yeoman

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned being excited about shooting a 3" group at 100 yds. with my 30 yr. old CVA sidelock mountain rifle using 80 grs. Pyro and 270 gr, Sabertooth bullets. It was my last 3 shots of the day so I figured it might be a fluke. I've always thought of this gun as a 50 yd. weapon and have killed a dozen or so deer with it using 370 gr. maxiballs. I picked up some 300 grain Sabertooth loads as Cayugad and others have had good success with them. So today, in light snow, I had the range to myself. I started with 3 of the 300 gr bullets at 50 yds. with 80 grs. RS and had a 3 inch group, a couple of inches high and a couple right. Nothing great and I didn't swab in between. So I go to 100 yds, swab and fire a cap just as I had done a couple of weeks ago, load a 300 w/80 and touch it off. Repeat the swab and load sequence exactly as a couple of weeks ago two more times. To my horror, I get a 12 inch group, which is no group at all! I had 4 of the 270 grain Sabertooth bullets left, so I continue with the sequence, and proceed to shoot a 2 1/2" group in virtually the identical location relative to the bull as two weeks ago. How is it possible that 30 grains of bullet, a mere 10% of mass differential, could result in such an alarming difference in results!
On a very positive note, my cleaning of the lock mechanism greatly improved lock time and just one cap failed to fire of 22 caps used.

frontier gander

i never liked the way the sabertooth bullets grouped, they wouldnt hold a consistant group. Im using the 385 grain great plains bullets now and doing great but they are a pain to load. TC maxi hunters are still my fav. Will shoot more of them WHEN the store restocks them. I even found some 275 grain tc maxi hunters that i just may buy! But as usual, only 1 friggin box.

yeoman

Gander, I think I may love the 270's. What I don't understand is how the 300's can have such different results, all else equal. Any ideas? If I want to improve the performance of the 300's, maybe go to 90 grains powder?

frontier gander

Yeah i'd experiment with a couple different loads but make sure when you upthe charge, you clean out the barrel like u normally would and then try a diff. load if the other didnt make much change. I think in my flintlock i can use 100 grains fffg BP and it shoots 2" @ 100yards but when i add a meer 10 grains more for a total of 110 i can get 1 1/2" @ 100 yards. I think those 300's may like 95-100 grains pyrodex. Great gun you are shooting by the way, i love the cva mountain rifles, very classy looking rifle.

sabotloader

yeoman

In my sidelocks, anyway the 1/48's I have never been able to get good consistent groups with the lighter bullets... I mean I'll get a decent group then for no resaon - I'll get a flyer... so anyway the only thing I have been able to shoot consistently over and over is the 300 grain bullets. I am using T7-3f - 90 grains in the 50's and 100 in the 54's (these are sabotted bullets). I am really wondering if stepping the push up just a little bit more might help. Although Cayugad and others have often suggested no to overdrive the Powerbelts/sabertooth. So maybe reducing the powder might help also. I am always on the other end of the spectrum I'll try high before I try low.

yeoman

Sabotloader, my sidelock appears in this case to prefer the lighter 270 bullet. Have you ever kept the charge constant and varied the bullet weight by this small amount (30 grains) and seen such radical difference in performance? Also, I think the overdrive concern has more to do with bullet fragmentation on impact with an animal, a problem seen with Powerbelts and not in Sabertooths, to my knowledge. I'll probaby try 90 with the 300's. Heck, I gotta use 'em up. Maybe I'll get lucky. In the meantime, if these 270's will print 2-3" groups at 100 consistently, I'll be thrilled!

Gander, I like the traditional look of the mountain rifle also, thanks.

cayugad

You just never know what a rifle will like. All you can do is try them. I do swab with the Sabertooth and have had real good luck doing so. As for what difference 30 grains of projectile weight makes, it can make all the difference in the world. You might try kickin the powder charge up to like 90 grains on the 300 gr and see what happens. I have one rifle that likes the 250 grain Sabertooth, and a different one that likes the 300 grain.

yeoman

Cayugad, I was afraid you might say that 30 grains of bullet weight CAN make all the difference. That means there really may not be any method to this "best load/bullet combo" madness. We basically stumble on a good combo and tune it slightly and that's about it. Knowing my rifle with 80 grns. RS likes the 270 Sabertooth tells me almost nothing about how it would like a 270 grain something else. Seems it's pretty much a "shot in the dark". Gonna be a long (fun) summer...

dmurphy317

Working up loads is a big part of the fun of MLers. Different bullet sizes/shapes as well as different rifles and powder charges are each going to react to changes in a unique way. The most consistant way of finding a load is to start a bit under where you expect to get good results and work your way up to above that level in 5 gr steps. Keep notes and the best loading for that bullet will show itself. Sometimes it works out to be a similar powder amount, often it doesn't.

I have found in one of my guns that it generally likes heavier bullets but will shoot quite a range of bullets now that it has 5 or 6 hundred rounds through it. Some guns I have found good loads almost from the first tried, others I'm still working on finding the optimum load. It's just one more excuse to go to the range, like I need another excuse.

Good luck, have fun and be safe.

outdoorslover

It gets a little complicated. Some guns group good with everything and others only like one or two different ones.

The whole sport is a little confusing but very thrilling.

I seem to have found my all time favorite load but still wonder ifI could find a better one.