Part of the range report

Once again tried some stuff in .45-70, and had a pleasant surprise. 

Few days before I'd found a small jar in the garage that was full of 230-grain roundnose bullets, sized .450, for .45acp.  Which made me think(sometimes a dangerous thing), and I cast some more: some sized to .452, some left as-cast.  All got the three-wrap paper patch with onionskin, then a wipe with lube and through the .459 sizer, then loaded to 2.54" overall over the same ten grains of Green Dot I've been using with the 255-grain semi-wadcutters.  Results, all at 50 yards off a solid rest.
Bullet sized .450"

Bullet sized .452"

Bullet unsized

Reasonably windy, but from this I'd say these bullets unsized win.  And, since I was able to set up the Chrony that day, I know the velocity averaged ~1225fps.  Which is moving right along.

Further experiment: took some of the 255-grain SWC bullets on which the sides were flawed(hadn't filled-out completely when cast*), I was curious if this would have much affect on accuracy, or if they'd still do reasonably well.  Same distance, over the same 10.0 Green Dot:
With perfect(within reason) sides

Yes, that's three in that bottom hole.

With flawed sides

BIG difference.  So from now on, no flawed bases(previous experiment) or sides for real accuracy.

And, just to see how they'd shoot, some of the .255 cast of pure lead

That spread is well within my error factor.  That soft a bullet, at that velocity, ought to expand pretty well on a soft target.

Reason for that test was something that came up once before using full-power loads with a 405-grain bullet.  Found that it shot that bullet with no patch, just lube in the grooves, quite well, but the same bullet of pure lead gave much wider group.  However, put that same bullet in a paper patch, and it works quite well.  Same thing with this rifle.
Lubed bullet, crimped in first lube groove, over 26.0 of A5744, 100 yards

Patched pure-lead bullet, same load and range,

For these the bullets were seated to overall length of 2.6", and the crimp was done with a Lee Factory Crimp die.

See why I like it?

One last thing I tried: 100 yards, three of the 255-grain loads, left hand resting on the front rest:

In no way am I going to bitch about that performance, which was a pleasant surprise.  And this was with the same sight setting as for the 405-grain loads.   No, didn't try the 230-grain loads, shot all those at 50.  There will be more.

By the time I finished this, put my stuff away, and scrounged for brass for a few minutes, I was about ready to melt. 


*Not flawed all over, mostly there'd be a place along one side where this happened.