(04-12-2013, 05:01 PM)Old Jim Wrote: Got 2# of 1.5 and the same of 2F Old E yesterday on my weekly trip by Graf's.

Today, I dropped 68.0 gr. of 1.5 Swiss onto the scales then reloaded the measure with 1.5 Old E. The scale reading was 59.0, same volumne.

Interesting !

Smells a little different too and it does not "shine". Also is a smaller size granular than the Swiss, although it filled a 45/70 case to the same level as the Swiss, about 0.400 below the case mouth. The Old E will need to be compressed about 0.200 to seat the bullet.

Next project is to load a few cases with the BACO Money Bullet and volumne amounts of both powders and head to the range, probally next week.


More later,

(05-07-2013, 08:35 AM)Ironramrod Wrote: Yesterday was the first day of test driving the Olde E. powder in the Shiloh .40/65. A decent day or so I thought until I got to the range, and the switchy variable speed 10-2 o'clock winds were waiting for me to show up. Yuk. Several times I could feel the wind on the side of my bald head (bald headed is good for something) while looking through the scope the mirage was going the other direction at 200 m. It was ugly.

Anyway, the 10 loads were 63 gr. Olde E. drop tubed/compressed to 0.433 below the Starline brass case mouthes on full length neck sized annealed cases. Next a wax paper wad, 3/16" lube cookie, another wax paper wad, and last a BACO 0.392 pp bullet dry wrapped w/ Paper Mill 9#onion skin. For comparison I had another 10 rds. loaded exactly the same except w/ 65 gr. KIK 2f which occupies the same volume as the Olde E. loads. Typically, the KIK load will shoot 5 shot groups of about 2-2.5" at 200 m., if the nut behind the buttplate is correctly tightened.

The switchy, variable winds were a real bearcat, and the targets showed that, too. I shoot the different loads alternatively on separate targets so that any changes in conditions, form, etc. are going to show up on both targets. This helps equalize any variation in the targets that might be wrongly attributed to loads. Anyway, the horizontal for both loads was really bad, and there was no consistent conditions that could be expected to return anytime soon.

As others have noted fouling mgmt. was even better for me than for KIK, which already was good. The elevation was very consistent for both loads; group size isn't worth mentioning considering the wind. Next I need to get the chronograph out, and get some averages and SD data.

To summarize a little, I do like the Olde E. powder, and intend to do more shooting and experimenting w/ it.

Regards
IR

(05-07-2013, 12:27 PM)Ironramrod Wrote: Mike, Yes, the Olde E. powder I was using was 2F; sorry about the omission. The BACO bullet weighs 422 gr. and dry patches up to 0.400. Bullet length is 1.401. The bore/groove on my Shiloh .40/65 is 0.400/0.408, so it's strictly a target load that requires cleaning between shots. I use 1 damp patch on a nylon brush (both sides) and 1 dry patch (both sides). Hope that helps. Fire away, if you have more questions.

Regards
IR

(05-07-2013, 10:10 PM)Ironramrod Wrote: Mike, I now see I made another omission in the original post in that I forgot to mention the 0.030 fiber wad between the 2nd wax paper wad and the bullet. It's gotta be either an older boy thing or not enough coffee in the morning before attempting to do any serious thinking.

I don't know if gg bullets are of interest to you, but just in case I also shoot a couple of gg bullets in the .40/65; one is a Paul Jones (PJ) money bullet and the other is a Lyman snover. Both shoot well and as Dean mentioned I can shoot both those bullets a long time w/ a single damp patched pushed slowly through the barrel from breech to muzzle. I leave the remaining dampness in the barrel and dry the chamber w/ a dry patch. I can easily shoot a full mid-range match (both prone and position) w/ that combo, and never clean the barrel until finished. Re: gg bullets the advantage seems to go w/ the PJ money bullet, because it handles the wind better in this windy country. This translates into less windage adjustment and lower elevation adjustment compared to a lot of other gg bullets in the same conditions.

Also, as Dean mentioned re: the heavier 69-70 gr. loads, I've tried them and they seem to be a little too much; 65-67 gr. 2F or 3F seems to be the best for precision shooting w/ the other components I'm using. Sorry about another omission, but I think I got it right this time.

Regards
IR