cornmeal and conicals
 

With all the recent discussion of fillers being used under conicals I decided to experiment a little today myself. The rifle used was a White Ultra Mag .504 caliber. I was shooting a 500 grain Bullshop NEI pure lead conical andsome Bullshop 460 grain conicals. For most of the testing I used 70 grains of Triple Se7en 3f and had some fun with Goex 3f. All shooting was done at the 50 yard line. The rifle was scoped with a Nikon Pro Staff.

#1 The upper row center picture was the start of the shoot. The load was a 500 NEI with T-7. The red arrow shows where the first hit on a clean un-fowled barrel hit. After that the other four grouped pretty tight actually. I was dumping the powder, then tapping the butt of the rifle and then adding 10 grains of cornmeal. I tapped the butt again and then loaded the conical. I did not swab the barrel during the shooting.

#2 I then moved to the upper right bull. Knowing the prior load was accurate, this time I loaded the same powder charge, then a 1/16th wad, then 10 grains of cornmeal and then an additional wad after which seating the conical. I was shocked at how terrible the rifle shot this way. As you can see from the position of the red arrows. I stopped all testing in this manner after three shots.

#3 I then shot some of the Bullshop 460 grain conicals at the same bull with no filler or wads. I thought they did pretty good actually. I marked the one hit from the prior mess.

#4 I then moved to the lower right corner. This time with the 500 grain NEI I loaded the powder and then no filler or wad. Simply shot off the powder itself. This was a five shot group and it did all right.

#5 I then moved to the lower left corner bull. Again the same everything but load two wads. Again, a more then respectable group. Still not as tight as the simple powder and filler produced not counting the first shot, but good enough.

#6 Just shows the overall target. Actually I want to do some more testing with the cornmeal filler and no wads and see just what can be accomplished with the conicals.

Some things I did notice was with the powder then the cornmeal filler, the conical still loaded as easy as always. I was shooting CCI standard caps as the ignition system.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

But you have to switch to Crisco for lube to get cornbread. ;) My results with cornmeal - certainly didn't hurt anything and might have helped accuracy just a very little, but it did seem to leave the bore cleaner after the shot.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

I agree with the cleaner bore.. I swabbed between changing stations and after the cornmeal the barrel using Triple Se7en was actually pretty clean I thought...

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

Well its seems that filler didn't hurt ya any. It would be interesting to see the results at 100yards or further. Just to see if the vertical spread of the group is tighter with filler.It has worked that way for me.It is interesting that thewads were no benefit to the filler. Filler under the wad, as lemoyne suggested, might be beneficial. Sounds like you had a good day shooting, thanks for the report.

Phil

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

My 54 likes the barrel lubed after loading for the first shot, this keeps the point of impact the same as a dirty barrel. Just be careful not to pull the bullet up the barrel when lubing afer loading.[:'(]

Looks like you are going to have a dandy shooter.;)

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

Interesting David! Might want to include Cream Of Wheat next time for filler. Not the instant Cream Of Wheat thou. I think 15-20 grains is about the norm for those that use it.

Just curious! Why are you using regular CCIs #11 caps? Did you accidently order those instead of the regular CCI 209 primers we talked about recently?

BTW.... I shot a half-jug of Swiss FFFtoday. I couldn't find a decent load using four different conicals in two different fast twist MLs. I wouldn't even callmy paper targets "groups". Bullet holes were pretty scattered today. I'm going to give Schuetzen FFFa 2nd Round this comingweek. That one sounds alot more promising.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

[hr]


I ordered two cases (10 tins = 1 case) of RWS 1075 & CCI Magnum, and a case of the Winchester W209 primersand paid the hazmat fee. Then my brother was at a sporting goods store in the southern end of the state. He was wandering around the sporting goods and saw they had CCI #11 caps for sale. He remembered I wanted CCI caps once when I talked to him so he bought me a case of them as well. I just paid him and thanked him, after all he thought he was doing me right. With 3000 caps I should last through the year. Actually in my White rifle they shoot real well, in the traditional rifles I get some nasty hangfires.

I shoot the Swiss in my White Rifle and it really likes the stuff. Although I did not test it today. Try some of that Swiss with sabots. I have good results in my Knight with sabots and Swiss powder.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

I did not read the whole thread but wanted to comment that I thought the reason for using corn meal and such was for revolvers where you had to make sure the cylinder was filled and if you wanted to shoot low power loads the filler made sure the ball was still seated on the charge.

I can't think of a physical reason to do it in a rifle so help me out here if you can. I am not asking sarcasticly I understand using wadds but filler in a rifle?

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

the filler just takes the place of the wads... actually I want to try this more before I am sold on the idea.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

Pittsburghunter, I can think of a few things.
#1 With lead bullets you need to grease them,filler keeps the grease away from the powder and in a hunting situation might well prevent a missfire.
#2 Some fillers cause the gun to shoot cleaner and more consistant.
#3 Sealing the bore behind the bullet is like measuring your powder carfully it gives more consistant velicity.
#4 Some people dont like heavy loads, its a means of safely moving the bullet up the barrel and finding a position in relation to the circular barrel vibration that may or may not [it varies frombarrel to barrel] alow a tighter group.
Hopfully helpful Lee

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

cayugad, you might try varying the amout and type of filler if you are looking for tighter groups. I have played with this from time to time with some vary interesting results, I have a Renagade that will half the group size at a 100yds by putting in 20 gr of corn meal.{with a round ball}Lee

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

That will be my next step. I think there might be some real accuracy potential using the filler and I do want to experiment more. I never used 20 grains but I am up for about anything.. thanks for the heads up. I will try some of that in my Renegades as well.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

I would also wonder how that would work in the field without slowing you down too much. Carry speed loaders with cornmeal only? Or do you think it is really only necessary in target shooting?

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

txhunter - I'd have to break out my speed loaders and then dump into a see though powder measure to see what the load would look like. This playing with cornmeal loads is fun, and a real learning experience with me. There are a couple more rifles I want to try the same thing with.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

What amazed me most was the effect with PRB. I wonder if a filler would allow the use of 777 without burning through patches? I've no 777 or I'd test it myself.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

I've read that Cream of Wheat will also remove bore leading. Never had a leaded bore to try it on.

RE: cornmeal and conicals
 

cayugad,well this is a little different but it worked for me.
I take a piece of biodegradable toilet paper[so I can just drop it if I am in a hurry] and put it on a flat surface put the filler on it wrap it up [like a pouch] tie with a thread. I put mine right in the quik loader and if I am loading in a hurry I just twist the part that is tied with the thread off and pour the corn meal or cream of wheat on top the powder.Lee