Development of PP loads for the .44-77.

[Distant Thunder]

Kurt,

I agree, I want small verticals, especially further out. At 220 yards I don't mind small round groups and I'm not bothered at by the horizontal spread of these groups. I made no sight correction from start to finish. I did watch the wind and as to know why shots went where they went as to shoot in the same wind each time.

I'm looking for consistency and for the load to respond to adjustments in my wiping and breaking of the shots. I never touched the knobs from the first shot to the last this morning. If I break a shot to the right I want that to show on the target.

Shots I can not explain where they came up on the target are the ones that I worry about. And yes, there are times when a bullet that looks good and weighed good has a flaw that is undetected that causes it to "miss the mark". I've seen it many times in a match and if I can't find the cause for a shot that did not hit near center I am likely to take another shot without any adjustment or correction. I hate to correct off a bad bullet. If a second shot goes to the same place and not near center then I will probably make a correction, but again only if I have no other explanation for the shot being off and it has to be caused by an unseen condition change. Even then I will not over correct, nothing good comes from over correcting.

Anyway back to group shooting. The 210s produced a nice 7 shot group. And it came back to center with proper fouling control. It is only shot #10 that raised my eyebrows. That is only one shot out of 10 that I could not figure out why it went where it did.

The vertical on the 215 is under 2 inches which is pretty good. What I really liked is that all 10 shots went where I thought they should within a inch. That I think is a very good sign. When I passed on the very light left to right wind shots 8, 9 & 10 were right in the core group. It impresses me how such a light breeze can move that big bullet over 1 1/2"! You think you can beat the wind but you can't.

It is only a .44 though! So there's that.

I just want all my shot to go where I aim them (or very darn close to it)! That's not too much to ask is it!

I think the rifle, cartridge, bullet are doing well, now I just have to do better!