.45 Bullet Test
 

I recently got an Accurate bullet mold #44-390. This mold drops a bullet at .444" then with the paper patch it comes out to .450"
I ran some today through my .45 T/C Hawken with a GM LRH barrel 1:30 twist and my T/C Encore I believe a 1:28 twist.
Loads were 70 gr of Pyro P out of the Hawken and 80 gr of BH209 out of the Encore. I shot the Hawken @ 50 yards and the Encore @ 100 yards.
I was super pleased with the Hawken results (see target) but less than pleased with the results of the Encore. First off I shot it at 25 yards with a new scope then at 100 I couldn't get it on paper. First time I ever had such a hard time. Then when I finally did my 3 shot group was about 3". The temps were starting to climb so I decided to wait for another outing. I think I'll save the BH209 for my 50 cals and use either Goex FFFg or Pyrodex P in this .45 Encore.
Target below was the Hawken @ 50 yards. First shot low with a clean barrel - then the next 3 in a nice group. And finally a 4th after a minor sight adjustment. This rifle is ready to hunt. I'll try it out at 100 yards next time out.

Clem, the deer are in big trouble this year with those bullets. :biggrin:

thanks Ed. That's less than 1.5" group at 50 yards. Not too bad for an old goat with open sights. Well actually a williams peep sight.

Especially with us old guys and not so sharp eyesights

Mighty fine shooting there Bronko.

As you and Ed know, I too am one of the old guys with not so sharp eyesight. Although most of my muzzleloders wear iron sights (mostly peeps), you also know I have gone to the dark side with 4X scopes on the Sinful Sisters. And my favorite is Sister #3, the 1:30 twist .45 Renegade shooting Ed's bullets over GOEX powder. Here she is in all of her horror - a sidelock wearing a scope.



And here are some 50 yard targets with two different loads under Ed's 350 grain bullets.





Now you can clearly see the comparison between my fine 1/2" fifty-yard groups and Bronko's slovenly 1" fifty-yard groups. I sure hope Bronko doesn't miss a deer with those wide open inconsistent groups. 😎

Semi I'll try my best. But you know Mr Murphy has a habitof playing tricks on you from time to time.

When I shot those bullets I shot some as wrapped with two types of paper, 9# onion skin 25% cotton. The other was tracing paper. They didn't shoot well at all cast wrapped and shot. I shot the same papers with sizing to .446 and the cotton paper didn't shoot awesome. The tracing paper sized to .446 shot very well 1 3/4" at 100 yards.

Ron did you patch then size to .446" or sized then patched? If you're shooting them at .446" you're barrel is a lot tighter than mine. I had patched them as cast and noticed that a couple were a bit snugger going down my Encore barrel. When I got home I still had 100 that were waiting to be paper patched. I started checking the diameter and almost all were .444" and a couple were .445". I had opened my sizing die up to .444" and ran them all through (the 100 and the and the 45 that were patched and not shot). My finished (sized and paper patched) diameter is .450" and at that diameter it takes very little pressure to seat them in my GM barrel. Just slightly more than a slip fit.
I will be giving them another test run once I get done with the chores I need to finish around the house and the wife will unlock the chain around my ankle!

Clem, I know what you are talking about! This Kitchen, Dinette, and Laundry Room renovation is killing me. Then to top it off I put the Philips head on my Impact driver drill through the side of my thumb when it slipped off the screw. I should have gone to have stitches put in, put I wanted to get done, so I just bandaged it up. It'll leave a scar for sure but one more isn't going to matter. LOL[/QUOTE]

Been there - done that. Yesterday I spent the better part of 6 hours installing a new garage door opener including programming the 2 vehicle remotes and the wireless outside remote. That's a bugger of a job when you don't have any help.

I'm wrapping then sizing to .446. I shot some as wrapped. They went down really tight. They didn't shoot well at all. Mine likes them at .446 with tracing paper.

Well I hope you find a load with them that your rifle likes. I still have some work to do but I have My GM LRH pretty good for now until I have more time to tweak a load. I have to find something my .45 Encore likes and I have my 50 cal Disc Extreme to sight in and My 700ML if I ever get the bolt back from Badger Ridge!
I'm going to try some 200 gr 10mm XTPs with a Harvester blue CR sabot and Goex FFFg and Pyrodex P in the Encore. For the Extreme I'm going to be trying some 250 gr and 300 gr XTPs and BH209 powder.
Heading up to the cabin on Thursday for a couple days to charge the batteries and do some shooting and get away from jobs around the house for a while.