Range Report -smokin!

[oldsmellhound]

Before I give my report, let me apologize for the multiple posts to add pictures - if anyone knows how to add multiple pics to 1 post, let me know. Every time I try to do it, keeps telling me that max. 1 pic per post, but I know some of you guys can do it anyways.

Went turkey hunting this morning, saw 10 birds (8 hens, 2 gobblers). Not with a BP shotgun, unfortunately. After reading Cayugad's posts about his Knight, I'd love to get one if my wife wouldn't kill me . 3 hens were less than 15 yards away from my blind, but I digress....

After hunting, I spent a couple hours shooting. This was my first group:



After that, it was all down hill.... No, seriously, this is the best group I've shot EVER, and I mean even with centerfire rifles at 100 yards (though I have little experience with them). Just a little over 1" - with those SST's it's like having a lazer gun in your pocket

Not bad for a $119 rifle with $18 worth of modifications done to it...

[oldsmellhound]

A 5 shot group with the 10mm SST's opened up some, but I think one was a flyer, because if you subtract it, the group is still pretty tight.



By the way, both the 3 shot & 5 shot groups load was:

10mm 200 grain SST
95 grains 777 FFFG
777 primer
.45 cal CVA bolt-action

All targets shot at 100 yards (104 paces)

[oldsmellhound]

I shot some .357 195 grain Dead Centers, and they did really well too. They're just a little too rich for my blood, so I'm trying to find more of a poor man's hunting load

[oldsmellhound]

And finally, for frontier gander's sake , I shot a 5 shot group with some Powerbelts:

225 grain Powerbelt
85 grains 777 FFFG
Remington primer

Frontier, since you've done a lot of testing, do you think 85 grains FFFG 777 is too hot for the 225 grain PB? Just in case I decide to useit on deer. Not the most accurate in my rifle, but I guess it would get the job done inside 100 yards.

All in all, 25 shots or so fired, and a great day at the range. Too bad I only get to do it a half-dozen times a year or so

[LaneNebraska]

First of all...Excellent shooting with the SST's and the DeadCenter's, Beauty!!


IMHO you would only need 60g of 3Fg T7 powder pushing that 225g PowerBelt, and you would drop any deer from 20-120yards

And your groups will be reduced to about 1.5 inches.


I prefer the same load with the 275g PB or 300g Platinum PB Gets the 300g PPB to 1450-1500fps---Perfect

[cayugad]

Very nice shooting there.... makes you kind of like a rifle when it will shoot like that..

[frontier gander]

To be honest, 85g fffg t7 is to hot for the 225 powerbelt.

This is what happened with 80g t7 and an 80 yard shot [:'(]

Also,It wouldnt hurt to try some Pyrodex powder. T7 did ok for me but my shots would string out every now and then. Also just noticed the Rem 209 primer. Get some cci 209 or federal 209's and give those a try. They are under $2.90 per 100.

Its worth a shot.

But this was my horrible experience with the 225 powerbelt and 80g fffg t7.

[oldsmellhound]

Yeah, I wasn't too happy when I first bought it, what with the 5" groups and all. But a little TLC and it's shooting real sweet. Unfortunately, it's my only BP firearm right now - being an addict, I want to buy a lot more. But I have this strong counteracting force - i.e. a wife that just doesn't, doesn't understand

Gander - thanks for the advice. I know you like the powerbelts, and I know they can work well. But now that I have my rifle shooting really good with a couple different types of saboted loads, I'm going to stick with them. And I'm lazy when it comes to clean-up, so I've never used anything other than 777 in my rifle and don't plan on using Pyrodex or Goex. However, I'd love to get a sidelock in .50 or .54 and play around with PRB loads or conicals with Pyrodex- just as soon as I build up enough brownie points with the aforementioned counteracting force...