It got up to 50 here this afternoon after a month of cold weather, so I took the opportunity to go out to the range to try some new loads. A friend of mine had molded some 300 gr. lead Keith style bullets for me last month - sized to .451 - and made them out of relatively soft lead. I tried them in my 26" Black Diamond (most accurate rifle I own) at 100 yards. Using the Harvester Crushed Rib sabot and 100 gr. of 2F Jim Shockey Gold, they shot about an 8" group. I switched to the regular Harvester sabot and the group shrank to 7" [:-]. MMP sabot was no better. For some odd reason, this bullet is very hard to start and, once you get it down the barrel about 2", goes down reasonably easy. Checked a number of spent sabots down range - didn't note any sign of sabot failure. Made nice round holes in the cardboard target.

Just for fun, I shot a group with the 338 gr. Platinum Powerbelt using 130 grains of 2F Jim Shockey Gold. This load had worked very well inmy new Genesis back in September; and produced a 1.5" group out of the Black Diamond today. Colorado Legal

Do you think it would have anything to do with the powder used?

I don't know - I only took one powder with me today. Hard to believe that another powder, at similar or higher velocities, would shoot a golf ball size group. Do you think powder could make that much difference? I have used other bullets of the same weight, with the same sabots and powder charge; and gotten real good results. At this point, I'm thinking it is the bevel that the mold put on the base of the bullet. Other bullets that have shot well with this recipie all had a fairly square base.

Don't know that I'll go shooting but send that 50 degree weather this way regardless. Still a solid 2" of ice on the ground here.

Roskoe,I have found that the powder can make that kind ofdifferance, now I always take some Pyrodex [RS for rifles] to use as a standard because it is the least touchy of all the subs. I have had problems with APP and Gold collecting moisture and then shooting all over the place till its dried out in a dehumidifier; of course it is very humid where I live on the edge of Greers Fairy Lake[ the walleyes here make up for it though. Lee

Hmmm . . . . if I have time tomorrow, I will re-test with two fifty grain Pyrodex pellets. It's supposed to be a couple of degrees warmer - in advance of the weekend snowstorm.

I sure am getting good consistency with the Shockey Gold using the 338 gr. Powerbelts, though. Just wish those Powerbelts only cost $25 for 500 like the Keith bullets.

from what ive been finding in stores and online, these sabots and certain conicals are getting only a couple to a few dollars away from costs what powerbelts do.$14 for 245 grain powerbelts for 20 VS 20 TC maxi hunters for $12. Sabots here are averaging over $16 for between 12-15 rounds.

In this case, the bullets are cheaper than the bulk sabots. They are only costing 5 cents each.

I pour my own with free lead with the double mold it costs me about 1 hour a 100. Lee

Any places online that sell pure lead? I'd like to mould my own conicals seeing how i shoot them so much. Tire weights i hear arnt great to use.