ihmsa forums

1st. testing the whisper with cast 14" contender
I will move this from the reloading because I'm dealing with cast right now
disclaimer
this is a new to me barrel that look as if shot very little because of my limited amount of cast bullets(donated by rp) I used jacketed to set scope
so this barrel has not been "seasoned" for cast bullet shooting and this test is just to try to determine if IT and I can shot cast
before I invest in the a new pot and mold ( I still have my Lyman 450 that last time I used was in the 80's)
of the powders recommended all I had was AA # 9 and V V H110 the bullets 165 RCBS sil. and Seaco 165
and I KNOW most of these loads are heavier than need but I was also test for recoil and pressure signs
the #'s on the target is not the shooting order but ref. for my notes the group in the center is scope sighter's with jacket and also to compare
this testing is on bags 100 yrds. 12x scope the white target center is 2" by 2"
Target #1 this is 13.8 AA #9 165(about 172) RCBS and again this is a hotter load than I plan to use
MV. avg. around 1675 1 flyer and 4 around 2 1/8 group

Target # 2 this was a some what recommend load 11.5 gr. AA #9 mv avg. around 1475 I was expecting this load to be in the mid to high 1300 range vertical string 1 1/2" by 3"

Target #3 seaco 165 and 13.8 AA #9 avg. mv. 1550 3 shots 2" bad flyer to left and one I never found

Target # 4 12.5gr. V V N110 MV. avg. 1570 I use 11gr. with 165 j in my 32-20 this is about a 4" group

the sighter's with Jacket AA #9 13.8 147 FMJBT and nice round BUT 3" group
after this 1st. test all MV's were higher than I had thought they would be all groups were about a 1" bigger than I hope for my 1st. test
second test I will
use try 10.5 gr. AA #9 and 11.5 V V N110 I'm thinking A MV. in the range of 1350-1450 would be ideal
OK you cast bullet Guru's for a unseasoned barrel and fly by the seat of the pants loads do you see this barrel having a chance
What I think I did was a worst case scenario and about anything I do from cleaning the Copper out to more load work should improve the group size I would think
what Should I expect or what would be expectable to you
jrs

I you give it a good cleaning before you shot cast I think you are OK . The 1 thing I think can tighten up those groups is bullet dia. What does your throat slug compared to the dia. of the bullets you are shooting . The ideal setup is bullet sized .001"bigger than the throat. Some guns shot good right on bore dia. Some need that .001" over, my 30 Herrett is one of those. The difference between a .309" die and a .310" die - .309= 4" groups , .310" = 1 1/2" groups . Tim

Thanks Tim I'm work on the two things you brought up as we speak

todays test with a cleaner barrel and load adjust the groups dropped by a 1/3
more adjusting to do

Richard,
Some advice based on the factors I addressed to achieve the accuracy I have with my XP.

The bullet must be aligned straight with the bore to get the best accuracy. I set this up by supporting the nose in the rifling. This gets the front straight. To get the rear of the bullet straight you have to size the bullet body to fill the throat. This keeps the rear of the bullet straight in line with the bore. So you have to first know throat diameter. I size my bullets body so that chambering the loaded cartridge is "firm". Back to the nose, it should be a snug slip fit into the rifling. To check this, try a bullet nose first into the muzzle. It should be a slip fit. If it's too large, that's an issue. If it's too loose, it's a bigger issue and tough to fix. Case prep is important as well. Once a case is fire formed, I then size only the neck, and then only enough to provide .001"-.002" neck tension on the bullet. Additionaly, I never crimp on single shot guns and I leave the case neck flair which also helps center the cartridge. I use a Lyman M die with a custom expander ball because the one it comes with gave much too tight neck tension on the seated bullet. I seat the bullet our far enough to get that nose into the rifling and don't worry about the lube groove being exposed. I just take appropriate steps to keep the exposed lube from picking up contaminates (dirt & grit). You have to get the bullet to fit FIRST. Load development and lubes come after.

If you have any questions on all this, let me know.

thanks all for the advice both here and your PM's Today I did a little more testing with the donated bullets and was able to product 2 sub 1 1/2" 100 yrd. group (also shoot a couple 6" LOL) @ close to my target MV with 2 different powders using the RCBS 165 sil. being able to do this with bullets not tailored to my chamber put a smile on my face . I'm thinking now with the right bullet and sized and seated to fit my throat and chamber this thing could be a shooter. I also received a variety pack of donated bullet yesterday to try before I make the call on what Mold /sizer die to get . but if I ran across a deal I would jump on a RCBS 165. today
I got a 5 gal bucket of WW that has been in my basement for 25 years waiting for me to start back casting they just my get turned into ingots before the month is out.

another good day with the RCBS 165 one with a little load adjustment (top left) and one with a new powder (bottom left)
the flyier of TL I will blame on a clean barrel an I for got to load something to foul with
Also tried some Donated NOS 155
the BIG group to the center right is the 155 with same loads as the 165 TL so scratch that one off
the bottom right is the 155 with same load as RCBS (BL) and shows promise

I'm not sure how this compares with your testing (group size) But it give me hope
I will step back and do a little studying and reading what you guys have told/sent me and start getting casting gear
Thanks your help
Richard