Bored waiting - Had to go shoot
03-13-2013, 07:29 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Bored waiting - Had to go shoot
Well! It did not come yesterday and today was just a great day to shoot - so I grabbed the DISC ELite 50 cal and headed to the 'Rock Pit'.
Last time I went to the pit a couple of weeks ago and got about half way to the pit and buried myself in the rotten snow. So I was ready to give it another try. The weather has really been decent so I was sure the snow would have melted out by now.... Well, no quite but good enough that I could get through in 4 wheel drive.
My goal for today was to get some velocities recorded for the Lehigh/Bloodline 40 cal bullets from a 50 cal muzzleloader. The Elite has not been shot for accuracy in a long time - in fact I can not remember for sure when I did shoot it last.
One of my thoughts is... I know the velocity of a 40 cal bullet from a 50 cal rifle is going to be maybe 100-125fps less velocity than if I were to shoot it from a 45 cal rifle. I could not find where I have recorded velocities for the 40's from a 50 cal rifle and I wanted to see what they might be.
When I got to the pit - the plan was to shoot the 40-200 DOA first followed by the new/experimental 40-230 FT. I had also decided I was going to shoot my normal hunting load of 120 grains of T7-2f and the MMP 40x50 Deep Blue sabot.
The first two shots at the 50 yard target grouped OK with that hefty load, but I adjusted the scope for windage and elevation for the second two shots. Velocities were recorded for the 4 shots.
Then I switched over to the 40-230 gr. FT bullets. The last time I shot them in a 1-28 twist, I was shooting 110 grains of T7. When I showed Lehigh Dave the target his eagle eyes picked up on the fact that the 230's might have been yawing a bit with the 1-28 twist. So this time I was hoping the extra 10 grains of T7 would take the yaw or wobble out of the bullet. I think moving the bullet up and out of the barrel at 2050+ FPS seemed to cure the problem.
Next up I wanted to get the velocities of the .458-300 gr. DOA from the rifle. This is my elk hunting load and I just wanted to verify what I thought I already knew... But I was in for a real surprise, not in velocity but accuracy - it was terrible. I really do not know where my mind was but when I was loading the bullet - I was thinking wow! this bore is really tight - almost to tight but I just kept doing my thing. On the second load I even noticed that the petals were being elongated strectched and canted to side as I pushed the sabot through the crown. Then after the second shot which was a couple inches higher than the first one - Ireally be gan to wonder. thse bullets have always shot lights out for me. Loaded the third load and again struggled to get the sabot and projectile down the bore. Other than that nothing registered except it was awful tight. 3rd shot did hit the target board but just off the paper. Now I was really bothered.
When I went back to the work bench - thinking What the HecK!!! - as I am looking at the box of bullets and the sabots... The light came on - BRIGHT - I was loading the 458 bullet in a HPH-24 sabot. That then explained why I was stretching the petals so much even as I stretched them and they started canting to the right it did not resgister... I could not believe it.
Well to finish up - I decided to try fixing the problem. I walked 4 clay birds down the end of the rock pit and placed them on the wall (100 yards). I had already pulled the target and put the chrono away. So I loaded up the rifle again only this time I used the Orange .458 sabots that I should have been loading in the first place. Loading went much better... gosh! I could not believe I did that... Black vs. Orange sabot should have been a big clue! Anyway last 4 shots - went just as they were suppose to - 4 shots - 4 birds.
Last time I went to the pit a couple of weeks ago and got about half way to the pit and buried myself in the rotten snow. So I was ready to give it another try. The weather has really been decent so I was sure the snow would have melted out by now.... Well, no quite but good enough that I could get through in 4 wheel drive.
My goal for today was to get some velocities recorded for the Lehigh/Bloodline 40 cal bullets from a 50 cal muzzleloader. The Elite has not been shot for accuracy in a long time - in fact I can not remember for sure when I did shoot it last.
One of my thoughts is... I know the velocity of a 40 cal bullet from a 50 cal rifle is going to be maybe 100-125fps less velocity than if I were to shoot it from a 45 cal rifle. I could not find where I have recorded velocities for the 40's from a 50 cal rifle and I wanted to see what they might be.
When I got to the pit - the plan was to shoot the 40-200 DOA first followed by the new/experimental 40-230 FT. I had also decided I was going to shoot my normal hunting load of 120 grains of T7-2f and the MMP 40x50 Deep Blue sabot.
The first two shots at the 50 yard target grouped OK with that hefty load, but I adjusted the scope for windage and elevation for the second two shots. Velocities were recorded for the 4 shots.
Then I switched over to the 40-230 gr. FT bullets. The last time I shot them in a 1-28 twist, I was shooting 110 grains of T7. When I showed Lehigh Dave the target his eagle eyes picked up on the fact that the 230's might have been yawing a bit with the 1-28 twist. So this time I was hoping the extra 10 grains of T7 would take the yaw or wobble out of the bullet. I think moving the bullet up and out of the barrel at 2050+ FPS seemed to cure the problem.
Next up I wanted to get the velocities of the .458-300 gr. DOA from the rifle. This is my elk hunting load and I just wanted to verify what I thought I already knew... But I was in for a real surprise, not in velocity but accuracy - it was terrible. I really do not know where my mind was but when I was loading the bullet - I was thinking wow! this bore is really tight - almost to tight but I just kept doing my thing. On the second load I even noticed that the petals were being elongated strectched and canted to side as I pushed the sabot through the crown. Then after the second shot which was a couple inches higher than the first one - Ireally be gan to wonder. thse bullets have always shot lights out for me. Loaded the third load and again struggled to get the sabot and projectile down the bore. Other than that nothing registered except it was awful tight. 3rd shot did hit the target board but just off the paper. Now I was really bothered.
When I went back to the work bench - thinking What the HecK!!! - as I am looking at the box of bullets and the sabots... The light came on - BRIGHT - I was loading the 458 bullet in a HPH-24 sabot. That then explained why I was stretching the petals so much even as I stretched them and they started canting to the right it did not resgister... I could not believe it.
Well to finish up - I decided to try fixing the problem. I walked 4 clay birds down the end of the rock pit and placed them on the wall (100 yards). I had already pulled the target and put the chrono away. So I loaded up the rifle again only this time I used the Orange .458 sabots that I should have been loading in the first place. Loading went much better... gosh! I could not believe I did that... Black vs. Orange sabot should have been a big clue! Anyway last 4 shots - went just as they were suppose to - 4 shots - 4 birds.
Last edited by sabotloader; 03-14-2013 at 06:39 AM.
03-13-2013, 09:06 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Well it is nice to know some one other then me made the same sabots mistake. I did mine with my home cast,. 457 all lead. By yaw on a bullet, what were you looking for? Other than that, some real nice shooting there.
