A little range time today
05-24-2019, 01:10 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
A little range time today
Finally got to do some shooting today. I was playing with my cast bullets (cast at .457") sizing them and shooting them at .451" and .452" earlier with mixed results. So I ordered a .454" sizing die and got it the other day. I had some cast and lubed waiting for the die so after sizing took them out today.
My Hawken is a .45 caliber with a GM LRH 1:30 barrel and has a T/C 7194 peep sight and a globe front sight with the simple post insert. I shot the middle target first using a felt wad under the bullet and a charge of 80 gr of Goex FFFg. 3 shots in about 3". Not too bad for 100 yards. Next 3 shots were same except I used a .062" .45 cal veggie wad. The group although center was about same POI was cut down to about half size. Needless to say I was pleased. The .454" bullets can thumb start about 1/3 the way then a short starter is needed to get it down the bore. After the first 6" or so the go down with a nice firm push.
Next up was the Accura with a Leupold Ultimate Slam ML scope. 2-7x. Shooting 90 gr of Alliant Black MZ and Barnes 295 gr TEZ bullets. All 5 shots in a nice little cluster dead center in the bull. Can beat that with a stick.
My Hawken is a .45 caliber with a GM LRH 1:30 barrel and has a T/C 7194 peep sight and a globe front sight with the simple post insert. I shot the middle target first using a felt wad under the bullet and a charge of 80 gr of Goex FFFg. 3 shots in about 3". Not too bad for 100 yards. Next 3 shots were same except I used a .062" .45 cal veggie wad. The group although center was about same POI was cut down to about half size. Needless to say I was pleased. The .454" bullets can thumb start about 1/3 the way then a short starter is needed to get it down the bore. After the first 6" or so the go down with a nice firm push.
Next up was the Accura with a Leupold Ultimate Slam ML scope. 2-7x. Shooting 90 gr of Alliant Black MZ and Barnes 295 gr TEZ bullets. All 5 shots in a nice little cluster dead center in the bull. Can beat that with a stick.
05-24-2019, 02:54 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
They may be 290s. I always get mixed up with the TEZs and TMZs. Yes Sabot, I was surprised there was that much difference. Just goes to show what a little change can do to accuracy. But its like Semisane says "sometimes the shooting gods smile on you". For some reason today the lighting was perfect for shooting. Everything looked crystal clear both with the scope and peep sights.
Last edited by bronko22000; 05-24-2019 at 04:45 PM.
05-24-2019, 05:01 PM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
They may be 290s. I always get mixed up with the TEZs and TMZs. Yes Sabot, I was surprised there was that much difference. Just goes to show what a little change can do to accuracy. But its like Semisane says "sometimes the shooting gods smile on you". For some reason today the lighting was perfect for shooting. Everything looked crystal clear both with the scope and peep sights.
05-25-2019, 08:17 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,605
I prefer veggie/fiber wads but its a good idea to try others. Those CircleFly Nitro cards are also pretty nice but they are not as tight as a veggie. They are not quite as hard as a veggie but they are twice as thick as the .060 veggies. You can actually split them very easily too.
There is another kind that seal SUPER tight called poly wads. They are .463x.060
There is another kind that seal SUPER tight called poly wads. They are .463x.060
05-25-2019, 04:31 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,746
Those poly wads look good. I'm not sure if I need a wad at all but shooting a full bore conical with lube IMO they would protect the powder from contamination should the lube become liquid in the heat or a warm barrel. They would definitely be needed with the. .451" and .452" bullets I was shooting earlier. But these .454" ones are much tighter. The reason I went that size is my bore slug at .457"! Pretty big for a .45 cal muzzy. And I checked the slug diameter with a dial caliper and a micrometer and got the same reading.
05-26-2019, 03:17 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 422
Good shootin Bronko!
I have had very mixed results with Hard Card type wads and Grease Groove Bullets, I have had really good outings, and Bad ones using them. Wool has been the Clear winner for me, 1/8” Thick and Oversize (.50 Wool, in .45 Bore, 54 Wool in .50 Bore, Etc.)
I spent some time trying to understand what was going on with the Hard Card Wads? Why would they Shoot really good 1 time, and Horrible another? Same Exact Rifle, Bullet, Powder Charge, etc. I started to Suspicion that the Hard Card Wads were Sticking to the Bullet Bases from Melting Lube from time to time? (easy to find, I have spoke about this for a couple years now) My Suspicions turned out to be SPOT ON!
What actually Steers our Bullets? It is The Bullet Base!! BPCR Guys is where I found the Solution to this, Their Remedy for this is to use 2-3 Pieces of Regular thin Newspaper punched Wads Between the Bullet Base and Vege Wad, This Helps The Vege Wad to Break Away from the Bullet Base upon exiting, A Wad that sticks to the Bullet Base and Rides it for any length of time after exiting the Bore is a BAD BAD Thing!! And will Definitely Show on your Target. Again, The Bullet Bases is What actually steers the Bullet.
With newly gained knowledge of what was happening, i set out to test, Shooting over Snow i have found Vege wads 15-20 Yards out from the Muzzle, Some all the way out to my 60 Yard Target, and all in between, NOT GOOD!! But again, what I expected was Happening. Groups were HORRIBLE, 6-8” Or there abouts. With 1/8” Oversize Wool i find them about 15 Yards out (example, if i shoot 6 Shots, i will usually find all 6 Wads within a Few feet of eachother) They are Breaking away from the Bullet Base immediately upon Exiting, Leaving the Bullet uninterrupted on it’s way to the Target. Wool has MUCH more Surface Area to Catch Wind And Break Away from the Bullet Base, And Going oversize such as i do is that much Better.
It is odd that Card type Wads work good from time to time, and not others? It Could be Lube Mixture, Weather, Humidity, Barrel Heat etc., Who Knows? But I do know that Certain Conditions Keep them from Sticking, And certain conditions allows them to Stick?? When they work, they work great! But They are to unpredictable for my Liking with Grease Groove Bullets, Even when using the Thin Newspaper punched Wads like the BPCR Guy’s do. 1/8” Oversize Wool works for me EVERYTIME With Grease Groove Bullets. On the other hand, My Dry Paper Patch Bullets are not Wad Sensitive, I use Either or with them.
I have had very mixed results with Hard Card type wads and Grease Groove Bullets, I have had really good outings, and Bad ones using them. Wool has been the Clear winner for me, 1/8” Thick and Oversize (.50 Wool, in .45 Bore, 54 Wool in .50 Bore, Etc.)
I spent some time trying to understand what was going on with the Hard Card Wads? Why would they Shoot really good 1 time, and Horrible another? Same Exact Rifle, Bullet, Powder Charge, etc. I started to Suspicion that the Hard Card Wads were Sticking to the Bullet Bases from Melting Lube from time to time? (easy to find, I have spoke about this for a couple years now) My Suspicions turned out to be SPOT ON!
What actually Steers our Bullets? It is The Bullet Base!! BPCR Guys is where I found the Solution to this, Their Remedy for this is to use 2-3 Pieces of Regular thin Newspaper punched Wads Between the Bullet Base and Vege Wad, This Helps The Vege Wad to Break Away from the Bullet Base upon exiting, A Wad that sticks to the Bullet Base and Rides it for any length of time after exiting the Bore is a BAD BAD Thing!! And will Definitely Show on your Target. Again, The Bullet Bases is What actually steers the Bullet.
With newly gained knowledge of what was happening, i set out to test, Shooting over Snow i have found Vege wads 15-20 Yards out from the Muzzle, Some all the way out to my 60 Yard Target, and all in between, NOT GOOD!! But again, what I expected was Happening. Groups were HORRIBLE, 6-8” Or there abouts. With 1/8” Oversize Wool i find them about 15 Yards out (example, if i shoot 6 Shots, i will usually find all 6 Wads within a Few feet of eachother) They are Breaking away from the Bullet Base immediately upon Exiting, Leaving the Bullet uninterrupted on it’s way to the Target. Wool has MUCH more Surface Area to Catch Wind And Break Away from the Bullet Base, And Going oversize such as i do is that much Better.
It is odd that Card type Wads work good from time to time, and not others? It Could be Lube Mixture, Weather, Humidity, Barrel Heat etc., Who Knows? But I do know that Certain Conditions Keep them from Sticking, And certain conditions allows them to Stick?? When they work, they work great! But They are to unpredictable for my Liking with Grease Groove Bullets, Even when using the Thin Newspaper punched Wads like the BPCR Guy’s do. 1/8” Oversize Wool works for me EVERYTIME With Grease Groove Bullets. On the other hand, My Dry Paper Patch Bullets are not Wad Sensitive, I use Either or with them.
05-26-2019, 03:40 AM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 422
GM54, Are those the Poly Wads i sent ya? I need to get out and Test more of those, For some reason I haven’t shot hardly any of them? The few times i did, i had good luck with them, That was with my Paper Patch Bullets Though, I don’t remember ever trying the LDPE (Poly) with my Grease Groove Bullets? Only Vege Fibre
Shiloh Forum Post
Several of the ldpe wad shooters have told me that those wads seperate quicker and easier.
I'm thinking they may be right
At the Sagebrush shoot the wind was largely in your face on the firing line, and it wasn't uncommon to get hit or find ldpe wads behind the line. 
but not to many fiber wads.
Those ldpe's also looked like if a person wanted to wipe em clean there wouldn't be much problem using them over again.
These LDPE Poly Wads do Seal really well! This was 3 years or so ago Shooting Paper Patch, 1 of my Better 100 Yard Open sight Groups at the Time
Shiloh Forum Post
Several of the ldpe wad shooters have told me that those wads seperate quicker and easier.
I'm thinking they may be right
At the Sagebrush shoot the wind was largely in your face on the firing line, and it wasn't uncommon to get hit or find ldpe wads behind the line. but not to many fiber wads.Those ldpe's also looked like if a person wanted to wipe em clean there wouldn't be much problem using them over again.
These LDPE Poly Wads do Seal really well! This was 3 years or so ago Shooting Paper Patch, 1 of my Better 100 Yard Open sight Groups at the Time
Last edited by Idaholewis; 05-26-2019 at 03:43 AM.