I finally came up with 80gr. of Goex ffg with a 370 gr maxi-ball. It gave me 1-3/4 groups at 50 yds. Is this pretty close for a WMC? I keep trying to find a one hole load, but to no avail. Maybe I am asking to much of the rifle. Your opinions are valued.
Consider that if it is shooting that well at 50 yards, it would be a little over three inches at 100 yards. That's not really all that bad of a group. And the conical with that kind of a powder charge would be deadly. A lot of people claim to shoot better groups then that and I am sure many do, but actually consider how close you are to your actual POI. I would keep that load in mind and then try some different things to the load to see if I could improve it. Try adding a wad under the conical. Or some cornmeal. All of these might tighten the group a little.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
first, how are you measuring group size? Are you figuring the centers? Or measuring to the outside edge of the bullet holes? If you are counting outside the centers, you will erroneously add 1/2" to the group. A fifty caliber bullet leave an awfully big hole.
Personally, I don't consider that a bad grouping at 50 yards with open sights. About 3.5 MOA. If you are counting outside the centers, you are really at 2.5 MOA which is pretty good in my book and generally where I am at 50 yards. 1.125" to 1.25" with a good projectile and powder combo. My MOA widens at 75 yards and at 100 yards. I don't spend much rangetimebeyond that distance. Its always nice to clover-leaf but they are not the norm for me (even if i do like to post them in the forum occasionally), especially whenthe wind is gusty andshooting slow moving conicals.
The great thing is you are learning your rifle. You have a hunting load so try and see the limit of that load's range in terms of accuracy. Like cayugad said, keep it in the library while you experiment for improvement.
I would do this. I'd make it theprimary hunting load for now and work out its trajectory and accuracy range limit. Then while trying other things, I would leave the sights alone (as long as you are on paper). You are already on the right track. PRECISION is the key factor and group size tells you that. If you can reduce group size, automatically you have a hunting load with more range, then it becomes your new primary hunting load and you may adjust the sights again and work out the new load's trajectory and accuracy range limit.
Another option with your White Mountain Carbine would be to try some different projectiles like a powerbelt, or some sabots and see if you get better accuracy with those kind of projectiles. Perhaps some Great Plains Conicals, or the many different conicals on the market.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
My White,White Tail .504 will stay around 2-2 1/2 inches @ 100yds,with NE460gr bullets. I'm sure it would do better with a scope on it. I shoot it with a fiber optic front sight,and a Lyman #57 rear apture sight. You can hit a soda can all day long at 100yds.
What you've got now isn't bad for open sights and will do well for hunting situations. If you're really wanting smaller groups, it's justgoing to take some tinkering with different bullet and powder combinations.My rifle did ok with the maxi-balls and maxi-hunters, but I had the best luck with 410 gr. GreatPlainsconicals. Mycurrent hunting load is a 410 GP conical on top of 90 gr. of 777.
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"Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have."...Thomas Jefferson
Conical accuracy
thats what im tryin to say...
