What Did You Shoot Today?

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
Nice work! I've been retraining myself with my 686 and wadcutters, DA shooting at 50 ft. My load thus far was 3.5 gr of Red Dot with a variety of wadcutter moulds, I use a Lyman 358063 DEWC BB, and, (of all things) a rather elderly Modern-Bond design J-358-610 a conventional design with a rather unusual slight radius on the meplat. For some reason this design just fascinates me. I'm back to 3-4 inch groups at 50 yards, but my POI is low with the 358063 and I think I'll try some 382 SAECO 38 SWC next trip and see where things end up. I'm one of those guys who doesn't chase sight settings all over the place, especially just to shoot a single load. I also have more work to do with my grip, I'm still pushing a bit right (left-handed).
 

dannyd

Active Member
Nice work! I've been retraining myself with my 686 and wadcutters, DA shooting at 50 ft. My load thus far was 3.5 gr of Red Dot with a variety of wadcutter moulds, I use a Lyman 358063 DEWC BB, and, (of all things) a rather elderly Modern-Bond design J-358-610 a conventional design with a rather unusual slight radius on the meplat. For some reason this design just fascinates me. I'm back to 3-4 inch groups at 50 yards, but my POI is low with the 358063 and I think I'll try some 382 SAECO 38 SWC next trip and see where things end up. I'm one of those guys who doesn't chase sight settings all over the place, especially just to shoot a single load. I also have more work to do with my grip, I'm still pushing a bit right (left-handed).
I was left handed for 63 years then had a rotator cuff tear, so now shooting right handed. I use a DEWC too. But the SWC definitely works better for me at 50 yards. 25 yards yesterday with the DEWC and SWC. At 65 I have to use both hands now and a red dot.


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462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
Rather than shoot the Randall and its new Lee 452-230 TC, I changed my mind and took a rifle.
Rifle: Pedersoli/Navy Arms "Buffalo Rifle" .45-70 rolling block
Bullet: Lyman 457193 405-grainer
Powder: 15.7-grains of Unique and 20.0-grains of 2400
Distance: 100 yards.
Qualifier:
Though it's clean, my eyes see hairs emanating from the edges the tang sights eye piece and a 12" black bull is blurry and out-of-round.

Three shots with the Unique load
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Now, I could let it go at that, but I'm an honest man so here are all five shots
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Don't know why the 2400 load was not grouping worth beans, because it has in the past.

I once read a manual that listed the maximum Trapdoor load, with 405-grain bullet, at 16.0-grains of Unique, but can no longer find it. Pedersoli rates the rolling block at 29,000 PSI, which puts it in the Marlin and Winchester 1886 category. I'm pretty sure that 15.7-grains of Unique is well below 29,000 PSI, and though the load is accurate I don't want to punish the rifle.
Anyone have any knowledge, experience or input?
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
unique is position sensitive when your at low end case volume.
you know like around 8grs. in a 30-30.
 
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462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
Groups of less than 25 shots don't mean much. FWIW
Oh, I know, but that was the best of the day's four groups and I usually post my groups. And, what with vision-caused hairs in the eye piece, massive floaters and little black flies floating round inside my eyes, a wrinkled retina, out-of-round target bulls, and everything else that is wrong with my vision, I'm not particularly displeased with that group. I'm going to replace the Lyman 17 A's circular insert with a Lee Shaver, and see if that improves the sight picture.

Now, put a 25X scope on the 223 Ruger American and give it some Sierra 77-grainers and some IMR 4895 and I can shoot
100-yard sub-MOA. Not bragging in any way about my shooting ability, but my vision is just not compatible with 100-yard
non-scoped shooting. However, I'm not about to quit.
 

popper

Well-Known Member
Cool and humid but decent today. Thought I'd messed up the carbine scope zero, guess not. Tried the CVA scout with 6 gr red dot and 145gr PB PC loads. not too quiet but shot good. Not sure why the vmax load shot low in the cva, last shot so maybe me? 50 yds.
edit: No extraction problem so 6.5&7 gr next. Time to get chrony out. Zero is set for GC version @ ~ 1900 fps. 4.5 & gr loads shot ~ 3." low so fps must be pretty decent.
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Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Yesterday was our regular BPCR silhouette match. Shot my 03.

Conditions were very interesting. Winds changed faster than I could call them. At 500 yds I needed every square inch of that ram and used it. What was a bit of an annoyance is I would have gotten all 10 had I not put one right thru the hole that is made by the horn and the body. My partner said, "Nice shot. That's not easy to make." Nobody cuts you any slack at Wilton.
 

Pressman

Active Member
Desiring a relaxed day of shooting and match practice I left the fancy Anschutz home and took my beloved Savage 1919 NRA Match rifle to the range. Was I in for a shocking surprise as it's been some time since I have had this rifle out. My eyes have changed a bit more than I realized and I can no longer see the front sight, even with a sight aid thingy on my glasses. Sadly, if I wish to continue with this rifle, I am going to have to mount a scope on it.
The little S&W Model 17 has a scope and performs well as always.
Ken
 

Ian

Notorious member
If 20 grains of 2400 under a 405-grain solid based bullet won't group from a 45/70, something is wrong. Alloy got too tough, lube is out of its temperature or pressure range, case necks need annealing, bullets too small, primers not lighting off uniformly for a number of possible reasons, stuff like that.
 

462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
If 20 grains of 2400 under a 405-grain solid based bullet won't group from a 45/70, something is wrong. Alloy got too tough, lube is out of its temperature or pressure range, case necks need annealing, bullets too small, primers not lighting off uniformly for a number of possible reasons, stuff like that.

I'm pretty sure the problem is one of the incompatibility of iron/open sight 100-yard sight picture and my vision. The other Unique group was not much better than the two 2400 groups. When shooting at 50-yard targets, 2400 outshoots Unique. The same thing happens with the 03A3.

Since that shoot, I replaced the Lyman aperture insert with a very fine Lee Shaver aperture. The range was closed, today, so it won't be till Friday before I can see if it helps.
 

BBerguson

Official Pennsyltuckian
Shooting my FWB 124 in the basement tonight, and yes it is scoped. .177 springer air rifle.
 

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462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
Man, oh, man, I like it when load development stops after the third load is fired.

Rifle: 2-43 dated 1903A3, as issued except for a Timney trigger.
Bullet: The new-to-me NOE 311-188 FN
Powder: 2400
Load: 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0-grains
Primer: Winchester large rifle
Distance: 50 yards, where I start rifle load development
Accuracy load: 18.0-grains.

Despite bullets having to make their way through a light fog and drizzle, no further testing required. I'm happy.
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462

California's Central Coast Amid The Insanity
Not today, but Monday.
Ruger New Vaquero, Lee 358-158 RF, 13.5-grain of 2400, reactive steel targets from 25 to 50 yards. Fun stuff.

The grip bear is what caused me to buy my first gun, a 6" S&W Model 28. Hmmm . . . still shooting the .357.
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Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
Not today, but Monday.
Ruger New Vaquero, Lee 358-158 RF, 13.5-grain of 2400, reactive steel targets from 25 to 50 yards. Fun stuff.

The grip bear is what caused me to buy my first gun, a 6" S&W Model 28. Hmmm . . . still shooting the .357.
View attachment 31307
I see two different things in that grip. I see a bear claw and I also see a dog's face. Looks like a Doberman with his ears up.
 

Snakeoil

Well-Known Member
When shooting at 50-yard targets, 2400 outshoots Unique. The same thing happens with the 03A3.
We have two major factions at Wilton; Unique shooters and 2400 shooters. We have proven time and time again that the 2400 outshoots Unique in .30-06 and many other calibers if you do the work to find the right load/bullet. But some are just not willing to leave Unique. Guess you get to a certain age, and you don't see a reason to change what has worked in the past.