The Butt Ugly Red Headed Step Child Range Report
08-17-2011, 12:56 PM
#11
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
I never saw any of the patches yesterday. I was shooting Goex. Thompson Center Bore Butter for lube. The balls all needed to be slapped in with a short starter and then went down fairly easily. My posture is poor due to how low the rifle sits on the bench on top of the rest I have. I am bent over quite a bit. I explained the problem I was having to my wife and told her I thought it was the patches. She stopped at a fabric store and picked up some Pillow Ticking for me. A yard of the red and a yard of the blue striped. She said there were no notifications as to what the thickness was of either the red or the blue. Does anyone know the thickness of the two colors.
By the way, I was telling a person at the range that I had put the rifle together from a kit and he asked me if I was a gun smith. I thought that was a very nice compliment.
By the way, I was telling a person at the range that I had put the rifle together from a kit and he asked me if I was a gun smith. I thought that was a very nice compliment.
08-17-2011, 01:06 PM
#12
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,762
Pluckit, the only difference is the color. Pillow tick usually runs around .018". But the 2 colors area a good idea to have on hand. That way you can lube some with one lube and the other with a different lube.
I agree - you should give the bore a good JB swabbing. And you never did say what you were using for a patch. If you were using linen (sheets), your patch were probably way too thin. And they may have cut right thru when you started the ball into the bore. That would explain the ease of loading. And would also explain the less than satisfactory grouping because you probably had gas escaping past the ball. The balls should go down (after a smart whack with the short starter) with a firm steady pressure. I like to use both my range rod and my ramrod at the range. I use the range rod to swab between shots and the ramrod to seat the bullets. The reason I do this is when I am experimenting with different loads - once I seat the first load of that particular combo, I mark the depth on the ramrod with a piece of masking tape. This gives me a reference to be sure the ball/bullet is on the powder.
I agree - you should give the bore a good JB swabbing. And you never did say what you were using for a patch. If you were using linen (sheets), your patch were probably way too thin. And they may have cut right thru when you started the ball into the bore. That would explain the ease of loading. And would also explain the less than satisfactory grouping because you probably had gas escaping past the ball. The balls should go down (after a smart whack with the short starter) with a firm steady pressure. I like to use both my range rod and my ramrod at the range. I use the range rod to swab between shots and the ramrod to seat the bullets. The reason I do this is when I am experimenting with different loads - once I seat the first load of that particular combo, I mark the depth on the ramrod with a piece of masking tape. This gives me a reference to be sure the ball/bullet is on the powder.
08-17-2011, 01:11 PM
#13
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Eastern PA
Posts: 12,762
Muley you must have the same problem as Pluckit. You probably are leaning over too far. You need more sand bags or a lower seat so you are more erect. The more erect you sit the more recoil your shoulder can absorb. The rifle has less resistance the when you have your weight into it. Same as if you were shooting offhand.
Either that or you and Pluckit are wussies!!!!!
Either that or you and Pluckit are wussies!!!!!
08-17-2011, 01:36 PM
#14
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
I think it's being too solid at the bench. When shooting offhand I can just let the gun push me back to absorb the recoil.
Recoil never used to bother me. I used to have a .458 magnum I shot all the time, and thought it was fun. I've had a bad left shoulder for many years. It never bothered me to shoot when I was shooting right handed. I knew when I lost the sight in my right, and had to switch to left hand shooting I was in trouble.
That, plus getting older than dirt doesn't help.
Recoil never used to bother me. I used to have a .458 magnum I shot all the time, and thought it was fun. I've had a bad left shoulder for many years. It never bothered me to shoot when I was shooting right handed. I knew when I lost the sight in my right, and had to switch to left hand shooting I was in trouble.
That, plus getting older than dirt doesn't help.
08-17-2011, 01:37 PM
#15
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,918
Muley you must have the same problem as Pluckit. You probably are leaning over too far. You need more sand bags or a lower seat so you are more erect. The more erect you sit the more recoil your shoulder can absorb. The rifle has less resistance the when you have your weight into it. Same as if you were shooting offhand.
Either that or you and Pluckit are wussies!!!!!
Either that or you and Pluckit are wussies!!!!!
Last edited by Semisane; 08-17-2011 at 01:39 PM.
08-18-2011, 04:31 PM
#17
Typical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Central Connecticut
Posts: 766
Don't forget that there are .54 sabots made to fit .50 bullets.
There's .50 bullets as light as the Buffalo Ball-ets which were available in 245 grain hollow points.
And also the 240 grain PA Conical:
http://www.hornady.com/store/50-Cal-c-674/
There's .50 bullets as light as the Buffalo Ball-ets which were available in 245 grain hollow points.
And also the 240 grain PA Conical:
http://www.hornady.com/store/50-Cal-c-674/
