No one has made a new post here for a few days, so I thought I would pose a question. This past Sat. I shot my LRE in 45-110 for the first time and did my sighting in at 500 yds during a match. Had pretty good results with 92 grs of Swiss 1 1/2, in a reformed Win. .348 case, Fed LR primer, poly wad .030 thick, Paul Jones Smerker AA bullet 572 grs., cast 30-1, OAL - 3.734", there was at the most about 1/16" compression.
Now that the back ground is set, I wish to try and improve accuracy and performance. To do this I was thinking of increasing the powder charge gradually with slightly more compression with each increase. I was going to start with 2 grain increments, but since I am fairly new to this I would value oppinions from more experienced shooters. Thanks in advance for your replies, all are welcome. Randy
Omaha,
Swiss powder is a good shooting powder without compression. But, it never hurts to experiment, as you have suggested. Go for it! A fella should always be going to the range to develop a load, even if you have a good load already. Isn't that the point of shooting BP?
Keep on hav'n fun!
MikeT
Kelley, I must have missed your previous post on Swiss. Like I said I have only been doing BP for not quite a year. If you could point me to your previous post, I would appreciate it. Randy
I posted one under compression increments here on Shiloh. Just compressing powder won't nessarraly make for a better load, primers, neck tension or not to neck tension, bullet design, case type or manufacture, reaming or not to ream flash holes, bullet touching or not touching rifling, full lenght sizing or neck sizing only, wad thickness-wad type material-wad diameter, the manufacture of the powder used and granulation used, lube and the list goes on.
I'd have to say who's powder you used and granulation, Swiss, Goex, Wano, 2F- 3F-1 1/2F-1F,,the primer,bullet design and lube are the most important and you can fit compression in there some where if you choose. And I'm not even going into if a rifle fails to shoot period no matter what is tried, because I've had one that wouldn't hit a barn door from inside the barn with the door closed.
Kelly & others: Here's a good example of when things go wrong. My Lone Star .40-65 was a tackdriver and I won the MT State BPCR Silhouette Championship with it in 2000. Also that year I shot 7 master class scores in 9 matches after hitting on a good Swiss 1 1/2 Fg load. That's about the best I have ever shot.
Then early in 2001 the sear spring on the set triggers went south and I sent it back for repair. After several trips back & forth it would finally work again, but in the years since I've hardly been able to break a 25 with it. And on paper the groups had gotten substantially bigger. Finally I noticed that the hammer fall had gotten "mushy", and gave it to John King to fix. He said the springs in there were binding on one another and when he returned it the hammer was strong and snappy again. Last week I finally got a chance to shoot it. Three consecutive 5 shot groups at 300 yards after one fouling shot, measured 3 1/2, 3 1/4, and 3 1/2 inches. That was with the exact same load I had done so well with in 2000, and been shooting ever since.
So sometimes when a rifle isn't shooting right its not in the components, its in the rifle itself.
Mike,
I was on the lonestar site last night and under target rifles there is a picture of your rolling block. What a beautiful rifle. An almost perfect example of an ANTI ASSAULT RIFLE.
Trigger Dr.
Yep, I remember talking to you about that rifle down here a couple years back. The rifle I had trouble with turned out to be " High-Wall" the action wasn't trued and the barrel wasn't tighening straight with the face of the action, you wouldn't think that would matter, once the action was trued the rifle shot great.Go figure.
Mike, you going to the Arizona State Chamionships the 14,15,16 of Nov.?The 14th. will be the scope match. I'll be there along with Dick, Butch, Kenny Durham and some others, If not I hope you change your mind. Contact is Steve Rhodes, match director. So come on down.
Hey, just a thought, I think the Shiloh Rifle Company needs to be repsented at the Arizona State shoot. How about it Kick and family, it'll be warm and a good group of guys and gals. Just think you will be rubbing shoulders with the best, not talking about Butch, I can put a sock in his mouth for a quiet weekend
Poor Butch, you guys are going to give him a complex. He already told me the other day that he is going to have to quit shooting that 90 because it's hurting him.
Thanks for the invite, I talked to Steve Rhodes just this morning, I would love to, but to damn busy. Some day though, I just hope all you guys aren't in the old folks home when that someday ever gets here. We'll talk to you later, take care. Kirk
Kelly: I would really love to come to that match, but since last spring I've been committed to go to Thunder Ranch in Texas that same week. I'm giving serious thought to coming back to Pala the 1st of March if you guys promise it won't be so cold!
Randy, I have a few questions for you. I was shooting the Shiloh 45-100 on your right at Machias. Have you chronographed your Swiss 1.5 load? I am early in the process of load development for my 2.6. The load I shot at the match was Goex Cartridge 100 grains compressed .400 with a .030 LDPE wad behind a Paul Jones Creedmoor 45001 bullet. They shoot at 1300 fps. I have a Swiss 1F load of 87 grains compressed 0.100 behind the same bullet that shoots a 1295 fps with an almost identical extreme spread of 12. The reason for the question is that I have noticed differences in different lots of Goex (ie: the same volume differs as much as two grains in weight from lot to lot) I have heard that Swiss is more consistent. I do not want to have to work up a new load from scratch every time I buy more powder. How much velocity do you need to be competitive at long range. Is 1295 fps enough or should I be working with Swiss 1.5. It seems for the 45-70 Swiss 1.5 is the answer; I am not so sure for the 45-100. I am trying to decide what to order for a 25 pound powder order. Thanks - Mike Johnson
Mike, how are you doing? That was a fun shoot on Sat at Machias. You were also on my right pulling targets for about an hour and a half But to answer your question, No, I haven't chronographed the load yet. I was going to do it today, but the range was police only today and tomorrow, so I will try to to it Sunday. I also am in the very early stages of developement of this load since Machias was the very first time I shot the new rifle at all, and the load I used was just a first time trial load. I don't have a clue to what the vel. is or anything else!! I am going to chronograph it the very next time I shoot which I hope will be Sunday. Kenny W answered a post I made over on the Goex site about his load in the .45-110, which is 108.5 grs Goex 1F. He is compressing the u-know-what out of it and topping it off with a 540+ grain Paul Jones Creedmore bullet.
I think that 1300 fps vel. should be very competitive depending on how accurate the load is and how clean it shoots.
I will let you know any results I get after clocking my load and future loads.
Are you going to Paul Bunyan on next Sat. ?? I hope so, it was fun shooting with, talking to, and pulling targets with you at Machias. Best Regards. Randy
But to answer your question, No, I haven't chronographed the load yet. I was going to do it today, but the range was police only today and tomorrow, so I will try to to it Sunday. I also am in the very early stages of developement of this load since Machias was the very first time I shot the new rifle at all, and the load I used was just a first time trial load. I don't have a clue to what the vel. is or anything else!! I am going to chronograph it the very next time I shoot which I hope will be Sunday. Kenny W answered a post I made over on the Goex site about his load in the .45-110, which is 108.5 grs Goex 1F. He is compressing the u-know-what out of it and topping it off with a 540+ grain Paul Jones Creedmore bullet.