50 Cal Yellow and Orange Boat Tail Harv CR Sabots
May 29, 2010 18:35:58 GMT -5
Post by boarhog on May 29, 2010 18:35:58 GMT -5
We started shooting around 1:00 this afternoon. My thermometer read about 86*, so I put the Kool Rod in the Thumbhole barrel before I fired the first shot. Before starting to shoot, we looked for any of the blown Orange Sabots I shot last week, and found all but one. They were shredded!
As a baseline, I thought I would start with a load that shot pretty well before. 250 gr FTX bullet, 42 gr N -110, and MMP-SB sabot. The first shot almost centered the bullseye, so I tried 2 more shots. They both blew sabots and ricocheted off the ground. I then pulled the BP and scrubbed the barrel about 30 strokes with a bronze brush, then used several patches with Rem 10-X solvent. While I had the BP out, I checked the VL. It was one of my homemade Holokromes, and measured .032. My next two shots, using the 42 gr charge of N-110 with a 250 gr FTX, and MMP-SB printed within about 2" of each other, so I tried the same powder charge with the Barnes 245 gr BT, knurled. The Harv. Yellow CR was way too loose, and so I tried the Yellow that came with the Barnes bullets, and knurled as much as possible by leaning 260 lbs on the file. Two more blown sabots!! At this point, I went back to a proven load with 250 gr XTPs and the MMP SB. Blew the sabot!
I thought I would try again with the other 50 cal I bought from a board member. It had grouped about 1 1/2" before, with 45 gr 4759, 250 gr XTP, and Harv Red CR. Again, my first shot was almost a bullseye, #2 was a called pull that printed about 5" left. The sled slipped because I had forgotten to push it back into battery on the scoot board. Shot #3 was back within an inch of #1, so I tried the same powder load with the Yellow Smooth sabot that came with the 245 gr Barnes. I knurled the bullet, and the combo loaded with good pressure. Shot #1 went about 4' wide of the frame, and Aaron called the hit because he saw dirt kick up on the 200 yd berm. Blown sabot, as was the next shot, that hit the ground about 50 yds out. It was time to give up!! So I did! It was starting to thunder and lightening anyway, and was raining good by the time we had everything packed in the truck.
Guess I could have shortened this post by just saying that the 245 gr BT Barnes, with any of the three sabots intended for them, did not do well in either of my two 50 cals. I'll have to think about it a while to see if I can come up with anything else to try. I am pretty disappointed that I didn't get even barely fair results.
BTW, I don't think the Yellow sabots supplied with these Barnes 245 gr bullets are made by Harvester. They have the stair-stepped base cup that is on the MMP-HPH-24.
Sorry, there are no pictures to post, unless you want to see shredded and drilled sabots.
Boarhog
As a baseline, I thought I would start with a load that shot pretty well before. 250 gr FTX bullet, 42 gr N -110, and MMP-SB sabot. The first shot almost centered the bullseye, so I tried 2 more shots. They both blew sabots and ricocheted off the ground. I then pulled the BP and scrubbed the barrel about 30 strokes with a bronze brush, then used several patches with Rem 10-X solvent. While I had the BP out, I checked the VL. It was one of my homemade Holokromes, and measured .032. My next two shots, using the 42 gr charge of N-110 with a 250 gr FTX, and MMP-SB printed within about 2" of each other, so I tried the same powder charge with the Barnes 245 gr BT, knurled. The Harv. Yellow CR was way too loose, and so I tried the Yellow that came with the Barnes bullets, and knurled as much as possible by leaning 260 lbs on the file. Two more blown sabots!! At this point, I went back to a proven load with 250 gr XTPs and the MMP SB. Blew the sabot!
I thought I would try again with the other 50 cal I bought from a board member. It had grouped about 1 1/2" before, with 45 gr 4759, 250 gr XTP, and Harv Red CR. Again, my first shot was almost a bullseye, #2 was a called pull that printed about 5" left. The sled slipped because I had forgotten to push it back into battery on the scoot board. Shot #3 was back within an inch of #1, so I tried the same powder load with the Yellow Smooth sabot that came with the 245 gr Barnes. I knurled the bullet, and the combo loaded with good pressure. Shot #1 went about 4' wide of the frame, and Aaron called the hit because he saw dirt kick up on the 200 yd berm. Blown sabot, as was the next shot, that hit the ground about 50 yds out. It was time to give up!! So I did! It was starting to thunder and lightening anyway, and was raining good by the time we had everything packed in the truck.
Guess I could have shortened this post by just saying that the 245 gr BT Barnes, with any of the three sabots intended for them, did not do well in either of my two 50 cals. I'll have to think about it a while to see if I can come up with anything else to try. I am pretty disappointed that I didn't get even barely fair results.
BTW, I don't think the Yellow sabots supplied with these Barnes 245 gr bullets are made by Harvester. They have the stair-stepped base cup that is on the MMP-HPH-24.
Sorry, there are no pictures to post, unless you want to see shredded and drilled sabots.
Boarhog
Rusty
