The .45 GM Barrel's Maiden Voyage (8 target pictures)

Semisane · 06-29-2008, 10:21 PM

OK guys,I putthe .45 caliber GM barrel on the Renegade and took it for a ride the the hunting lease rifle range.

I had a box of 20 Hornady 285 grain Hollow Base / Hollow Point conicals for the break in shoot. Didn't know where they were likely to hit, so I set a target out at 25 yards, and loaded them over 75 grains GOEX FFFg.

Took six shots from the bench Saturday afternoonand got this groupusing a 6 o'clock hold on the bull.

Now, that's looking pretty good. Adjusted the rear sight a little to the right and took three more shots and got this.

About this time I'm thinking "I don't much care for these fiber optic sights". For one thing, the adjustment is kind of loosy-goosy. You've got to loosen the screws, move the sight, hold it it place, and re-tighten the screw. Also, I didn't seem to be able to get a real precise sight picture with them.

Anyway, that's only 25 yards. Put a new target out at 50 yards and took five shots.

Hey! Not bad for a new barrel. That's certainly a "heart of deer" group.

May as well try 75 yards, right? I did, of course. Took a shot -checked the target -NOT A SCRATCH! What's going on here??? Loaded up again and was getting ready to take another shot when my brother-in-law shows up. So, he stands off a little to the side behind me while I take the shot. "Looks way high" he says.

Now, the rear sight elevation was set about mid-range in the adjustment.So I moved it halfway down toward the lowest adjustment point, take another shot, and B-I-L says, "still high". Check the target - not a scratch.

So I move the sight down to its lowest possible adjustment and take three shots. Here's the result.

Well that sucks. Bye the way, did I mention that I was having a hard time getting a real precise sight picture with those fiber optics?

Anyway, that round of shooting used up my 20 Great Plains conicals.

You guys know I've been having a hankering to try the210 grain Gold Dot .410 / 41 Mag bullets in this barrel, but didn't think they would fit. I sure didn't want to force them into an emptybarrel during my at-home test fit. So, I figured I would give them a try now. Dropped 75 grains of GOEX down the bore, put one of those bullets in a crush rib sabot, and laid into it with the short starter. Son of a gun - it went in. It took a very firm two hand push to seat it on the powder, but not bad enough to rule the bullet out completely.

Put a target out at 25 yards and took two shots with that load, and got this.
.

Hey! Maybe this bullet has potential. Put a target out a 50 yards and took five more shots, and got this.

Yep. Gonna have to work with this bullet a little more in the future. Wrapped up the shooting for the day.

Now I'm sitting around camp after sunset, sipping a Scotch on the rocks, and wondering what kind of velocity that .41 bullet was getting. So after coffee on Sunday morning, I pull out the chronograph, set it up 15 feet from the bench, put a target out at 50 yards, load up, and take five shots. Got an average velocity of 1566 fps for three shots the chrono read (it was very cloudy and with the chrono under the trees it didn't pick up two of the shots).

1566 fps is not "smoking", but it's no slouch either with a 210 grain bullet. Impact velocity out past 50 yards is probably going to be right within the design parameters of a .41 Mag pistol bullet.

The Sunday morning group was not nearly as good as the Saturday evening group. Did I mention anything about those fiber optic sights, and the clouds, not to mention the distraction of shooting over the chrono, and I think there were some logging trucks out on the highway shaking the ground?

That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.

cayugad · 06-29-2008, 10:31 PM

Well for a maiden voyage, I think the rifle did real well... Nice shooting there. It will only get better..

Semisane · 06-29-2008, 10:42 PM

Yeah, I expect it will get better (ifI don't get any worse

). But that rear sight bottomed out to its lowest setting is a problem. I need a higher front sight. I wonder if GM will help me out?

cayugad · 06-29-2008, 11:08 PM

Call Kerry at GMB and I am sure they will come up with something. Also I am not fond of them fiber optics either. That is why I put a 1X scope on mine...

bronko22000 · 06-30-2008, 10:51 AM

Semi
- I've been shooting the Maxiballs out of mine with pretty good results. You may want to give them a try.

Semisane · 06-30-2008, 12:28 PM

Here's an interesting update.

I called Kerry at GM about the gun shooting so high with the sight adjusted to it's lowest level. She says "send the barrel back and we'lltake a look at it. I say "the barrel shoots fine - good groups - just a sight problem". She says "hang on a moment" and (I assume) goes and talks with a technician. Comes back on the line and asks "when you put the wedge in, is the barrel real tight in the barrel channel?" I say "it sure is - I have to force the wedge in place". She says "that may be the problem - a tight wedge will actually bend the barrel and cause it to shoot high - try opening the wedge channel a little, if that doesn't fix it call back and we'll make it right".

Now who woulda' thunk you could bend a one-inch .45 caliber barrel like that?

cayugad · 06-30-2008, 01:17 PM

I wonder if they mean it exerts too much pressure on that one spot. But I sure would not think that it would make that big a difference. In fact if the wedge is loose I will often times put a small piece of duct tape in the wedge lock so the wedge pin slides in easy, but firm...

I wonder if that will really help... should be interesting to say the least.

bronko22000 · 06-30-2008, 02:56 PM

I would have to agree that it is probably the pressure. Ain't no way a brass wedge is going to bend a 1" barrel. Heck, I've had my 270 barrel smacked by a truck door that the wind blew shut and that didn't hurt that skinny barrel at all. In fact the following day I shot a mulie at over 400 yds with it.
I like putting my wedge in so it is, like Dave said, firm but not tight.