45 Pac-Nor-10-02-2010- Some good some not.

[boarhog]

Due to being forced to work for a living, I didn’t get to the JCGC Range until almost 3:00 Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful, partly cloudy day, about 80º, but pretty windy. I estimated the wind to be 15-20 mph from the NW, which was mostly straight into my face, when I started shooting, but gradually increased as the day wore on. By the time I quit for the day, it was really gusting hard. Direction varied from straight into me, to across range from left to right at about 45 degrees.

Since I want to be able to hunt with the 195 gr Barnes Expanders I ordered from Knight, I decided to compare them with the 200 gr XTP, using identical loads that had shot pretty well in the past. All loads used the Harvester Smooth Blue Sabot, and the CCI-209M primers.

TARGET #1- 200 gr XTP, 62 gr H-4198. ES-16, AV-2686, SD-6.
Shot #1 was a fouler, and the next 4 went into 1.720”.

TARGET #2- 195 gr Barnes, 62 gr H-4198. ES-25, AV-2676, SD-12.
This group was a heart breaker!! I had a 4 shot “Bug Hole” going, but #5 blew it! Sob! 4=.645, 5=2.162.

TARGET #3- 200 gr XTP, 65 gr N-120, ES-14, AV-2860, SD-6.
4=.960, 5=1.525.

TARGET #4- 195 gr Barnes, 65 gr N-120, ES-13, AV-2867, SD-7.
3=1.750

TARGET #5- 200 gr XTP, 62 gr N-120, ES-42, AV-2797, SD-17.
4=1.0, 5=1.770.

TARGET #6- 175 gr Barnes, 62 gr N-120. ES-62, AV-2823, SD-20.
Shot #3 blew a sabot

TARGET #7- 175 gr Barnes, duplex 5/60 N-110/N-120. ES-41, AV2942, SD-20,
3=1.665.

I also tried the 175 gr Barnes with 42 gr N-110. NOT GOOD!! Blew the sabot and cut one of my diffuser legs into several pieces! Guess I’m lucky it didn’t go right through the skyscreen eyes?

Although I had what I consider to be a few pretty nice groups, it is obvious that I will need to sort the Barnes bullets according to the radiuses of the basses. I meant to try using a veggie wad under the sabots, but forgot to use them after shot #1 on target #4. Brain Dead!!! I may try the 175 gr Barnes with a lighter load of N-110 or 4759, if I have time before our first ML season opens.
Boarhog

[Al]

yep, seen that last pic firsthand myself!!

[herman]

Think you did real well.On a calmer day I am sure you would have done better.
Looks like the 175's done very good with the duplex.
If you have any H322 how about trying a group with N110-15 grs

H322-55gs
and see how it does for you.Will add my target when I tried them.Marty had sent me 5 to try and they did real well.It has the speeds on it.Have wondered how they would have done at 200 and 300 yds.I got close to the same speed as you did with this 15/55 load.
I called later and knight had quit selling the 75 count bullets.
You did ok on the chrony better than I did.I have one of the chronys that has a 50 cal bullet hole dead center of the readout on it.
With the 195's the only powder that I have gotten them to shoot the best with was H4198.Knurled and used the slick blue harvesters,they shoot for me better than the CR.You may want to try that.
Thanks for the report,good shooting.

[Richard]

Boarhog...........You are doing very well! Sometimes that one shot out is just.............well...............a "D$$m muzzleloader" as Herman would say ;D. I am also liking the way you present your targets and load information
Richard

[boarhog]

Thanks guys! Believe me I was saying several similar things about muzzleloaders! LOL
BH

[sw]

I think you did very well. That 200XTP is surprising isn't it! The 195 Barnes is an excellent bullet: likely the best overall muzzleloader bullet available, period. IMO I still use the 200SST though.