Clays vs. Red Dot

[Richard]

Last week my friend Bill brought me a pound of Red Dot. So this week I thought I would run it side by side to see how it compared to Clays. Based on the burn rates being similar and Dave W's use with it and TG's traces, I wanted to see for myself just how the two compared. For my load I used either 10 gr. of Clays or 10 gr. of RD along with 60 gr. of H-4198. For comparison, I used the Sierra 300 gr. Flat Nose bullet with a .060" veggie wad. The bullets were sized so 1 1/2 "hands" were needed to seat..........what I would call moderate pressure. Win. 209 primers were used in the .45 cal. Rem/PN 25 1/2" barrel. The weather was cloudy and 30* with some L to R moderate wind.
Starting with squeaky barrel I decided to foul it with a couple of 250 gr. XTP's and 13/60...Clays/4198 load. Two shots turned into five since I decided to use up the last three I had . Nothing much here in the accuracy department.
Next up was the 10/60 Clays/H4198 load with the 300 Sierra. This bullet in the past has shot well with this load but then I had been shooting it without a wad?
Anyway, next up was the RD/4198 with the same bullet and wad. Here, the last four went under 1". The first shot, which was out of the group was over 100 fps higher than the average of the last four. The last four averaged 2622 fps where the Clays averaged 2616..........so basically the same.
If you are reading this Riverrat............note that high velocity on shot #1. What it the chronograph? or was it just the #$%^ muzzleloader
While I had the RD going, I put the same duplex behind the 290 TEZ (w/wad) (I have been shooting it without the wad and doing better than this group).
The final group of the day I put the same RD duplex behind a 250 Parker BE. (w/wad) Here again, I have been shooting the Parkers with out a wad. Also, I had found the 5/60 duplex to be better with the Parkers.
In any event, I convinced myself that RD and Clays perform just about the same.
Richard

[Deleted]

Great info Richard!

[Deleted]

Why she's the huge es happen then? Is it because this isn't a center fire and there is some kind of variance that we are not seeing?

Great report and it helped me on the wads also.

Anther thing I started using jb bore compound cleaner. Since I used it my barrel feels allot smoother and I didn't really notice my barrel being choked either. I wonder if it gets fouled more I'll notice it again. However I think I'll clean it after every range session this way it should be the same for the hunting season.

Thanks for the report it's helpful.

[rambler]

Good info. I think red dot is available in my area.

[153]

Thanks for the testing and info Richard. Always look foward to your late Tuesday or early Wednesday reports. Maybe if I ever get to retire I can do some weekly testing. With a job, 11 year old and three farms to keep up time is of great value.

[Richard]

Chad.........sometimes I just can not explain these big differences in velocity? I generally see a higher first shot then the rest. Could be the cold barrel? On that third group with the big jump in velocity on the first shot............we had taken a brake and I left the barrel poking out the little window I shoot thru. Being below freezing, it may have contributed to it? Strange stuff happens? It seemed to load with the same pressure? Herman Nd I often just shrug our shoulder and say..........................F$#@%&* muzzleloaders!
J-B is good stuff! It is my Go-To cleaner. It is not a lapping compound but it does remove all types of carbon amd copper fouling. I use it religiously on all my bench rifles.
Richard

[hemicuda]

Richard, you got me started on clays and I shot that for a while then since I had Green Dot I thought I would try it. Not a lot of difference but it seems to give a little better accuracy. I use Hornady Mono Flex full sized 250 gr. 8/52 load at 2550-2625 fps. Not the best ES but am happy with groups out to 210 yd. My fastest load is usually my first or after the gun has been loaded for several days (hunting). May go 2700 fps. I use a hard card wad lubed with bore butter of my own design. Fits very tight .465 dia. also shoots very clean. Wads are made out of the backs of the cheap shelves you see laying around, cut with a punch spun in a drill press. Also J-B is a favorite.

[Deleted]

I must have had done bad fouling then cause my barrel feels allot smoother and consistent for some reason.

I saw better accuracy also with green dot compared to longshot. The es was crazy big however I think if I up the charge on the 300/SST to 13 and back the main charge down that might make my es more desirable.

[Richard]

You never know with these ML'ers! That is why I play so much with different charges and amounts..............Looking for that HOLY GRAIL of muzzle loader loads
Richard