I got out and shot some up today with my brother Steve. I brought my new NEF SS Sidekick and chrono, which Cabelas gave me gratis, using my Cabelas points. My brother was quite a benefit as he wrote all of the velocities, when we swabbed, and so on. Today I also used a newly modified rear sight.

We shot and chronoed 21 shots. The load was 65 grains RS, 295 PB, and Rem Cleanbore 209. We began by getting the sight lined up on target. We chronoed as we did. The planned trajectory was to break LOS at 10 yards. To my dismay, the POIs were almost 2 in high in the lowest setting(I thought good grief thats 20 MOA). Anyway I dealt with it as I didn't bring the original rear sight.

I found out the Barrel is rough and is in need of breaking in. After I write this, I'm gonna run down to Walmart and get me some steel wool and see if I can work some of the burrs out. I noticed some of swabbing patches were catching on burrs, also while most of the spent gas checks were smooth, I found a couple that looked like they were scraping on something (i think this happened when loading on an unfouled bore).

The PB's were more difficult to loadon a clean bore. I think because the bore is so rough. On the second shot and those until the next swabbing the PB's loaded quite easily. The fouling seemed to lubricate and cover the rough rifling. What was most interesting was what happened to velocities as the rifle fouled.

The first shot on anclean borewas always low and averaged 1236 fps. On a fouled bore, the velocities picked up with each consecutive shot.
These ranged from 1272 fps and 1412 fps, and they averaged 1345 fps. The goal was 1375 and I think that would have been acheived save for the roughness of the bore.

As far as we shot was 50 yards. Steve shot 5 there and I shot 6. I won't comment onhis because he is not very experienced with open sight or scopes for that matter. He has always been a bird hunter, but he had so much fun today, I think that is changing.

My target has a pattern in the shape of a cross. I aimed at the bottom of the cross , hitting5/8 inch right of center and 9 inches high. I don't use tape or tacks, butscrew awooden strap to hold the top and bottom of the target. The bullet splintered the top strap. We had to choose a point of aim well below the target. It was pretty easy to center the aim for windage but elevation was more difficult.

My 5 shots spread 1 1/4 inch for windage. I waspleased with this as there was a cross wind. They kind of strung vertically though (mostly due to my makeshift point of aim and partly to velocity distribution), spreading 4 inches. I have already worked on my sight and plan to try it again tomorrow. I think I will have to adjust the rear sight up (from its lowest setting) after the modification, at least I hope i have to!

All in all. I have a sense that the load did engage rifling and stabilize the bullets. I don't think that the clean bore would have registered lower velocities if the bulletweren't making the proper engagement. Once I get things lined out, I'llpush out the range and report on that also.

Happy Hunting, Phil

A excellent report there. Very interesting with shooting the powerbelts with such a small charge of powder.

I agree. It will also be interesting to see what kind of penetration you getwith a couple of different mediums. Maybe those PB's will hold together better at those reduced velocities.

jaybe

Did you ever try 50 grains?

Originally I suggested 50 BM3 as the load for my nephew, which I think will produce similar velocities to 65 gr. RS. When I bought Pinnacle, I could not bring myself to use any of my "dirty" powders until it was gone. So I am waiting to buy the BM3 until all of my pyrodex is gone.

Happy Hunting, Phil