Notes from the Range....

[2 Dogs]

Many of you know I recently sent and got back 2 model 97s from FA. My 45 Colt got a new barrel and my 357 got a new 38 special cylinder and an action job. However, while visiting with my friend Bob Baker and lamenting my leading issues he offered that the problem I was having might not lie with the barrel. He explained that he used a reamer to "ease" the abrupt shoulder that separated the chamber from the throat. Who am I to argue with Bob Baker?

Today I went out and was testing some loads in both of those sixguns. My 97 with the 38 special cylinder showed promise right from the get go. I hung a few Lee Martin style targets and here is the first group I shot with the 38 special. I was shooting a 125 grain swaged bullet on WW231 at very moderate velocity. If anything is going to lead, it would be a soft swaged bullet but these did not. To say I was pleased would be an understatement....

I fired a total of 35 of these swaged 38 loads and the barrel stayed nice, clean and sharp inside with no sign of leading. I swapped the 38 cylinder for the 357 magnum and tried some 110 grain 357s. I have tried this load in several sixguns but none seemed to like it, but I figured I didnt have anything to lose. This is the most consistent I have seen this load shoot. Of course I will need a lower front sight for it! If I can get either my buddy Glenn Swaggart or Scott Ambler to EVER invite me to Kansas to shoot Jackrabbits I may rezero this gun for this load....

I have also been working with this Mihec 45 Colt bullet with a maw for a hollowpoint. If you dont know about Mihec cramer style molds you are missing out big. Anyway, this bullet weighs about 218 grains and just screams, "shoot me! SHOOT ME!" It just fits in the model 97 cylinder and I have tried WC820 and H4227 in it so far without the results I am looking for.

I did try it in my Harton 45 Ruger 5.5" sixgun. 22.0 grains of 4227 yielded nice and tidy groups and bucked like a 101 year old mare named Buttermilk. Here is a pic of the target after several groups and sight adjustments to include a horrible flyer!!!

The Lee Martin style targets work quite well for me despite my eyesight issues. I wonder is a square bull in the center would make a difference. Im curious to know how many of you have tried this particular target and what you think of it?I fired between 80 and 100 rounds today and my 51 year old eyes sure seem to get fatigued. My Smith and Wessons didnt show up this week. Surely they will be here Monday and I will have more work to do. The big question in my mind is, what powder to try next to get that big Mihec HP to shoot out of my FA97 45? Here is a pic of the Harton 45 Colt.

[Deleted]

Jackrabbit's and Freedom Arms? Not around here.....

[2 Dogs]

You cant keep em' all to yourself forever Scotty....

[AxeHandle]

Dawgs... Lots of stuff going on here. Let's talk more about that big HP and the effect on characteristics like the BC and the center of gravity. Does the physics of the bullet in flight see the full length of the bullet or is it seeing something else? I remember hearing HP rifle shooters talk about the HP rifle bullets being better because the bullet would make a "perfect point" out of air when a solid pointed bullet's point had to be "perfect." If this HP is giving the flight physics the idea that the bullet is longer that makes it all even more cattywhompus. ideas?

[2 Dogs]

I really dont know yet. I will have to shoot it at 50 and 100 yards. My gut tells me it outta fold a Texas Whitetail like a lawn chair at typical sixgun ranges....

[Frank V]

Nice groups!
Do you attribute the non leading of the swaged .38s to the smooth bore on your FA? I'd be interested in hearing a bit more about that HP too. Wow you could drink coffee from that.
Thanks for sharing.
Frank

[2 Dogs]

I just dont know Frank. It is just one of those cases where everything fit up just right. As an aside, my brother has used this particular load to lay low several trapped hogs. He tells me it is a killer of the first order.

I really like that great big HP 45 Colt bullet. I plan to try it in my 625 and 325 and...... LOL....

[dmize]

From my meager experience there is something really odd about swaged bullets...
Way back, when I got my 44-40 Vaquero it leaded like a well pipe using my 240 grain commercial "keith" bullets,and some commercial 200 grain RNFP's. I slugged the barrel and measured throats and both of those bullets were .430 which was supposed to work. Getting really upset I was visiting Whittakers gun shop in Ky with my cousin and he had 2 boxes of Hornady 240 grain swaged bullets,they shoot AWESOME!!! even when loaded to near 44 mag velocities. I have had the same experience with the "old" Remington swaged 45 Colt bullets.

[zeus]

Too dang hot to chase them rabbits right now buddy. But....their time is coming

[anglia48]

Excellent groups

[Frank V]

Thanks 2Dogs

I would enjoy reading more range reports with that bullet. I'll bet it performs very well on game.

I know these powders are old school, but I'd try 2400 & for moderate loads Unique. I've had very good accuracy from Titegroup & HP38/WW231 in the .45 Colt too, but I do load Colt level loads. I am also coming to like Herco for moderate loads.
Frank

[sal]

I've used those targets now for about 10 years. I use a 1" black shoot and see. I don't do so well with orange. The white background makes it easy to see hits at 50 yrds fairly easy. Good shooten and nice gun.

[Lee Martin]

Really nice work Fermin. Glad my plate targets worked well for you.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Building carpal tunnel one round at a time"

[subsonic]

Jul 21, 2012 18:11:18 GMT -5 dmize said:

From my meager experience there is something really odd about swaged bullets...
Way back, when I got my 44-40 Vaquero it leaded like a well pipe using my 240 grain commercial "keith" bullets,and some commercial 200 grain RNFP's. I slugged the barrel and measured throats and both of those bullets were .430 which was supposed to work. Getting really upset I was visiting Whittakers gun shop in Ky with my cousin and he had 2 boxes of Hornady 240 grain swaged bullets,they shoot AWESOME!!! even when loaded to near 44 mag velocities. I have had the same experience with the "old" Remington swaged 45 Colt bullets.

+1

Maybe it's the lube? Maybe it's the shape?

[subsonic]

I shoot a lot of plates up close and with scopes or red-dot sights.

Here is what I think about sixgun targets with iron sights:

The target backers at my range are black. Put black sights on a black backer and you can't define the edges (or at least I can't). I like a white target background that is big enough that I can get most of the sight picture on it, especially the gap between the sights with a little wiggle room to spare. 8.5x11 is plenty good at 25yds, but marginal at 50 when turned sideways. I also like a big enough aiming point that I can focus on the front sight without the aiming point disappearing. This probably depends on the eyes viewing it, but something on the order of 3" wide per 25yds seems to work. While I have tried squares and circles, double triangles work about as well as anything and I think, at least for me, the circle beats the square for some reason. Maybe it's my natural tendency to center at 6 o'clock on a circle, whereas a square has no defined "bottom center" to line up, leading to more horizontal dispersion. Some folks like a big "T" shaped target for irons, but not me. A pair of black triangles, like this^^, are easy to see and the place where the corners meet in the middle draws my eye to center it up, but maybe not any better than a circle.. jury still out. Wish I had more steel to shoot at my range! Steel beats paper any day!