First range trip with Woodsrunner

[Kmcmichael]

My finished .54 Woods Runner came in at 7 lbs. It balance and carries much better than either my Colonial .50 or SMR in .40. Th SMR is lighter but balances too far forward.

I took it to the range and set up at 25 yards. I was just going to get the sights set etc. The first group was with 60 grns of 2F Swiss. It was all over the place. in fairness I had tried a different lube but it did not work out so I swabbed and started with 80 grains. It was better but still 3” .90 grns went to 2” and 100 grns went to 1”. It was getting hot so I called it a day. Next week I will increase my range to 50 or further and try again.

This is the first time I have experienced such drastic accuracy differences in powder charges. My other guns shoot ok with pretty much everything. I merely got to a point that the recoil was comfortable and stopped there, 55grns with the .40 and 70 grns with the .50. If the Woods Runner likes heavy loads, so be it. It will only be used for hunting aside from checking it out before the trip. I am not a fan of heavy recoil but occasionally it will be acceptable. Whatever the gun likes will dictate.

As an aside, the sights were relatively dead on. I’ve always had to cut the front down on other guns. I started using a different more solid front rest hoping it will be more like the rest in an elevated blind.

 

[IanH]

Welcome to ridiculously slow rates of twist. I am not looking forward to shooting my .54, honestly. My SMR .45 balances perfectly (why I got a .45 instead of the .36 I really wanted), but it too requires stiff powder charges to shoot bugholes, but shoot it does! With the sights it comes with I have no trouble maintaining 1.5 MOA to 100 yards as long as the patch/ball is tight and the powder charge is stiff.

 

[Kmcmichael]

I am lucky to shoot 3” at 100 meters. I do not yet shoot with wind flags. My 50 has the same twist rate as this and shoots pretty decent with most loads. I got my SMR in 40 to get the faster twist but yes it does not carry as well.
with groups like that, do you shoot at Brady?

 

[IanH]

I am lucky to shoot 3” at 100 meters. I do not yet shoot with wind flags. My 50 has the same twist rate as this and shoots pretty decent with most loads. I got my SMR in 40 to get the faster twist but yes it does not carry as well.
with groups like that, do you shoot at Brady?

Not yet, I usually only compete with myself. However, one of my co-workers is a regular attendee and holds several records there. I may go in October just for fun, but I don't shoot that well offhand. My 1.5 MOA groups were fired very slowly and carefully from sandbags on a bench at my home range which is a tunnel through dense brush and doesn't experience much wind effect.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Try 75 grains of 3f, a .535 with .018 spit patch. Works in mine; you may have similar results.

 

[Kmcmichael]

Thanks for the replies. I have not worked this out as of yet with 2f. After more testing I will try 3f. I was hoping to get less recoil with the 2F.
it is my first time using 2F.

 

[MedicMike3762]

Slow twist seems to require quite a bit of power to shoot, I shoot 90gr of 3f in my colonial in 58. I also have a very hungry hawken with a 1-72 twist in 54. It doesn’t start shooting until north of 100 and the load it now shoots is 120gr of 3f. Makes an awful lot of racket with that much powder but is heavy enough to not kick the snot out of you! I guess Sam and Jake were on to something when they were building guns with 1-48 less powder to stabilize the ball! Either way good shooting!! And nice rifle what is the barrel finish?

 

[SDSmlf]

I have owned some 58 caliber 1-72 twist barrels that didn’t get real happy until well beyond 130 grain charges. Found 1-60 barrels in 58 caliber have allowed me to find very good roundball accuracy with 80 grains of 3F powder, yet still hold accuracy up 120 grains and more, though I find the fun is gone before 100 grains.

You also may be having a patch issue, ‘less than optimum’ thickness, damage at the muzzle or sharpe edged rifling. I don’t know about your bore, but the GM barrels I have owned required some TLC when new before becoming great shooters.

 

[Kmcmichael]

It is my first rust blue attempt. I am happy with it. The pic shows it on the bottom. I am contemplating disassembly of the top rifle and rust blue that one also.
I am using.018 patch with mink oil lube.