.40cal Conical Range Test - deep groove round ball barrel

[roundball]

Simply outstanding.

EQUIPMENT
TVM Late Lancaster
GM 38” x 1:48” x .012” x .40cal round ball barrel
Chambers Deluxe Siler
Davis DST
Rifle sights zeroed at 25yds with current .40grn Goex 3F PRB load

CONICAL TEST USING SAME SIGHTS / SAME SIGHT PICTURE
3grns Goex 4F prime
60 / 70 / 80grns Goex 2F main
.40cal Duro-Felt wad, lubed with NL1000
.40cal x 200grn R.E.A.L. conical, lubed with Oxyoke Bullet Lube

SHOOTING SITUATION
No bench, sitting down against a support like I’d be hunting, sitting against a tree
Cloverleafs at 25yds
1.5” center-to-center at 50yds
Pretty sure sandbags would result in ragged holes at each distance.

TRIALS
Started with 60grns Goex 2F and they were dead center at 25yds.
Tried 60grns at 50yds and they were a few inches low.
Bumped up to 70grns and they landed inside the 2” aim point sticker at 50yds.
Dropped back to 25yds with 70grns and they printed at the top of the 2” aim point sticker.
So for my equipment / methods / thick woods hunting I settled on 70grns as a deer load.
(80grns 2F printed too high / not viable for my sight settings)

CONCLUSIONS
Recoil is nothing in the Late Lancaster and the 200grn conical hits the backstop with authority.
I’ve never felt the tiny .40cal x 92grn ball was a serious contender as a deer load, but there’s no doubt in my mind that this 200grn conical will get it done.
.40cal owners who might like to deer hunt with a more robust projectile in their smaller caliber round ball guns now have a REAL option.....pun intended.

Tip o’ the Hat / Special Thanks to ”˜oldnamvet’ for laying out a lot of his personal money in taking the risk on an expensive custom mold”¦and then being gracious enough to share.
'Oldnamvet', I'm sorry if your inbox starts filling up with Email requests to buy these conicals but I had to give you your 'props'...thanks again!

:hatsoff:

 

[majg1234]

Good write up RB,what are the dimensions of the conical particulary its length???? I have some 40 cal 175 gr bullets I'mwondering about.Also wondering IF a mould for a 40 cal pistol bullet might work if cast with pure lead hmmmmmm

 

[majg1234]

now thinking about paper patching for these or perhaps a custom mold or a 41 mag mold or

 

[Oldnamvet]

Just to answer questions about the dimensions of the bullet, here is the drawing.

OOps, sorry forgot to turn it. Still works if you lean a lot to the left. :redface:

 

[roundball]

Good write up RB,what are the dimensions of the conical particulary its length????

The length of these 200grn R.E.A.L. conicals is .658"

They are the "slip-fit" design with 4 bands and 4 grease grooves.
With dial calipers I get:
Top "engraving band" .415"
2nd band steps down to .411"
3rd band steps down to .407"
4th band steps down to bore size of .400"

When I set them into the muzzle, they "slip" down with the 3rd band coming to rest on the ends of the lands, then I just punched them down through all the bands with a short starter.

 

[roundball]

Oops, we must have been posting at about the same time...that's a great spec photo...is that from the custom mold maker or did you put it together on your PC?

 

[majg1234]

thanks that helps a lot. now wondering if a 41 mag might work too,or a 40cal with paper patching...got lots of them around here as I'm a big 10mm fan.Did lee do the mold for you or someone else???

 

[Oldnamvet]

Lee precision did the mold for me. That is their drawing I posted of what we ultimately settled on for design.

 

[roundball]

Well, based on your results out of the T/C shallow groove barrel and mine out of the GM deeper groove barrel, you did a great job!
:thumbsup:

 

[zimmerstutzen]

the idea of a bullet with graduated size bearing bands to engrave into the rifling goes back at least as far as the 1880's and was used in the opposite direction for bullets to be breech seated in special target black powder cartridge guns Several such molds were offered by Ideal back around 1915. Particularly in 25, 32 and 38 calibers.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Roundball,
Let us know what kind of vel you are getting with those REAL bullets. Can't wait for your posts on how they perform on deer this fall. Sounds like you have the best of all worlds with the rifle shooting great with both balls and conicals.

 

[roundball]

Roundball,
Let us know what kind of vel you are getting with those REAL bullets. Can't wait for your posts on how they perform on deer this fall. Sounds like you have the best of all worlds with the rifle shooting great with both balls and conicals.

I got the .40cal TVM Late Lancaster to use as my main weekly year round range gun in retirement and the occasional squirrel with PRBs, so I wasn't going to change any sights for conicals.
If I could get a conical load that would work with the same sights, great, if not, that would be OK too...LOL.

So I'm really not planning to invest more time in these conicals...if I chronograph some PRB loads this summer I'll try to remember to take some conicals to run them through the screens for the sake of getting some numbers, but won't be making a special trip or anything.

If we have a good acorn crop this fall and have a lot of deer movement that let's me get lucky on buck tags early, I'll take this .40cal with one of 'oldnamvet's REALs to see how it performs first hand if a Doe wanders through.

You should contact 'oldnamvet' and twist his arm to sell you 100, run your tests, etc

 

[Rat Trapper]

Roundball,
Thanks for the reply. Sound advice as always.

 

[BrianL]

Well, based on your results out of the T/C shallow groove barrel and mine out of the GM deeper groove barrel, you did a great job!
:thumbsup:

I believe that Oldnamvets barrel is not a TC but is a Rayl rebore. Not sure if that makes a difference as to groove depth but my thought was that it is deeper based upon my two Rayl barrels?

 

[roundball]

Probably is then...the image of a Seneca stuck in my mind with it's factory barrel.
Thinking about it now, I believe T/C only made .32/.36/.45cal barrels for the Cherokee & Seneca...

 

[dbutch]

Thanks for posting your results rb...you peaked my interest.
For those interested in giving these a shot...
I'll be testing and chrono graphing these later when the slugs arrive.
Be happy to post the results..sharing is good!
40 cal. 32" gm 1-48 dropin barrel....dan

 

[roundball]

Thanks for posting your results rb...you peaked my interest.
For those interested in giving these a shot...
I'll be testing and chrono graphing these later when the slugs arrive.
Be happy to post the results..sharing is good!

Exactly...and fortunately the majority of members are good about that.

I'll be very surprised if you don't also get excellent results.
Our barrels are both .40cal GM, only difference being yours is 32", mine is 38"...

 

[Rat Trapper]

My 40 cal is also a 32 inch GM barrel. I will also be doing some testing and reporting on this project. So far those who have played with these conicals are having great luck, hope mine is same.

 

[roundball]

My 40 cal is also a 32 inch GM barrel. I will also be doing some testing and reporting on this project.
So far those who have played with these conicals are having great luck, hope mine is same.

Sure seems like it should be...the option now of having these 200grn R.E.A.L. conicals available should really expand the versatility of the .40cal for deer hunting.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

If you can use them for deer, you are lucky indeed. 40 caliber muzzle loaders are not legal for deer in PA. (44 cal min.)