if I'd been a victim of bad gun handling.
Out to the range with the Marlin - again at 25yds.
1st off - Decided to run a few of the LEE's for baseline. This time - very tight hold on the rifle - nestled hard into sandbag. Results - slightly better than last time out with a pattern about 4 1/2" vertical by 2" horizontal. Yuck. Bench technique doesn't appear to be the root cause.
Next up - tried the Saeco 300 gr. bullet. These were sized .452, ACWW, Saeco green lube, same powder charge of SR-7625. I knew this would be a higher pressure load but still well within the pressure limits of the Marlin action. Proceeded to shoot a group that went 1 1/2" basically round. No great shakes here but much better than the previous pattern for sure.
Went next to try the 315gr. PBs and found they would not function through the action - something I'd failed to check before heading out. The nose is too bluff for the nose length and was engaging the rifling in the Marlin before the action was closed. It also caused the action to get tied up with "the Marlin jam" I suspect that with the ultra-bluff profile of the bullet and it's too long length held the cartridge stop back and allowed the following round back into the action tying it up. Anyhow - got that cleared and went back to testing.
Decided to run another string of the LEE bullets down range - mainly thinking it would be easier to pull the trigger to empty the brass than to pull them down at home. Five shots down range & I nearly fell off the stool. These 5 clustered tightly into an inch! What the....?
Back to the Saeco bullet - 5 shots - again a duplicate performance of the last string with this bullet - 1 1/2".
Back to the LEE - 5 more shots - 1" again.
A final group with the LEE bullet behind a charge of 8.4grs HERCO piled into 3/4".
Now these groups are only at 25yds. so no big deal. That's what I'd expected to begin with. The puzzlement is what changed? Within a few shots - the same load goes from patterns to clovers. ????
Another observation - the sooting that had been pretty bad with the SR-7625 load from the previous week is now not bad at all. (The Herco load was still a mess.)
So I am now more confused than ever. I'm usually happy to get good performance but not this - this is enough to drive me nuts. I like to be able to account for changes so I can repeat results in the future. This one has me stumped. The rifle is relatively new - these rounds, last week and this, accounted for rounds 51-100 through the gun. Could it be that the barrel is just seasoning? Something else? When I got home & cleaned, the bore was not lead free. Not terrible by any means, but there was a bit of lead coming out on the patch. Seemed mostly concentrated at the chamber end where the patch felt rough going over that area until I got the lead out.
I have dismissed this as being a bullet design problem for the LEE bullet and I think my bench technique was sufficiently consistant (I used the same technique throughout the shooting session on tis outing). I have no idea as to what changed to settle the gun/load combination down but I'd sure like to know.
Ideas?
Thanks-
"a very confused" Sky C.