frontiergander
Member
I did this test a little while back when the weather was still warm
Ok, went back out again, exact same load but I used the larger 4 1/2" red bullseye to aim at. Without a doubt this is a guaranteed accurate load! First shot I swabbed the bore completely clean, and as it shows, its aprox 1 1/2" higher then the follow 2 shots on a dirty bore. I can handle that during hunting season!
This 3 shot - 100 yard group measures 1 3/4" There is no possible way I could hope to shrink this down! ( I think? ) I'm using a german silver front sight and a traditional lyman great plains rifle rear sight. Pretty "primitive" but I see them super clear and have had no trouble in the past with them. If anything, I will have to drift the rear sight over a touch to the left to bring the group more towards the center.
I used the Traditions St.Louis Hawken .50cal 28" barrel with 1:48 twist and 80gr Alliant Black MZ with the home cast 395gr Lyman Plains bullet. Outstanding bullet! What's crazy... Its shooting same POI as my patched round ball load! Perhaps using a better performing powder like Pyrodex Or Goex would help shrink my groups a wee bit?
The 395gr Lyman Plains Bullet has a BC of .160 according to Lyman. I run the lead a little harder at 7.5 BHN as it performs amazing in these shallow groove barrels and on big game, it puts the hammer down on them with excellent expansion.
Target was shot from 100 yards. 1 3/4"! I think had I taken one more shot, it would have grouped with the 2 lower, fouled bore shots and been well under an inch... But you know what that means right? More testing!
Ok, went back out again, exact same load but I used the larger 4 1/2" red bullseye to aim at. Without a doubt this is a guaranteed accurate load! First shot I swabbed the bore completely clean, and as it shows, its aprox 1 1/2" higher then the follow 2 shots on a dirty bore. I can handle that during hunting season!
This 3 shot - 100 yard group measures 1 3/4" There is no possible way I could hope to shrink this down! ( I think? ) I'm using a german silver front sight and a traditional lyman great plains rifle rear sight. Pretty "primitive" but I see them super clear and have had no trouble in the past with them. If anything, I will have to drift the rear sight over a touch to the left to bring the group more towards the center.
I used the Traditions St.Louis Hawken .50cal 28" barrel with 1:48 twist and 80gr Alliant Black MZ with the home cast 395gr Lyman Plains bullet. Outstanding bullet! What's crazy... Its shooting same POI as my patched round ball load! Perhaps using a better performing powder like Pyrodex Or Goex would help shrink my groups a wee bit?
The 395gr Lyman Plains Bullet has a BC of .160 according to Lyman. I run the lead a little harder at 7.5 BHN as it performs amazing in these shallow groove barrels and on big game, it puts the hammer down on them with excellent expansion.
Target was shot from 100 yards. 1 3/4"! I think had I taken one more shot, it would have grouped with the 2 lower, fouled bore shots and been well under an inch... But you know what that means right? More testing!
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