Today Iconducted a little experiment with my Lyman Mustang with strange and somewhat dissappointing results (gotta' post bad targets as well as good ones, right?).

I prepared four sets of weighed charges of T-7 FFFG:five loads each of 65 grain weight (equal to 74.7 grain volumn),70 GW ( = 80.5 GV ), 75 GW ( = 86.2 GV ), and 80 GW ( = 92.0 GV ).

Thesecharges were loadedwith 300 grain Speer Gold Dot Hollow Points and Harvester Crush Rib sabotsand setoff with CCI small rifle primers in a 25 ACP breech plug. I shotthem at 100 yards from the bench over a chronographwith a Leupold 3X9 scope.

I started each five-shot string with a clean barrel.The barrel was wiped with one dry patch between shots for the first shot string,and swabbed with one very wet patch and two dry patches betweenshots for the other three shot strings. The barrel was cleaned with two very wet patches and two dry patches between each 5-shot string. Both temperature and humidity were in the high 80's.

The strange part of the results was that average velocity for the 70 grain load was less than the 65 grain load. I can only guess that this was because the 65 grainshot string started with a "cold" gun, and all other loads were with steady shooting,only taking time to change the target between shot strings andload each round.

The dissapointing part wasthe best 100 yard group was 2 & 7/8 inches. No adjustments were made to the scope during the shooting because I was only interested in group size - not placement in relation to the aiming point.

Targets follow:

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Need to add one more thing.By the timeI finished thoseshot strings with 3+ inch groups,I began to wonder if my shooting was the problem.So, I loaded up with 80 grains pyrodex and 300 grain Hornady 45-300 SST's (a load I know shoots well in this gun) and proceeded to shoot a one-inch 100 yard group with that load. AH! The relief!

Yes, it is good to have a reference point of a good load and bullet/sabot/primer combination to fall back on. Bottom line is that maybe none of these may work well in your gun, I would try them again on another day and see if they work. if not then stick with your proven SW. Chap Gleason

You'r right about that, Chap. Without a reference point I would have been wondering.

I have a pack of HPH-24 sabots, and Sabotloader was kind enough to send me a sample pack with 4 each of HPH-12s, Harverter Shorts, Harverter Longs and HPH 3 Petal EZs. My next range session will be five 4-shot groups withthose and 75 grains T-7 FFFG and300 grainGold Dots. Should be an interesting comparison of sabot effect.

So many load combinations, so little time. I love this stuff.

Those are interesting results. Actually not all that bad of shooting. If you considered that center dot the point of aim on a deer, you would still be eating venison if you aimed middle shoulder.

I think you simply discovered that the rifle likes Pyrodex over Triple Se7en. Perhaps the FFFg threw the rifle into fits. Shooting sabots, my rifles like the FFg over the FFFg. Shooting conicals on the other hand, the fast burning powder I think gets them moving faster and gives me better accuracy.

Nice testing there...

Semisane -

I'd defiinitely like to see the results of the same bullets with thePyrodex powder at similar velocities. Makes me wonder if there is a difference in the fouling caused by the two powders in that particular gun. Ah the mystery of the muzzleloader.