1,200 Yard .45 Cal Sidelock (Rice Barrels 1:17 Twist)

[Idaholewis]

My new .45 Cal Rice Barrel (1:17 Twist) and a new personal best Shoot. I fell in love with my 1-24 Twist .50 Cal Rice Barrel, And of course my 1:20 Twist Rice as well. In short, My Rice Barrels are my TOP DOGS I ended up ordering this .45 Cal in 1:17 Twist to go with them, A dedicated “Long Ranger“ The Barrel Showed up Friday Morning, I installed a Lee Shaver adjustable front sight, And fitted the Barrel in the same TC Hawken Stock that the 1:24 Twist .50 Cal Rice Rests in. I group shot it Saturday Morning with 2 of my Favorite Long Range .45 Cal Bullets, Both BACO Ellipticals (Paper Patch, and Grease Groove) Both bullets Shot AWESOME, about 3/4 to 1” at 100 Yards. I loaded up Monday morning and headed for 1,200 Yards



The Video


After getting everything setup the Fog Rolled in and had me at a “Stand Stil“ I waited for nearly 2 Hours, it finally lifted and turned out to be a really nice Day

Ranged with my Leica 1600B Rangefinder as well

The Bullet i chose for this outing was my BACO .453 Elliptical, Lubed with my “Modified“ Bullshop’s NASA Lube

Barrel stil in the White, Has a total of 8 Shots fired through it at this Point (From Sighting in at 100 Yards Saturday Morning) It’s 9th Shot was at 1,200 Yards

After the Shoot i came home and Cleaned the Barrel Good, Removed the Front Sight, Under Rib & Thimbles For Engraving & Hot Blueing, I just now got back with it from Engraving, Pictures aren’t the Best here and do it NO Justice, Engraving turned out AMAZING The Barrel goes for Hot Blueing in the Morning

With it‘s 1:17 Twist This is a TRUE “HOTROD Hawken“ I decided to Name it “Eleanor” for the Shelby GT500 in the Movie “Gone in 60 Seconds”

And lastly, Here are the 2 Bullets from Both Shots in the Video above, The bullet on the left is the Shot that hit Left, it was Damaged badly on the underside from a Rock, and the Bullet on the Right is the one that Hit the Steel Plate, If anyone thinks that these BIG Lead Bullets have NOTHING left on them at 1,200 Yards, You better Re-think that BIG Lead continues to be BAD @SS Waaaaaaaaaaaaaay Out there, Smashed Flat as a Razor, That is the Bullet Base you see, even the Sprue Cut

Hot Blueing Turned out SUPER NICE, “Eleanor“ is ready to Roll again

 

[bubba.50]

Awesome as always. Beautiful barrel/rifle.

 

[Beekeeper]

Love hearing that bullet smack the gong. I always enjoy driving those long, 550 grain paper patched bullets out of my Whitworth.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Excellent video.
That first bullet done dug a rabbit hole

 

[fleener]

Got to love it.

What breach plug do you use?

Do you know what kind of steel RIce used for your barrels?

How long did you have to wait for it?

Thanks

Fleener

 

[Throwdown58]

I just ordered a buffalo mold after seeing your last video. Thanks for the all the extra information here. Do you cut your own templates based on the actual measurement of the circumference or do you just use the bac template? I don't understand the thinking of the lube grooves when you are covering them with the paper. Do you feel like under pressure it makes like an impregnated patch as it goes down the bore?

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Looking at the photo, I'd say that target is closer to 1198 yards!!! You have done this before. Nice shot!

 

[Idaholewis]

Got to love it.

What breach plug do you use?

Do you know what kind of steel RIce used for your barrels?

How long did you have to wait for it?

Thanks

Fleener

This was a Fun Shoot, as are all of my Long Range Shoots. This Bullet was in the Air awhile

The Breech plug is made by Rice as well, They are Machined from Solid Bar Stock. These Rice Bullet Barrels are “Match Grade” 4140 Chromoly Steel, they are Left Hand Twist. About a 2 Month Wait.

 

[Idaholewis]

I just ordered a buffalo mold after seeing your last video. Thanks for the all the extra information here. Do you cut your own templates based on the actual measurement of the circumference or do you just use the bac template? I don't understand the thinking of the lube grooves when you are covering them with the paper. Do you feel like under pressure it makes like an impregnated patch as it goes down the bore?

This was not my Paper Patched Bullets, This was my BACO Elliptical Grease Groove, Lubed with my Modified Bullshop NASA Lube. I do shoot a TON Of Paper Patch Bullets, But this wasn’t one of them. Paper Patch is where i started in Muzzleloading, I know a little about them

 

[Throwdown58]

Aha, that's where I lost it. So you are actually swaging your grooves in. That kind of accuracy is surprising. Do you go to any special lengths to make sure the bullet stays straight as you press it in?

 

[Idaholewis]

Excellent video.
That first bullet done dug a rabbit hole

It’s pretty darn amazing what these BIG 530-540 Grain Bullets stil have on them at 1,200 Yards, My Gong is 20X20 inches, 1/2” Thick AR500 Steel, The Gong weighs 60 Pounds. These BIG Bullets hit HARD

 

[Idaholewis]

Aha, that's where I lost it. So you are actually swaging your grooves in. That kind of accuracy is surprising. Do you go to any special lengths to make sure the bullet stays straight as you press it in?

These Bullets are not Swaged, They are Hand Cast from 1 of My BACO Elliptical Molds i had made, Cast from Certified 1-20 Alloy from BACO

 

[longcruise]

Well that was impressive!

Nice that nobody came driving around the corner!

 

[Idaholewis]

Well that was impressive!

Nice that nobody came driving around the corner!

That Road is Gated, and is also the Dead end of it. I shoot a LOT of Long Range Muzzleloader, I do so safely

 

[Throwdown58]

I meant that you are pressing the grooves in using the muzzle, so that it spins out using grooves you made in the lead. 1 in 20 must be a little stiff. You just use a regular ball starter or something to keep the bullet straight?

 

[Squatch84]

One of the most impressive shots I've seen.

 

[fleener]

I cant speak to the bullets he uses and tightness in the bore. I use 1 in 20 and even 1 in 16 ratios for LRML. For my bullets, they do not take much to push them down the bore. For a PP bullet, if you have to push too hard, you will push the bullet through the paper. No ball starter is used or needed, they are not that tight.

Easy to keep them straight, they are around 1.3" long.

Fleener

 

[Cherrybow]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing that.

 

[fleener]

For the Rice plugs, does the tube (nipple) bottom out on a shoulder at the bottom of the threads?

Thanks

Fleener

 

[Throwdown58]

I cant speak to the bullets he uses and tightness in the bore. I use 1 in 20 and even 1 in 16 ratios for LRML. For my bullets, they do not take much to push them down the bore. For a PP bullet, if you have to push too hard, you will push the bullet through the paper. No ball starter is used or needed, they are not that tight.

Easy to keep them straight, they are around 1.3" long.

Fleener

Yea, with paper you aren't compressing lead that has to flow around the grooves. He said this rifle is .451, and I know that he usually sizes. At 1,200 yards, or even sub moa at 100, any slight imperfection in the cant of the bullet, you would think, would make that not possible. As he has said in videos, even bullet sizers are sometimes out of round to start. There is no formula that is going to work in any two guns alike, but I don't see how any gun could have consistent accuracy at that level with thumbing a 1"+ bullet into grooves without something to keep it straight and even. There was just a gun posted to the for sale board (that the guy apparently sold out from under me) that came with a custom ball seater on the front. How much more would you need it for a long bullet with no patch, where you are swaging the bullet into the grooves?