When I reported on my first date with the new .58 caliber Green Mountain barrel I was shooting 95 grains of GOEX FFg.
In comments to that report, both
Cayugad and
Lemoyne said I should try 110 grains of powder. (
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/blac...-renegade.html) I may not be bright, but I listen to my elders.
The .58 barrel now resides in a Hawken stock that wears a tang mounted TC hunter peep sight. So Friday afternoon I got to try the new barrel/stock combination, a new sight, and a 110 grain load.
To start, I positioned the gun in the Caldwell rest and, with a target out at 25 yards, eyeballed the barrel on the target - then set the new sight as best I could. Loaded her up with 110 grains of FFg and took two shots. Here's the target.
It looked like I had guessed pretty well in setting the sight. It's at least good enough to move out to 50 yards and see where it hits. So I put a target out at 50 and took three shots. Then I adjusted the sight and took three more shots. Here's that target.
I can tell you I was mighty pleased with shots #4, 5 & 6. Just maybe Cayugad and Lemoyne knew what they were talking about. I started looking for patches and found those you see in the target picture. They're still cutting a little, but the barrel has only thirty or forty shots out of it so far and the rifling is still very sharp. I'm not going to worry about patch cutting right now.
That 110 grain load is a pure pleasure to shoot - not punishing at all. I was using a TC U-View powder measure. When I got home I weighed a couple of 110 grain measured loads of FFg and found they actually weighed right at 100 grains.
Feeling pretty good after those last three shots. So I took five shots with a target on the 75 yard frame. Here `tis.
Oh Yes! Looking GOOOD. That one shot out of group was because the evil muzzle loading god
Screwdagroup was riding on that ball and caused it to veer to the right at the last moment. It sure wasn't
my fault.
OK, it's time for five shots at 100 yards. Here's the target.
Guys, any time I can shoot a 100 yard, three-inch group with iron sights I'm a happy camper.
I was using a 6 o'clock hold on the bull. Check out the trajectory markings on the right margin of that target. They show where the center of the groups were at 50 and 75 yards. It's hitting pretty much dead-on at the top of the front sight at 75 yards, one inch high at 50, and two inches low at 100. Next time out I'm going to adjust it for dead on at 100 and see where it hits at the other ranges.
I think I'm going to like this gun.
.
.
.
Second Date With The Fifty-Eight
