PA conicals
 

Picked up a box of PA Conicals (240gr) yesterday. Put a few down range today, with the Woodsman Hawken. Worked up from 80 to 100grs of 2F Goex. 100grs being the tightest group and also the load recommended on the box. Thought about bumping the load to 105-110 grs... but,

1) Max load for the Woodsman is 110gr 2F - for PRB.

2) Should I be concerned about leading without a wad?

I'm getting under 2" groups with 100gr (pics coming) at 50 yards

You'll need to do a little extra cleaning compared to a PRB, but not that bad. No worse than a CF gun.

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I do not think that leading is an issue, they have cleaners that take care of that. I think if you have a bore brush you will be fine. What twist rate is your gun? Those are good groups. Is the max charge you have at 110 grains based on a certain bullet weight? I think the posted max charges are all based on a certain bullet weight for your gun, if you go over that posted bullet weight back the charge down a bit and you should be fine, just saying.

I have always used a wad when shooting conicles. Doesn't mean it is rightor wrong, that is one that is going to be your call.

1:48 twist.

Max. charge for PRB is 110gr 2F, 105 3F. The PA's are 240gr, so I didn't want to push the limit. The manual doesn't give a max. charge for conicals.

does not hurt to test with wads. I have some gun/conicals combo that don't group well with out wads. where I have other gun/conicals combos that group the same or just a little better with or with out.

open sight at 50yrds, 2 in groups sounds good to me.

All groups shot a 50 yards.

I have some 3F, T7 that I should try.

No problem with the groups and they load slick!

My 1/48 TC Hawken loves the 240 PA's.

75 grain of T7, no wads.

The PA conicals were designed to shoot out of the slower twist barrels with stabilization characteristics of the RB. The name came from PA hunters because in the beginning PA's the primitive season were only allowed to use PRB. Then the rules changed to allow use of any projectile and a lot of hunters had 1:48, 1:66 and slower twist rifles.

Are they very popular? To me, they would be bad medicine for Whitetail!

I have the Woodsman in both 1-66 and 1-48 twist. I did not have any PA Conical bullets in my stock but did have some 245 grain Buffalo Bullet Ball-ets. So I tried them in both rifles. I was surprised how well the ball-ets shot out of the two rifles. I only shot at 35 yards but with either rifle, they were hunting accurate. I was shooting 85 grains of Goex 2f (flintlocks) and that little conical was doing a great job. Thanks for the heads up.

You're right the ballets shoot great also.

With groups like you have...Why change it? If I shot those groups I would be one happy feller.