Something You Do Not See Everyday
Sept 20, 2014 12:12:55 GMT -5
Post by Dave W on Sept 20, 2014 12:12:55 GMT -5
A .50 cal ML II sabotless thread. 
I have gotten "burned out" on smokeless this year so I needed something to rekindle the fire to shoot. Other than the bow and it is a different kind of discipline, have not pulled a trigger in months, and it felt like it. Guy and I were recently in a shop to test some bows for the old farts creaky shoulder
and I picked up a box of .500 300 FTX's, thought why not.
I had tried this several years ago with N110 and H322, but could not get the bullet to respond to powder charge variations, velocity just hung at approximately 2000fps. Figured Red Dot and H4198 might change the results this time. Was not sure where to start at for charges since this is a bigger bore and there is no data to draw on, plus I use a fairly deep recessed plug. Settled on a 70gr charge, thinking I should be close to 2450fps going by saboted data with 300gr bullets.
Barrel was clean and oiled, first shot with a 5/65 ratio timed just south of 2300fps, that was encouraging based on previous results. Fired 3 more shots with that 5/65 ratio and it resulted in a vertically strung group of about 3" with velocities of: 2383-2368-2285fps
Another shooter and his son showed up and I lost about a 1/2hr of shooting light so I did not get any timer readings for the 6/64 load. May have been a decent group if shot #2 had not blew out to the right, but the vertical shape flattened out some with the change in charge weight leading me to believe the ES may have tightened up some.
Here is a pic of a bullet pushed through the barrel.
Lands engrave nicely and resistance is less than a 275 BE pushed through my .45 but more than the one hand seating size I use for 300 FTX's in the .45. More chatter when seating compared to a custom barrel also. If you do not have a fairly tight bore like mine, attempting this may be pointless and frustrating.
Here is the 100yd target, PRETTY UGLY but have to start somewhere and I got rid of the pucker factor. Need to shake the rust off the trigger finger too.
The 5/65 ratio holes have the velocities next to the shot number, the other 3 shots were with a 6/64 ratio.
Components:
50 cal ML II
Red Dot/ H4198 duplexes
.500 300gr FTX
wool wads
Fed 209A
Need an overcast day so I can get to the range earlier, sun hits the field until about 6 PM, so I can get more time with the chrony before the light fades.
Disclaimer of course, these loads shot safely in my gun, may not do so in others.
I have gotten "burned out" on smokeless this year so I needed something to rekindle the fire to shoot. Other than the bow and it is a different kind of discipline, have not pulled a trigger in months, and it felt like it. Guy and I were recently in a shop to test some bows for the old farts creaky shoulder
and I picked up a box of .500 300 FTX's, thought why not.I had tried this several years ago with N110 and H322, but could not get the bullet to respond to powder charge variations, velocity just hung at approximately 2000fps. Figured Red Dot and H4198 might change the results this time. Was not sure where to start at for charges since this is a bigger bore and there is no data to draw on, plus I use a fairly deep recessed plug. Settled on a 70gr charge, thinking I should be close to 2450fps going by saboted data with 300gr bullets.
Barrel was clean and oiled, first shot with a 5/65 ratio timed just south of 2300fps, that was encouraging based on previous results. Fired 3 more shots with that 5/65 ratio and it resulted in a vertically strung group of about 3" with velocities of: 2383-2368-2285fps
Another shooter and his son showed up and I lost about a 1/2hr of shooting light so I did not get any timer readings for the 6/64 load. May have been a decent group if shot #2 had not blew out to the right, but the vertical shape flattened out some with the change in charge weight leading me to believe the ES may have tightened up some.
Here is a pic of a bullet pushed through the barrel.
Lands engrave nicely and resistance is less than a 275 BE pushed through my .45 but more than the one hand seating size I use for 300 FTX's in the .45. More chatter when seating compared to a custom barrel also. If you do not have a fairly tight bore like mine, attempting this may be pointless and frustrating.
Here is the 100yd target, PRETTY UGLY but have to start somewhere and I got rid of the pucker factor. Need to shake the rust off the trigger finger too.
The 5/65 ratio holes have the velocities next to the shot number, the other 3 shots were with a 6/64 ratio.
Components:
50 cal ML II
Red Dot/ H4198 duplexes
.500 300gr FTX
wool wads
Fed 209A
Need an overcast day so I can get to the range earlier, sun hits the field until about 6 PM, so I can get more time with the chrony before the light fades.
Disclaimer of course, these loads shot safely in my gun, may not do so in others.
