Yesterday I was finally able to get out and do some more testing with my .54 Lyman Great Plains Rifle. Ran into some issues the first two times out but yesterday went as well as one could expect. Didn't feel great so I did not go to the range. Instead I just went out my back door where I have a target and backstop set up. The furthest I could get was only 30 yards but it showed me what I needed to know for now.
The last time I went to the range, this ML was throwing them all over the paper. As soon as I got the ML I noticed the front sight was way off to one side, but that didn't matter. All I was interested in was seeing how well it grouped. When checking at the range as to why it was throwing them all over the place, I noticed that the rear sight was loose enough to cause the POI to change at will. End of session.
Back at home, I temporarily got the rear sight tightened up and then centered the front sight.
Yesterday I used 3F instead of 2F BP. Also, this time I used 90 grains and was shooting the same .530 RB, .018" ticking lubed with Tracks Mink Oil. Only fired 3 shots because that's all I needed to know for now. Until I can get to a location where I can shoot at least 50 yards, I didn't see any need to shoot any more.
First shot, dead center. Second shot touching. Third shot a tad out but I was was having a dickens of a time getting a clear sight picture with the buckhorn sight with my old eyes. The sun was popping up from behind the trees which distorted the front sight on the target. So that didn't help matters. Although it was only from 30 yards, I was able to determine that the ML shoots more accurately than I did.
Moving along, this was not any sort of penetration test and was never intended to be. However, I was kind of surprised by the penetration of that RB in the wooden backstop. The RB's first went through some thinner underlayment board I have on my portable target. No big deal. Then they went through a 2X6 that I had cut on a sawmill myself that is a true 2"X6". From there they went through my backstop that is made of 1" boards with various scrap boards of different thickness behind that. Then finally stopping in a tree. That kind of impressed me.
The last time I went to the range, this ML was throwing them all over the paper. As soon as I got the ML I noticed the front sight was way off to one side, but that didn't matter. All I was interested in was seeing how well it grouped. When checking at the range as to why it was throwing them all over the place, I noticed that the rear sight was loose enough to cause the POI to change at will. End of session.
Back at home, I temporarily got the rear sight tightened up and then centered the front sight.
Yesterday I used 3F instead of 2F BP. Also, this time I used 90 grains and was shooting the same .530 RB, .018" ticking lubed with Tracks Mink Oil. Only fired 3 shots because that's all I needed to know for now. Until I can get to a location where I can shoot at least 50 yards, I didn't see any need to shoot any more.
First shot, dead center. Second shot touching. Third shot a tad out but I was was having a dickens of a time getting a clear sight picture with the buckhorn sight with my old eyes. The sun was popping up from behind the trees which distorted the front sight on the target. So that didn't help matters. Although it was only from 30 yards, I was able to determine that the ML shoots more accurately than I did.
Moving along, this was not any sort of penetration test and was never intended to be. However, I was kind of surprised by the penetration of that RB in the wooden backstop. The RB's first went through some thinner underlayment board I have on my portable target. No big deal. Then they went through a 2X6 that I had cut on a sawmill myself that is a true 2"X6". From there they went through my backstop that is made of 1" boards with various scrap boards of different thickness behind that. Then finally stopping in a tree. That kind of impressed me.
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