40-65 WCF Bullet test.

[oldrodder]

It was a wet day at the range today! I don't know if that would affect the results of this test, but i was disappointed in the Snover bullet today. It shot better last week!
Load was 32 Grs IMR 4895 Fed Match LR primers, Starline brass.
First, the Snover:

Next the N.O.E.:

This one is a Lyman "Bore rider" mould that I borrowed from Buck.

The first shot was just off the paper, the next one was barely on the paper and the next 3 were clustered in a tight little group!

And last is a 385 Gr. Lyman mould that casts a very pointed bullet.

I will add a photo of the bullets later. Photos are added.
I should mention that all bullets were cast from 1-20 alloy, powder coated "clear" and lubed with SPG in case I want to load them with Holy Black!

 

[iron cat]

That NOE bullet shoots great!
Cat

 

[MC One Shot]

What velocities are you pushing with the IMR 4895? You should repeat these with BP. Keep in mind these were designed for use with BP.

 

[oldrodder]

What velocities are you pushing with the IMR 4895? You should repeat these with BP. Keep in mind these were designed for use with BP.

MC: According to Lyman's Cast Bullet manual, 1473 fps. As I stated previously, I'm still working out the intricacies of loading accurate cartridges with BP. On the subject of velocities, back in the mid 80's I bought a "Chrony" chronograph. I dug it out of storage three days ago, where it been since new, unused to this day!

 

[fingers284]

Interesting test Old, I found it interesting that you lubed with SPG after coating, would be interesting to do a comparison test with the same slugs with just the clearcoat.

That "Buck" slug deserves another look I think, 3 very promising shots and 2 that I would suspect to have mold deficiency's of some kind, air voids or something. Makes you wonder if the 3 were indicative of what's possible with them or just a shooting coincidence that they happened to hit where they landed.

 

[oldrodder]

Thank you all for your comments/suggestions. I will repeat the test using BP and one more time using Powder coated boolits without SPG lube. I will also weigh the boolits in order to weed out mould deficiencies.
BTW Fingers, Buck's boolit was shot without lube.

 

[iron cat]

Thank you all for your comments/suggestions. I will repeat the test using BP and one more time using Powder coated boolits without SPG lube. I will also weigh the boolits in order to weed out mould deficiencies.
BTW Fingers, Buck's boolit was shot without lube.

Is it possible you pulled the two that are over to the right, Old rodder?
The other ones are very impressive!
I was fighting big wind and failing light again yesterday evening but did get one really nice 5 shot group at 200 meters withmy paper patched bullets and BP.
1 1/2" vertical and and 2" windage , this was my last group on a steel plate when the wind dropped- then I ran out of bullets!
Cat

 

[iron cat]

Double tap!

 

[fingers284]

Is it possible you pulled the two that are over to the right, Old rodder?
The other ones are very impressive!
I was fighting big wind and failing light again yesterday evening but did get one really nice 5 shot group at 200 meters withmy paper patched bullets and BP.
1 1/2" vertical and and 2" windage , this was my last group on a steel plate when the wind dropped- then I ran out of bullets!
Cat

If I can get a group like that at 200 I'd be very pleased. years ago i did some 500 M cast bullet shooting and could get a 9" group but since then I have been limited to a 100 yrd range here at home...but I just completed a new shooting avenue that can accommodate 200 & 300 yrd shooting safely into a hillside...and if this damn heat wave quits for a while so I feel like doing something, I'll give er a try.

 

[iron cat]

If I can get a group like that at 200 I'd be very pleased. years ago i did some 500 M cast bullet shooting and could get a 9" group but since then I have been limited to a 100 yrd range here at home...but I just completed a new shooting avenue that can accommodate 200 & 300 yrd shooting safely into a hillside...and if this damn heat wave quits for a while so I feel like doing something, I'll give er a try.

I was pleased for sure especially as it's a new too me rifle, but there are a couple of points I need to stress
The first one is that it was the last of a series of 25 rounds
The second , was it was only ONE group! LOL!! The rest were pretty much twice that size, or fairly nice but with fliers here and there because of any number of things, in other words, no consistency , so the last group I am counting as a fluke on my part.
HOWEVER, danged near any of the 25 rounds I shot would have hit the lung area of an elk or moose, and that gives me hope !

I am hoping oldrodder will post back in soon with a range report using black powder, some of his groups using 4895 were great!
Cat

 

[cdnrokon]

I would say the 400gr looks better, a local guy shoots 40/65 and 40/60 Maynard both rifles like paper patched bullets he uses BP only.
another shooter had the spaghetti sharps in 45/70 and to everyone surprise the factory crown was horrible.
a hand crank Manson recrown tool fixed it up great. so good the master class shooters at the CSI in Saskatchewan started to take notice and get a little nervous.

what mix are you using for bullet lead? any chance to find a paper patch mould to try? or a saeco #640 or try the #740

groups at 50 should almost be touching, groups at 200 2-3 inch so when you are way out there you can still get it on the Ram and just worry about windage.

 

[oldrodder]

I would say the 400gr looks better, a local guy shoots 40/65 and 40/60 Maynard both rifles like paper patched bullets he uses BP only.
another shooter had the spaghetti sharps in 45/70 and to everyone surprise the factory crown was horrible.
a hand crank Manson recrown tool fixed it up great. so good the master class shooters at the CSI in Saskatchewan started to take notice and get a little nervous.

what mix are you using for bullet lead? any chance to find a paper patch mould to try? or a saeco #640 or try the #740

groups at 50 should almost be touching, groups at 200 2-3 inch so when you are way out there you can still get it on the Ram and just worry about windage.

I just loaded up some test rounds with Old Eynsford 1 1/2Fg. My plan is to replicate the test with the same 4 boolits at 100yds. I don't have access to a PP mould for the 40 cal. I paper patch for .30 cal, 9.3, 38-55 and 45. My friend Buck has a 40-70 that he built on a Swedish Rolling Block. He provided the "Buck" mould for my tests. Every body around here is hooked on the 45-70!...as am I, I have several in different configurations: 3 Pedersoli's, 1 Browning 1885 and a Ruger #1 and a Marlin CB. A few are shooting 45-100's and one fella shoots a 45-120.
BTW, my alloy is 20-1

 

[iron cat]

Shot my 40/65 again today and was very impressed with the 200 meter accuracy!
56 grains of FFG and a milk carton wad, COL is 2.875
5 shot group was 3" at 200 with a high and low flyer but the three in the center were 3/4"!
Cat

 

[oldrodder]

Shot my 40/65 again today and was very impressed with the 200 meter accuracy!
56 grains of FFG and a milk carton wad, COL is 2.875
5 shot group was 3" at 200 with a high and low flyer but the three in the center were 3/4"!
Cat

Cat:
you must have a fair bit of compression to get 56 grs of powder in that case!! I was only able to get 50 grs of 1 1/2Fg with a 060" veggie wad and .250" compression.
Mike

 

[iron cat]

Cat:
you must have a fair bit of compression to get 56 grs of powder in that case!! I was only able to get 50 grs of 1 1/2Fg with a 060" veggie wad and .250" compression.
Mike

YUUUUPPPP!
Works super though!
Cat

 

[cdnrokon]

Hey Cat when you say milk carton wad are you talking the wax coated paper square carton ,some people use the plastic jug as well ?
Two fg powder Goex ? or Old E , more compression is needed for Goex not so much for Old E and almost none for Swiss



QUOTE=iron cat;18179599]Shot my 40/65 again today and was very impressed with the 200 meter accuracy!
56 grains of FFG and a milk carton wad, COL is 2.875
5 shot group was 3" at 200 with a high and low flyer but the three in the center were 3/4"!
Cat[/QUOTE]

 

[iron cat]

Hey Cat when you say milk carton wad are you talking the wax coated paper square carton ,some people use the plastic jug as well ?
Two fg powder Goex ? or Old E , more compression is needed for Goex not so much for Old E and almost none for Swiss



QUOTE=iron cat;18179599]Shot my 40/65 again today and was very impressed with the 200 meter accuracy!
56 grains of FFG and a milk carton wad, COL is 2.875
5 shot group was 3" at 200 with a high and low flyer but the three in the center were 3/4"!
Cat

[/QUOTE]

Waxed carboard milk carton and Goex , yup.
The bottom group was 51 grains of FFFG BTW, this danged rifle will shoot Spaghetti Sharps or not!! LOL
Cat

 

[oldrodder]

That's fine shooting there, Cat! Pedersoli & Uberti make good rifles. The only Italian maker I had a problem with was Chiappa!

 

[iron cat]

That's fine shooting there, Cat! Pedersoli & Uberti make good rifles. The only Italian maker I had a problem with was Chiappa!

THANKS!
Never owned a Chiappa, but I have owned several Italian BPCR guns,an Armi San Marco 45/110 Sharps, Uberti 40/65 Highwall, and a Navy Arms 50/140-3 1/4" Roller, all were nice rifles.
Cat

 

[oldrodder]

More bullet testing with BP.

Just got back from the range after testing the same 4 boolits loaded with BP.
Loading protocol:
Unsized Starline brass. CCI LR primers
All charges weighed. 24" drop tube, 060" veggie wad.
All boolits were weighed to +.5 gr. Powder coated "clear" and lubed with SPG & sized .410"
.250" compression, Boolit hand seated with just enough taper crimp to hold the boolit in place.
Shooting protocol:
From a clean bore, 2 fouling shots to check the point of impact, relative to IMR4895.
Pushed 1 patch, dampened with #13 Bore Cleaner, between each shot.
I had a problem seeing my point of aim! Next time I will use the solid blk targets!!
1st target is the Snover.

Next is the N.O.E. There are 6 holes in this target because I fired one of Buck's boolits on the wrong target!!! The far left hole is Buck's. I'm blaming it on 76 yr old eyes!!!

Buck's Boolits.

And last is the 385 Gr Lyman 410660.

I will try Goex 2Fg next. Along with a primer change: Federal Match LR. I knew this was going to be a "Rabbit Hole"!!!