Today was a perfect day for a shooting session - sixty-eight degrees, no sun but bright with a high overcast, zero wind.
The Swamp Dragon and I arrived at the hunting lease around 10 a.m. Three other guys were at the campground, but they were heading out to try a little coyote calling. So the Dragon and I had the two-bench rifle range to ourselves.
The Dragon's .54 caliber barrel was loaded with a 105 grain charge of GOEX FFFg and a round ball that I loaded on a clean dry bore on the evening of November 11th, 2013 - the day before our deer season opener. Bad season / no shots.
Wondering if the three month old charge would fire, I set a target out at 100 yards and cocked the gun. Pulled the trigger and ....
KABOOM! The shot hit a bit to the right of where it should have, but not far enough off to be of concern for a shot on game. So I loaded up and shot four more times.
Here's the target.
After putting up a fresh target on the 100 yard frame I switched from FFFg to FFg for the next five shots. Here's that target. NO, don't ask me to explain the high hit. I have no idea why that one went there.
Then I tried five shots with 95 Grains of FFg. To my surprise it grouped about an inch-and-a-half higher than the 105 grain load.
Going back to the 105 grain load, I tried five shots with .016 patches instead of the .018 patches I'd been using. Here's that target. (Note To Self: Stick with .018 patches.)
I gave the Dragon a good cleaning and thanked it for doing it's best. Then popped off a box of .22 Long Rifles from my Ruger MK I (I'm a lousy pistol shot), followed by some load experimenting with a Savage Model 40 .22 Hornet (fantastic accuracy - 3/4" ten shot groups all day long).
Hey, it's almost three o`clock. Shooting's done - time for a beer.