Rifle: Thompson Center New Englander .54 caliber 1-48 twist
Scope: Traditions Illuminated cross hair model 1.5-6x40mm
Powder: Pyrodex RS and Triple Seven 2f
Projectiles: home cast .530 roundball with moosemilk patch and 250 grain Hornady XTP .452 with Red Harvester .54/.452 sabots. RWS 1075 caps
Distance: 71 yards with range finder bench rest
Weather: 16º slight wind (not much thank goodness) and very sunny


When I got up this morning it was -19.9 below zero and we are not talking wind chill here. A little warmer then yesterday morning at least. But the weather man said there was a chance for sun shine and temps in the teens. So I knew I had a shot at some range time. I kept my eye on the thermometer and the sky.

I had taken the scope off when I cleaned last time and wanted to see how close it would come back. I knew it was dead on at 50 and expected it to be a little higher on the target at 70 (since the rifle was technically sighted in for 100 yards) so time would tell.

I checked and it said 14º above zero. That was good enough for me. I got everything ready, rifle, targets, swab solution of pure alcohol, etc and headed to my back yard.

I decided to start with Roundball and a moosemilk patch. Last time out at 50 yards it groups very good but was stringing a little. I still decided to stick with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS just to see what would happen.



Resized to 94% (was 480 x 360) - Click image to enlarge


The first shot on a clean barrel (and this rifle has a bore treatment currently working in it.) kind of surprised me. I did not swab since I was shooting Pyrodex RS and round ball and shot three more times. Actually for the first group at that distance, other then it being a lot higher then I thought it would be, I was pleased with the group.

So I swabbed the barrel clean with Simple Green, then used alcohol to make sure it was dry, and then dry patched it and popped two caps. I then decided to see how much difference the 250 grain Hornady XTP would do on the same kind of target. I loaded with 80 grain of Triple Seven 2f and shot at the lower set of bulls eyes.

Resized to 94% (was 480 x 448) - Click image to enlarge


Again, surprised at how high they were hitting, but very pleased with the way this 1-48 twist barrel shot sabots. For that distance, I was more then pleased.

I then swabbed the barrel again and reloaded pyrodex RS and shot a roundball. It shows adj #1. Not enough of an adjustment. So I made another adjustment and shot the final set of hits. The first two were real good, and I was pleased. Then the next two came in low and wild and I was not sure what was happening.

So I swabbed the barrel clean and loaded triple Seven to see what the scope adjustment did to the XTP's. It stacked the two on the top. I swabbed and had a misfire with the Triple Seven. A new cap went off and it gave me the one touching the bull. I would not call it a misfire but it had a strange sound to it. I was worried about swabbing again. Maybe the cold and the fact of the swab was not agreeing with the Triple Seven powder. So I loaded and shot again and the results was the one next to the bulls eye.

By now I had been outside for over an hour and was really thinking .. Hot Coffee. So I decided to stop for the day and maybe get a warmer day. But over all this scoped traditional rifle is doing well. Especially with the XTPs. Sabotloader gave me the idea to try them in this rifle and he was right. A 1-48 twist will do a good job with sabots. One reason I used the Triple Seven because he has such good luck with it. As usual, I had a misfire. Oh well, that is the name of this sport.

Also this New Englander might have a single hunting trigger, but who ever did this one, did it right. It has to be one of the best single triggers I ever shot. No creep, and breaks crisp and clean.