Shiloh Rifle Forums

For the 2nd time in a week, I arrived at the range (20 mile drive) with my '63 carbine, minus caps and my cleaning cradle. The 1st time, I had something else to shoot with me, so it wasn't a total waste.

So, I drove home, picked up the missing items and headed into the boonies a short distance from home.
I paced off 100 yds and sat down to shoot. No benches in the bush.
Then I noticed the bugs ...... I was wearing shorts and had no bug juice. Oh well .....

My Lyman 515141 bullets and 55 grs FFg gave me a 5 shot group measuring 3 3/4"V x 5"H. Shooting from a bench would have cut that in half. I cleaned the bore with a couple of wet patches and dried it.

The wheel weight bullets put 5 rds into 2"V x 5 1/2"H. I can't account for the horizontal stringing other than the fact that I was busy swatting mosquitoes between blow tubing and loading. I even had to blow them off the front sight! A smack on my leg would kill half a dozen!

Both loads printed 2-3" below POA with the 100 yd sight setting.
Then I walked up to 50 yds for the off hand.

My bullets put three rds into 2 3/4", 2 bullets touching. They impacted 2" above POA. No blow tubing between shots. The wheel weight bullets put 3 rds into 4 1/4", 2" above POA.

So what did I learn, other than to not wear shorts and have bug juice with me in the bush?
This is the second time I've fired wheel weight bullets out of a '63 and both times, my alloy bullets have proven more accurate by a narrow margin. For casual plinking and rock busting, the ww bullets are acceptable.
For hunting, I definitely would use my own. Neither prints the 1st rd into the group, so a fouling shot is essential.

Fouling was a problem, causing me to spritz a little cleaning solution to aid in dropping the block. I had filled the block cavity with grease. After cleaning at home, I got a brain wave ....

I filled the block cavity with the ML patch lube I concoct and spread a film of it on the face of the block. Having a non-petroleum base, this ought to prove beneficial. Next time ......

I filled the block cavity with the ML patch lube I concoct and spread a film of it on the face of the block. Having a non-petroleum base, this ought to prove beneficial. Next time ......

That's what I do with Wonder lube. works well. Nice shooting by the way.

rooster-rancher

Don't know why it never occured to me before that ML patch lube would be a good idea to keep a '63 block from seizing up, instead of a petroleum based grease.

Considering that the '63 carbine was regarded as a cavalry close combat weapon, I'm always surprised at it's accuracy potential.

I just bought a magazine on all the current 'bull pup' design fighting rifles, and they are in the same league, producing 2-3 moa for close range street fighting, the wave of the future.

The odd one produces sub 2" groups at 50 yards with optical sights, which I can do with the '63 carbine and the Lawrence/blade combo. Of course, there is a slight difference in the rate of fire ......