Regarding Sights, Recent Shooting

[gmartin]

To all,
Yesterday, 8/1/04, I spent 6 hours at a private improvised range I created, shooting my .54 carbine to narrow my groups for our postal shoot. I have been working hard recently to prepare loads to see just what works better than others using combinations of powder charges, paper both nitrated and not, fillers (tissue, cornmeal, and my latest attempt, Malt-O-Meal), all with various soft alloys with one bullet, my Shiloh Bufalo Slug. Actually rose to 102 degrees with a very stiff SW breeze or over and across my right shoulder. Shot 63 rounds from a table with a barrel rest at 100 and once at 120 yds., the distance of a duck silhouette sitting on fence cross piece. 5 shot groups with the first shot, or fouling shot at the ducky. (thus 6 shot strings and wiped bore)
To compensate for an unusual amount of drift to the left by my bullets, (6" direction of wind, never seen that before) I tapped my sight right.
And made it worse.
Always wondered about this. My sight proper seems to be free floating between the the ears of carrier and tapping it simply made the sight block snug up to the left of the left hand side. I played around going right, then left, then right, until finally I was shooting POA.
What about this? I have owned this rifle for 26 years and though I have noticed this tendency to snug up to one side or the other it was never as diffilcult to manage as yesterday. Ugh!
I kept missing the duck, no wonder, I was shooting way to the left. (Plus it's 20 yards. further away)
My groups were not steller, 4'' to over 6" at 100 yds., and I've been shooting much better than that recently.
I finally decided that I was going to determine the bullet drop at ducky so I moved the target back to that distance after obtaining my correct POA. Idea was to shoot 3 rounds and then finally knock that thing off it's exulted post.
3 shots equaled a group unheard of for me, 4" low as thought, but decent. So I decided to bite the bullet and shoot 2 more for my 5 shot group, knowing I was going to blow it to heck. I could barely see the bull of the B-8 pistol target. One touched a hole already there and crap, the other 5 1/2 " down.
The 4 good shots were 1 1/4" H X 1 7/8" at 120 yards. This with a cartridge of cotton tracing paper, un-nitrated, 60 g. Scheutzen, tissue filler and Buffalo Slug. Then I knocked that duck down.
In the heat the Crisco and Wonder Lube in my box melted, but the lube of essesentially Rich Siegels's was fine.
I believe that un-nitrated paper left less crud, and finally saw a difference in my Pyrodex loads V. BP., the groups were larger.
Everybody's advice ringing in my head, I tried it all. I thought I was going to bag tissue as filler for the cereals, but geez, now I don't know.
This is just too fun! (tried to blow out some chamber crud my blow tube wouldn't get, my mouth to muzzle, that wasn't fun, thought my barrel was hot)
Best, Gregg

[Guest]

Sorry,
That was a SE wind, the granulation of Scheutzen was 2fg, and the alloy was plumber's pipe, hope fully close to pure lead as can be.
Gregg

[HvyMtl]

Hi Gregg

I think your changing too much at once, if you get somthing shooting pretty good just change it slightly. and only try one or two loads at once.
If you get a good group work with that load, and only change one thing at a time.

I don't know if anyone has been e-mailing me lately because I haven't been getting anything. E-mail me with somthing so I could see if it's working.

Thanks

Ken

[gmartin]

Ken,
Yes, you are correct, but in my enthusiasm I tried to work out 'the" load that performs best. Actually did find out some valuable information though.
I believe a filler of cereals or tissue matters, but how much? Any body help me who has an opinion?
As well, who else has a Lawrence sight that travels as mine does, disconcerting to work with.
Do have a pet load for the Postal Shoot that I intend to use in all confidence however.
I have forwarded some info. to you Ken regarding the shoot.
Any body is welcome to participate past the four of us.
Best, Gregg