What Did You Shoot Today?
- Thread starter 462
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Shot BO and 30/30, checking zero on scopes. CVA was off, now good with 110 vmax load. I'd changed from scope to old reflex RD on the BO pistol, got it sighted, vmax load. Found 6.5 gr red dot under a 145gr PB ejected but no lock back. Forgot the 7 gr loads. Maybe? Practice 40sw for ~ 50 rnds. Too much fun, about wore out knee! Nap time.
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Ian
Notorious member
Rob, I use a lot of Lee long and short universal expanding or universal charging die bodies for making neck expanders. Off the top of my head (CRS creeping in here too, beware!) the top threads are 5/8x24NF, but I don't use grade 8 bolts as they don't take a fine polish or become glass-hard when quenched like drill rod does. Love me some drill rod. Another trick is make plugs like these which just replace the normal plug in a Lee universal expanding die. If someone wants one, ask them to buy the die and you can make the expander to fit. The expander is 9/16" OD but the threaded hole is about .468" so I turn down 5/8" rod for a better fit, although under pressure it squares up on the threaded top plug anyway. Make sure you part it cleanly and don't re-face it so it's perfectly square to the spud end.
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462
California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
This morning it was the S&W 6 1/2" 624 and Lyman's 429421.
The gun's accuracy load consists of 13.5-grains of 2400 and Lyman's 429421.
The oft mentioned 7.5-gains of Unique is not nearly as accurate, though seemingly just as potent recoil wise.
Hodgdon's on-line data list SR 7625 as a .44 Special powder, though with a 240-grain bullet, whereas my 429421s weigh 259-grains
to 260-grains. Data says a minimum of 6.0-grains and a maximum of 6.5-grains. Loaded 6.0-grains and 6.5-grains, and the later load was accurate enough to become the gun's plinking load.
Accuracy load. Off-hand, 10-yards, 15 out of 25 within or touching the 9-ring of a 3 3/4" bull. Inattention to trigger control resulted in that 4:30 hole.
Man, on, man, what young eyes and a young steady hand could do!
The gun's accuracy load consists of 13.5-grains of 2400 and Lyman's 429421.
The oft mentioned 7.5-gains of Unique is not nearly as accurate, though seemingly just as potent recoil wise.
Hodgdon's on-line data list SR 7625 as a .44 Special powder, though with a 240-grain bullet, whereas my 429421s weigh 259-grains
to 260-grains. Data says a minimum of 6.0-grains and a maximum of 6.5-grains. Loaded 6.0-grains and 6.5-grains, and the later load was accurate enough to become the gun's plinking load.
Accuracy load. Off-hand, 10-yards, 15 out of 25 within or touching the 9-ring of a 3 3/4" bull. Inattention to trigger control resulted in that 4:30 hole.
Man, on, man, what young eyes and a young steady hand could do!
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
6.2 grains of Sporting Rifle 7625 is the most accurate load I have found for the 429421 in my rechambered Colt New Service.
462
California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
I was going to test 6.2-grains, but went with just the two extremes instead, but I will be loading it and 6.5-grains soon.
I don't know what the pressure is with a 259-grain or 260-grain bullet, but Hodgdon rates a 240-grain bullet with 6.5-grains of SR 7625 at 13,400 CUP, and it's a pleasant shooting one. I have over 1 1/2 pounds of the powder, and now that I've found its usefulness and accuracy, with less than half the amount of 2400, I'll be shooting it a lot more.
Loads above 13.5-grains of 2400 take the fun out of .44 Special shooting and I'm long past Mr. Keith's 17.0-grains.
BBerguson
Official Pennsyltuckian
Was shooting my Rem 788 in 222 with cast loads today. 4 different “loads”. All loads are with the same powder coated Lee 55gr wheel weight cast bullets.
Bullseye - 4gr - I’ve shot this before and remember it being ok for accuracy. Today I was getting a some keyholes and the groups, as you may imagine, were really poor.
IMR 4227 - 10gr Alum gas checks New brass - avg .91”
IMR 4227 - 10gr copper gas checks - avg 1.96”
IMR 4227 - 10gr copper gas checks and poly fill - avg 1.27”
Looks like I’m going to have to load some more new(er) brass using poly fill.
Targets are in the basement and I’m too lazy to get them as I’m typing. Somewhat demoralized too by the lack of accuracy from these bullets and the difficulty in casting, powder coating and installing gas checks. The fun factor is way low with this one…
edit: measured the groups.
Bullseye - 4gr - I’ve shot this before and remember it being ok for accuracy. Today I was getting a some keyholes and the groups, as you may imagine, were really poor.
IMR 4227 - 10gr Alum gas checks New brass - avg .91”
IMR 4227 - 10gr copper gas checks - avg 1.96”
IMR 4227 - 10gr copper gas checks and poly fill - avg 1.27”
Looks like I’m going to have to load some more new(er) brass using poly fill.
Targets are in the basement and I’m too lazy to get them as I’m typing. Somewhat demoralized too by the lack of accuracy from these bullets and the difficulty in casting, powder coating and installing gas checks. The fun factor is way low with this one…
edit: measured the groups.
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Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
I have made that style for the Lee dies. I know I have one and maybe even two like that in the drawer with the other dies.
Today was the .22 silhouette match at Wilton. They ran a chicken shoot (offhand at paper targets set at 25yds. One shot per shooter per target. Closest to center wins) concurrent with the silhouette match. Needless to say, the indoor firing line was packed. We ended up shooting 3 to a bench. Berms were dark, wet sand so we painted the animals white for the iron sight shooter. Half way thru the match, the sun appeared, dried out the berms and the white targets all but disappeared. Scoped shooters shot the 3 MOA rounds which were black. When I shot the 50 yd relay, there was a big divot in the berm, plus a shadow from the sun right behind and slightly left of the actual target. If you did not concentrate hard, it was easy to center on the big circle created by the shadow. And having hits, which are silver on the left side of that tiny target made you think that was the center of the imaginary target created by the shadow. I love it when the conditions throw these curve balls at you.
This was the first match since swapping the rear mounts to the standard Unertl mount like my other scopes. No more backwards numbers. Only issue was at the beginning of the match. We started at 150 yds. My first shot did not hit anything, including the berm. Shot another, same thing. So, it was not frozen sand. Aimed at the bottom of the berm and still nothing. Hmmm... I wonder if I read the setting wrong when I got settings on Wed. Cranked the turret one full turn and drilled the target in the center. God I love these scopes.
We talked about M-dies last Wed and today my buddy Paul tells me there is a bag in the back of my SUV. I look and it is a bag of dies to be used to make M-dies for those that need them. I should be good for a while.
Another great day at Wilton. I probably should take some pics so you guys can see how good we have it. I'm telling you, off all the clubs I've belonged to and shot at, this one is the best. They don't have the most, but the attitude and comfort for year-round shooting is hard to beat.
UPDATE: So, I hit the button to submit the post above and my computer starts reading Ian's post to me. I thought somebody had called me on my cell and somehow it had connected to my computer. It started out by saying my name. I did not even know that I had a feature on my computer that would read the screen to me. I guess I don't even have to read anymore.
I wonder if my eyes will get fat??
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Ian
Notorious member
Took out an old wall-hanger flintlock .45 today for a shakedown after doing some work to make it at least shootable. Everything worked, nothing broke, worked up a good load, adjusted the sights, happy day.
First two shots benched at 50 yards after a few closeup shots into the berm to see if it was going to blow up or not and about how much powder it liked. Tried 40, 45, and finally 50 grains which my shoulder and cheek said was enough for fun.
Same target after ruining the first two with a third and then filing the front sight and drifting the rear a little.
First two shots benched at 50 yards after a few closeup shots into the berm to see if it was going to blow up or not and about how much powder it liked. Tried 40, 45, and finally 50 grains which my shoulder and cheek said was enough for fun.
Same target after ruining the first two with a third and then filing the front sight and drifting the rear a little.
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Ian
Notorious member
Funny you should say that. I used the first one three times since I could find it right there at the berm, just turned it dirtiest side to the ball, spit on it, and hammered it back in the muzzle.
My Modified Emmert's patch lube smelled like a wet Italian kitchen towel that had been stored in an open bag of bag of potato chips for about ten years, so I grabbed a jar of my homemade lip balm and used that for patch lube at the shooting bench. 20-some shots and never ran a patch.
My Modified Emmert's patch lube smelled like a wet Italian kitchen towel that had been stored in an open bag of bag of potato chips for about ten years, so I grabbed a jar of my homemade lip balm and used that for patch lube at the shooting bench. 20-some shots and never ran a patch.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
But not as spit patches.
Wait, I just read Ian's reply. Of course I was thinking how I used ta pop a patch in my mouth and let it soak whilst I was pouring the charge.
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Snakeoil
Well-Known Member
Vermont match at Wilton today. Centerfire, round gongs at 100, 150, 200 and 300 with 2 shots offhand at a meerkat at 400. On my way to the club the SUV was changing lanes by itself. My first thoughts were, "Gonna be a challenge today." Boy was I right. Calling the conditions was a struggle. You'd barely get the words out and the wind would have changed. Then we had the common issue of lying flags. Flags says wind is blowing 9 to 3 and damn if the bullet does not get blown off the target at 9. What the??????
But that's what make it fun. My buddy Craig shot his 44-1/2 CPA in .25-20SS with a cast spitzer bullet. Boy that little rifle shoots amazingly good. He had a group at 300 yds that would make anyone proud to shoot on a calm day. Although he admitted he never aimed at the same spot twice in a row.
We had a double charge or suspected double charge on the firing line. It was also in a .44-1/2 CPA in .32-40. I know what his load was and if it was truly a full double charge, the chamber pressure was just short of 70,000 psi. Could have gotten messy had it been in a weaker action.
But that's what make it fun. My buddy Craig shot his 44-1/2 CPA in .25-20SS with a cast spitzer bullet. Boy that little rifle shoots amazingly good. He had a group at 300 yds that would make anyone proud to shoot on a calm day. Although he admitted he never aimed at the same spot twice in a row.
We had a double charge or suspected double charge on the firing line. It was also in a .44-1/2 CPA in .32-40. I know what his load was and if it was truly a full double charge, the chamber pressure was just short of 70,000 psi. Could have gotten messy had it been in a weaker action.
richhodg66
Well-Known Member
Had a few minutes before dark and shot 50 rounds though that funny looking little Fillipino .22 rifle I bought a year or so back (Armscor 14Y) I am growing rather fond of it, shot it from a pretty rickety rest at 25 yards and it ripped ragged holes at 25 yards. This was the first new gun I had bought in years, saw one in Atwoods and was intrigued. I may go squirrel hunting with it tomorrow afternoon.
JWFilips
Well-Known Member
Wow, I think I qualify to post today! I got a nice big maple tree with a 54 cal round ball from my own custom made Flintlock transitional long rife!
Last day of Flintlock deer season in PA ...Best to waste the last shot while heading back to the truck! Easier to clean than pulling the ball!
Hit 1" high of dead center at 25 yards....right where it should be
Last day of Flintlock deer season in PA ...Best to waste the last shot while heading back to the truck! Easier to clean than pulling the ball!
Hit 1" high of dead center at 25 yards....right where it should be