Range report new bullets!

[Idaho Ron]

I got the chance to shoot the new bullets this weekend. I shot the new North South skirmish bullets yesterday. I was not happy at all with them. It was cold and I didn’t feel like messing with them much. I poured some more and I also poured some 500 SW bullets. I weighed all the bullets and kept them within +-.50 grains. I paper patched them and got ready for a better day. Well today it was warmer and the wind was better. I started out with the North south bullets in a flat base 410 gr. I cleaned between shots and I shot them at 50 yards. I was lucky to get a 5” group at 50 yards. I tried powder charges between 70 and 100 grains. I was not happy with this at all.
I decided to try the 500 SW bullets. These were 456 grains and I tested them for hardness. On my Cabin tree tester they were .030 or 5 BHN. The .030 is on the high side of 5 BHN but still very soft. I started out with 80 grains of Pyrodex P. I shot a couple to see where they were going to hit. All the time I was cleaning between shots and I was using a felt wad between the powder and bullet. I got it zeroed for 50 yards and shot this group. It measures .539”

After that group I shot a group with 90 gr at 50 yards. It measures 1.79”

Then I shot a group at 100 grains and only 2 bullets out of 4 hit the target. I didn’t bother keeping this target since it stunk. So I decided to go to 100 yards and shoot.
I shot the first shot and cleaned. Then I shot the second. They were close so I moved the sight. I started with a clean gun and shot my first shot. The bullet hit my bulls eye. So I decided to see what kind of hunting load it would be. So I decided to NOT clean the gun and keep shooting until the group opened up. So I shot the second, then the third and then the fourth. At this point I had a group that was 1.57” at 100 yards. I shot the fifth bullet and it hit 3” higher. I quit there.

I am planning on testing more with this bullet but I think I am on to something with this load. Next time I will chronograph the load and do some more groups. This bullet has a BC of .296 compared to a hornady great plains bullets 410 gr 50 cal at .205 this is what it looks like. Ron

 

[jdstrang]

By the "North South bullet," do you mean the RCBS-Hodgdon semi-wadcutter/semi-minie? If so, I can tell you I never had much luck with them either: Neither fish nor fowl, they produced too many unaccountable flyers.

But then, neither were they designed to be shot with the powder charges you report using. They are supposed to be target bullets, not hunting rounds. That's why they have that sharp, wadcutter-style shoulder. Those who use them successfully report optimal charges usually somewhere from the high 30s to the mid-40s.

Seventy to 100 grains could easily blow the skirts of the thinner-skirted version (there are/were two base-plug sizes available) and probably the thicker ones as well. If that's the amount of powder you want to burn, the best Minie/Burton-style for you might be the heavy Lyman 577611.

 

[Idaho Ron]

Yes the one bullet was the RCBS Hodgdon North south bullet 50 cal. I tried the RCBS in both hollow base and flat base. The big problem were the flyers. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason. I was shooting them with paper patches and over powder wads. Next time I am going to try them in different lengths. There has to be a size that works.
The bullet that I got to work good was a Lee mould number C501-440-RF It seems to be a very good flying bullet.
Ron

 

[Blizzard of '93]

good post Ron, so you paper-patched a S&W 500 flat-based slug and shot it w/good results? what twist is your rifle? and you used a felt over-powder wad? what lube?

 

[bart_anastasi]

Well your gun seems to like 80gr of P with that bullet. Next time at the range you might diter around between 80 and 90 to see if the group settles down even more.

One thing I would suggest is load development is to stop moving the sights. If you are shooting a group high to the right or way low to the left leave the darn sights alone. Sorry but the practice drives me nuts.

in this example you had two bullets grouping high right keep shooting a group of seven high right means more than a few here and a few there.

I will often set my sights off some where with my bow and just shoot groups at a clean target face. I d not really care where the bullets land just so there is a group.

Not to put to fine a point on it group/load developement is group/load developement. either clean between each shot or not do not change what you are doing except powder charge.

then when that is right you might try seating preasure or wad thichness but ont thing at t a time.

Here at the club I sometimes help people sight in there scopes. I will have a problem when they keep trying to throw some English in to the shot and you know that the shot should have gone in one place and it ends up some where unexpected. I know that one click should equal 1/4 of a inch at a given distance and the fella is trying to shoot bulls eye rather than groups. Lots of wasted lead and a ticked me.

I think I am venting Sorry

 

[Idaho Ron]

The bullet is a gas check but I don't put one on. The rifle has a 1-28 twist and I did use a overpowder wad. The lube was Hornady great plains. After I wrapped the bullets I put on the lube and ran them through a .501 sizer. Ron

good post Ron, so you paper-patched a S&W 500 flat-based slug and shot it w/good results? what twist is your rifle? and you used a felt over-powder wad? what lube?

 

[Idaho Ron]

Well your gun seems to like 80gr of P with that bullet. Next time at the range you might diter around between 80 and 90 to see if the group settles down even more.

I might try it, but it seems to like 80.

One thing I would suggest is load development is to stop moving the sights. If you are shooting a group high to the right or way low to the left leave the darn sights alone. Sorry but the practice drives me nuts.

When I moved my sights I had already proven the load was a good one. I moved the sight to place it where I wanted it. Load development was over at that point.

in this example you had two bullets grouping high right keep shooting a group of seven high right means more than a few here and a few there.

Like I said before the load development stage was over before I moved the sight.

Not to put to fine a point on it group/load developement is group/load developement. either clean between each shot or not do not change what you are doing except powder charge.

Like I said before I was done with load development after the two shots on the top right. The 5 shots after those first two were to see what the group would do under more field like conditions. In the field you can't clean between shots. I wanted to see when the group would blow out. That is an important thing to know when you are working up a hunting load.

then when that is right you might try seating preasure or wad thichness but ont thing at t a time.

Seating pressure is the next thing I will try. I do think that could help.

Although with a 4 shot group measuring 1.5" at 100 yards and three others just under 2" I am not sure I will see much of an improvement. With a peep sight about the best I can do is 1.5" to 2" groups at 100 yards. I have shot a lot of 100 yard sub 1" groups with my muzzleloaders but they don't come around a often as the sub 2" do. Ron