Cannonballs, Carbines, and Competition with the .41 Mag
Feb 18, 2016 15:36:43 GMT -5
Lee Martin, Doc Barranti, and 4 more like this
Post by hoover on Feb 18, 2016 15:36:43 GMT -5
After a long hiatus following hunting season and the Holidays, I figured it was time to get back to the range and do some shooting. I was starting to have withdrawals, and 34” of snow delayed my solution for another 2 weeks. I figured it was a good time to tryout my Christmas present. I had received a cannon, the ultimate big bore, one to make Lee Martin green with envy, and decided to hitch it in back of my Suburban and make my way up the PA turnpike and try it out with Doc helping me. I had cast and PC some cannon balls for it and loaded them in back of the Suburban. Every time I stopped, started, or turned too fast, they would roll around, clanking like sledgehammers driving in railroad spikes. I met Doc at his range, to save time, and fire this beast up! Being devout Skeeter fans, we came up with a Skeeter load of sorts, or perhaps a “Jug” Johnson load? Instead of 7.5 grains of Unique, it would be 7.5 pounds of Unique seated under the 250 pound canon ball. Besides testing for velocity and accuracy, we wanted to test penetration and any expansion on the projectile. Under the guild of research and science, I volunteered to be the test dummy. Ethan’s old trampoline would be our backdrop, in the name of safety, and as always, safety goggles were worn. Doc filmed the entire event to capture this experiment and record it for any historical significance. It was also posted on Youtube so that more people can be educated.
youtu.be/lH45xpTASiw
Feeling a little ornery from lack of trigger time, I tried to think of something a little on the diabolical side, and a way to get more bang for my buck. When I first started PC last year, I immediately was impressed with the accuracy I obtained with the sometimes troublesome Marlin leverguns in 1894 Model with cast slugs. A rather finicky .44 Mag 1894 was particularly giving me fits. PC corrected everything. It turned my rifle into a tack driver. My .41 Mag 1894 was almost just as finicky. I had yet to try PC slugs in it. So now we have the first gun to shoot. Being the first time out, I wanted to make it easy on myself, so I picked a tried a true performer, and went with my Ruger Bisley Hunter in .41 Mag that also has a Leupold 4X scope mounted on it, using the Ruger Rings that came with the gun. The scope was obtained from from buddy Glenn Swaggart years ago, and has performed with yeoman like service. So my mission today was to sight in the Marlin and at the same time, have a friendly .41 Mag competition with the scoped Bisley Hunter.
Past experience has taught me that one of my most accurate loads in .41 Mag includes the 250 grain LBT WFN with plain base, loaded over 17 grains of 2400. Back in 2009, I went on an elk hunt with sixshot, and he walloped his elk with this slug. He loaned me the mold to take home, cast a pile of them, and shipped the mold back. I probably cast a lifetime supply of those slugs at that time. This load goes just over 1,300 fps in my gun.
Shooting was done at 50 yards. The Bisley Hunter was rested on a shot bag of crushed walnut hulls (makes it nice to carry) on top of a 4”X6” block of wood. I would be aiming at florescent orange 2”X2” squares. Groups were 5 shots.
I had installed a Williams 5D peep sight a while ago on the Marlin 1894 .41 Mag, and had yet to sight it in. This would be its maiden voyage with the peep. I also installed a Express front sight with white line on the 1894. This combo gave me a super sight picture. Shooting of the carbine was done with my left hand on the walnut hull bag with the carbine forearm jauntily perched between my thumb and index finger. Not proper bench shooting technique by any means, but when shooting lever guns, cowboy proper. The stock was just tucked in my shoulder, no sandbag.
The first group from the carbine was about 4” low. The peep was adjusted, and the second group was just about right. I shot groups of 8 for the carbine.
The Bisley lived up to its past performance showing roughly 2” groups for 5 shots at 50 yards, with 3 usually snuggling in to around an inch. The Marlin kept about 6 of 8 into 1 ½” at 50 yards, pretty good considering the technique used to shoot it with. It was about 20 degrees out while shooting, with a slight breeze. There is still some snow left over from 2 weeks ago. All in all, it was a good day! Can’t let Bradshaw have all the fun in the snow and cold.
youtu.be/lH45xpTASiw
Feeling a little ornery from lack of trigger time, I tried to think of something a little on the diabolical side, and a way to get more bang for my buck. When I first started PC last year, I immediately was impressed with the accuracy I obtained with the sometimes troublesome Marlin leverguns in 1894 Model with cast slugs. A rather finicky .44 Mag 1894 was particularly giving me fits. PC corrected everything. It turned my rifle into a tack driver. My .41 Mag 1894 was almost just as finicky. I had yet to try PC slugs in it. So now we have the first gun to shoot. Being the first time out, I wanted to make it easy on myself, so I picked a tried a true performer, and went with my Ruger Bisley Hunter in .41 Mag that also has a Leupold 4X scope mounted on it, using the Ruger Rings that came with the gun. The scope was obtained from from buddy Glenn Swaggart years ago, and has performed with yeoman like service. So my mission today was to sight in the Marlin and at the same time, have a friendly .41 Mag competition with the scoped Bisley Hunter.
Past experience has taught me that one of my most accurate loads in .41 Mag includes the 250 grain LBT WFN with plain base, loaded over 17 grains of 2400. Back in 2009, I went on an elk hunt with sixshot, and he walloped his elk with this slug. He loaned me the mold to take home, cast a pile of them, and shipped the mold back. I probably cast a lifetime supply of those slugs at that time. This load goes just over 1,300 fps in my gun.
Shooting was done at 50 yards. The Bisley Hunter was rested on a shot bag of crushed walnut hulls (makes it nice to carry) on top of a 4”X6” block of wood. I would be aiming at florescent orange 2”X2” squares. Groups were 5 shots.
I had installed a Williams 5D peep sight a while ago on the Marlin 1894 .41 Mag, and had yet to sight it in. This would be its maiden voyage with the peep. I also installed a Express front sight with white line on the 1894. This combo gave me a super sight picture. Shooting of the carbine was done with my left hand on the walnut hull bag with the carbine forearm jauntily perched between my thumb and index finger. Not proper bench shooting technique by any means, but when shooting lever guns, cowboy proper. The stock was just tucked in my shoulder, no sandbag.
The first group from the carbine was about 4” low. The peep was adjusted, and the second group was just about right. I shot groups of 8 for the carbine.
The Bisley lived up to its past performance showing roughly 2” groups for 5 shots at 50 yards, with 3 usually snuggling in to around an inch. The Marlin kept about 6 of 8 into 1 ½” at 50 yards, pretty good considering the technique used to shoot it with. It was about 20 degrees out while shooting, with a slight breeze. There is still some snow left over from 2 weeks ago. All in all, it was a good day! Can’t let Bradshaw have all the fun in the snow and cold.