Experimental sights/experimental ammunition and gongs

[Eric Johanen]

Shot our last area steel match of the season yesterday. I went with my 45 70 Shiloh Rough Rider and the target sights. I tried out a pin head front inside the globe and used the Sagebrush PJ Money Bullet with fire formed Winchester brass, 67.0 grains by weight of OE 3 fg. .060 poly wad and the bullet seated to the first ,454 diameter band. These chamber easily and come up to the beginning of the rifling. First time I've run them at more than 200 yards. This poor blind soul did not find many acorn's yesterday! I did learn a few things. Forgot my comb riser and that made 400 and 500 yards difficult with no support and the shooting results showed it. Put it on the check list, start a check list!! The pin head sight picture was very clean but I did not use it properly. On different sized irregular targets I should have changed elevation on the sights rather than try line of white holds. On the smaller ones I had a bunch of shot overs. Brain was not engaged or I would have tried this prior to the end of the match. The load seemed to shoot well as I was on call for the 400 and 500 yard targets, I just called close misses. Well, that's where the impacts were! Called hits were right down the middle and my spotter called out several center hit's. I suppose if I took these matches seriously, I'd just shoot 1 rifle and 1 load, but it so much fun the shoot them all and try different loads at range that I probably will continue experimenting. Come up's were interesting: 200 yard zero at 44 up, for 300 yards I needed +14 for 58 up, 400 yards called for +13 and 71 up and 500 used 82 up for a +11 That bullet with OE 3 fg shot pretty flat out to 500 yards. Based on the results from this match and on the SR target, I'll use it again. Little, soft fouling in the barrel and I used 1 damp and 1 dry patch between shots. Took three damp patches to clean at the end of the match. When I got home I finished the cleaning with several more damp patches and two dry before a patch with Slip 2000. There were just the slightest flecks of lead on those damp patches so I am wondering if the Sagebrush lube is doing its job. Next time I'll remove it and test it with my own lube and DGL and see if it still leaves lead flecks. These gong matches provided a lot of fun and a good testing venue for load development and It's really nice when one can hear a hit and know the shot was on call. Until the snow shuts me down, I'll be shooting and testing loads at 200 on my local range. So much to try and learn about these rifles. Have to get ready for the next season!