Range Report 6-8-2016

[Pete]

there won't be any chronograph data with today's report. Turned it on when I went to shoot and the thing went haywire on me. Called the Manf. this morning and they felt it was the cable between the chrono and the cell phone. So a new one is on the way.

But below is the target & bullet I shot with the data I can provide.

As usual the shots circled are the foulers. Clearly shows why when changing loads I don't include the first one in the group. Some of you will get excited about #4. It is good but I don't like the fouler being well outside the group. Seems to indicate if I'd fired that load at a deer, or something, the first shot out of a cold clean gun might not have got the job done. The last group shows the fouler is in the group where I like it to be, and will be with a load the gun likes.

All targets were shot at 50 yds. and the powder was Titegroup.

Target #1 shot with 4.0 grs.
Target #2 shot with 4.2 grs.
Target #3 shot with 4.4 grs.
Target #4 shot with 4.6 grs.
Target #5 shot with 4.8 grs.
Target 36 shot with 5.0 grs.

Target #6 seems to indicate I should run it up another grain next week and see what happens



The bullet is the one I used and if you have Lyman's #4 Cast Bullet handbook you will see that it's a bit different. I think this might be from the influence of the Cowboy shooters. When you apply the crimp in the groove for it the OAL is the Max. listed for the .357 Mag.Also notice the the nose is also quite a bit different than in the Manual. The cartridge with this bullet feeds thru the gun as smooth as silk without the little hangup sometimes I got with bullets where I had to crip in the top band so as not to exceed the Max. OAL.

Should have the new cable by the next shooting session so hopefully I can get some data to go along with the target.

Pete

[CT_Shooter]

Thanks for the report, Pete. It's very interesting to me to follow your progress as you develop your load and to read your comments about what you like and don't about your results. Cool. I appreciate it.

[RanchRoper]

Very interesting to read. Thanks.

[Deadwood Dutch]

Thanks for your report, they are always very detailed.

[Sir Henry]

All the foulers seems to be in the same spot or area.

[Pete]

Thanks for the kind words guys. Glad your getting some benefit from them.

Sir Henry,

Your right about the foulers. Also notice that most of the group don't wander to far from the same area. I'm sure if someone had the program they would probably find they revolve around a common center since the sights weren't changed for the whole session and there was a gusty winds coming in from 2 o'clock.

There are a lot of shooters who rely on the fact that foulers do tend to land in the same area. A lot of loads will never put the first shot into the center of the group. Knowing where your first shot will go out of a cold, clean gun is something every hunter.should know. I just like to work up loads that put them all into the overall group. Makes life easier.

An interesting experiment would be to plot where all the foulers lay on a separate target just to see what would show up. Might give that a try the next time out.

Pete

[Sir Henry]

Great idea to have a separate fouler target. In the fall of each year our range to open to anyone wanting to sight in a rifle. Often they come out and shoot three times and leave. And those might be the only three rounds they ever take outside of actual hunting.

[Pete]

Sir Henry,

Dang it all. Now you went and got me all fired up to see what a fouler target would look like. Never thot about it till you pointed it out. Shouldn't be to hard to set up. The idea I came up with won't be dead accurate but should be pretty close and easy to do.

Even tho Iowa is almost exclusively shotgun for Deer hunting the three shot sight-in applies here too. I grew up in Wisc. Same thing there. What really scared me tho was the guys talking about the "sound" shots they took.

Pete

[Pete]

Sir Henry,

Here you go. A composite of the 6 Fouling shots from 6-8-16. Tried two different ways of getting the shots over onto a clean target. Not really happy with either one, but these are pretty close transfer.

Pete

[Sir Henry]

Sir Henry,

Here you go. A composite of the 6 Fouling shots from 6-8-16. Tried two different ways of getting the shots over onto a clean target. Not really happy with either one, but these are pretty close transfer.

Pete

That looks like your second best group of the day.