First day out with my new GM .62

[Geraldo]

I finally got out to the range with my new GM .62 barrel, which I stuck on a Renegade stock.

Problem number 1. Range was busy, so I'm next to a guy who tells me "I love muzzlebrakes." No kidding. Geraldo loves having his beard blown back by a braked .300WM. I think that maybe .300WM is overkill for 50 yards, but who am I to tell him that?

Problem number 2. I was planning on using Walmart pillow ticking with .610 balls. This combination is too tight. So I dig through my range bag and find nothing less that .015 patching.

I'm ready to cry like a little girl when I have an idea. I have .550 balls in my range bag, so I double patch one of them and it fits pretty well. The barrel is not zeroed, but round number 1 hit fairly close, so I figure I'll try a group. I fire my second shot at the same POA then check with the binos and still see one hole, but a little bigger. Time to see if this was just luck or me/rifle is really that good. I'm now getting blasted by muzzle brake #2 on a .500Beowulf. Load number three, does not go bang. I try again without success. It appears that I may have forgotten a key ingredient while under the assault of my shooting neighbor's pressure waves. :redface:

Having shot my other rifle for a while before trying the .62, and now getting blasted by AKs on one side and my muzzlebrake loving friend on the other, I call it a day.

Two shot groups mean nothing, but at this point I'll take it as a hopeful sign.

 

[roundball]

Glad you got started...

1)
Note about public ranges is to be the first in line waiting for it to open then quickly get to the right end of the line (assumes your right handed) and secure yourself the very end spot...the result is that you only have a potentially bothersome shooter on one side of you, and if you're shooting a Flintlock, you don't want somebody on your right anyway or they'll complain about the vent blast.

2)
GM's .62cal barrels are not actually bored to .620...they are bored to .610. A .600" ball and a .015" prelubed patch are good snug fit and work fine in mine...I have to use a short starter but the snug fit is very accurate.

 

[mazo kid]

Well, at least you got to shoot your new barrel. Did you get the dry ball problem resolved before leaving the range, or did you pull it at home? I haven't shot at a range for several years now, am lucky in that I can just step out in the back yard to shoot. Check out the post a couple under this one "Does size matter?" He deliberately shot smaller balls to see what would happen. Emery

 

[cptleo1]

I use a bareball .610 in my Tulle.

I just use my standard shot load and substitute the big ball.

For minute of deer it works good enough.

First hunt - 12yd spot and stalk -result:

 

[Geraldo]

I pulled the ball at home. I was going to shoot it out, but they were running short relays due to the crowd, and that didn't leave me a lot of time to work at it that way. I tried pulling it there, but I found my puller was too short to get a good bite. I stopped at a hardware store and got a package of screws that worked much better.

Roundball, point taken on the range. I usually go during the week or late on the weekend when the crowd is smaller. I'll order some .600 balls for the next trip.