Shooting the MK @ the Rock Pit
Jan 22, 2011 21:37:04 GMT -5
Post by sabotloader on Jan 22, 2011 21:37:04 GMT -5
It really a nice day here in Idaho, so I really needed to go do some shooting. It is theraputic for the soul in these dark days of January.
I really wanted just to go out and have some fun... recreational shooting + I wanted to do some more shooting with the MK. Before the fun shooting I did decide that I wanted to test my theory or thoughts about being able to interchange between the Lehigh 50 cal Sabotless and the Lehigh .458/277 gr. DOA. They are very close to the same weight so I was hoping the POI would be near the same. That way i could use the same rifle with two bullets, depending on what I wanted to shoot.
I removed the 209 setup from the gun and reinstalled the percussion system. This is what I would use during hunting season with this gun and I really do not mind shooting the #11 Mag caps. The gun is going to get dirty in the breech no matter which one that I shoot. For this target shoot I decided to back the powder load back down to 100 grains of T7 also. I have been accused of shooting much powder more than once.
When I got to the rock pit it seems I was not the only person that thought it was a nice day to shoot. It looked like someone had called a meeting in the pit. So I parked along side the barrier and waited a turn to get in. A few minutes later one vehicle of 3 people loaded up and pulled out so I moved mine in asked the kids that were shooting if they minded sharing. They said no problem, which was good because it sounded like there was 2 or 3 groups of people shooting in the upper pit also...
Set up the target @ 50 yards and the Chono at about 10/12 ft. as normal. I did pop three or four #11 caps prior to loading but I did forget to run a dry patch to get out as much X-treme as i could. I think that lead to my problem with shot #1 on the target. I just hate shooting for record or hunting on a clean bore and it looks like I paid for it. After that, the next three shots went real well considering all that was happening around me. Do not think the college kids I was sharing the pit with had ever seen a ML being shot before and they were really interested in the Chronograph and how it worked.
That brings me to shot #5, I have not got a good reason that it jumped so high in velocity above the sabotless. I really did not think I was loosing that much pressure from the sabotless bullets. They loaded very well and felt very strong good going off. Anyway i was dissappointed, but decided to go on with the testing. Glad I did, you can see the next three shots fell in place just fine and the velocities seemed to be what I would expect. But.... I am not sure what happened with #5.
After shooting the target, I took 12 clay pigeons down to the rock wall and placed them in various places and elevations. I started shooting the sabotless first.... and OK I could not handle that slow of a velocity so I did move the volume measure to 110 grains... It made me feel better - so feeling better I knew I would shoot better - right?
Had no problem with the first 5 pigeons with the sabotless bullets, the 6th bullet was shot by one of the college students, he really wanted to shoot an muzzleloader. So I told him to stand the bird on top of the front sight and not to worry about lining the peep and hood up his brain and eyes would do that. The MK shoots the sabotless right at 1 3/4 to 2" high @ 100. I also tried to tell him is was a smooth light (3lbs) trigger pull, but that really didn't mean much to him. Well I be darned if he did not break the bird. He was more excited than I but now the whole group of college kids thinks there is nothing to shooting a ML... oh well!!!
Next I switched to the .458/277 grain Lehigh and a MMP Orange sabot. I missed the first two shots using the same hold as I would with the sabotless. First shot... I thought OK my fault... second shot the Kids said I was just barely over the top of the bird. So then I put and air gap between the front bead and the bird - no sweat from then on.... they all broke just fine.
Here is the information if you want to take the time to sort it all out...
I really wanted just to go out and have some fun... recreational shooting + I wanted to do some more shooting with the MK. Before the fun shooting I did decide that I wanted to test my theory or thoughts about being able to interchange between the Lehigh 50 cal Sabotless and the Lehigh .458/277 gr. DOA. They are very close to the same weight so I was hoping the POI would be near the same. That way i could use the same rifle with two bullets, depending on what I wanted to shoot.
I removed the 209 setup from the gun and reinstalled the percussion system. This is what I would use during hunting season with this gun and I really do not mind shooting the #11 Mag caps. The gun is going to get dirty in the breech no matter which one that I shoot. For this target shoot I decided to back the powder load back down to 100 grains of T7 also. I have been accused of shooting much powder more than once.
When I got to the rock pit it seems I was not the only person that thought it was a nice day to shoot. It looked like someone had called a meeting in the pit. So I parked along side the barrier and waited a turn to get in. A few minutes later one vehicle of 3 people loaded up and pulled out so I moved mine in asked the kids that were shooting if they minded sharing. They said no problem, which was good because it sounded like there was 2 or 3 groups of people shooting in the upper pit also...
Set up the target @ 50 yards and the Chono at about 10/12 ft. as normal. I did pop three or four #11 caps prior to loading but I did forget to run a dry patch to get out as much X-treme as i could. I think that lead to my problem with shot #1 on the target. I just hate shooting for record or hunting on a clean bore and it looks like I paid for it. After that, the next three shots went real well considering all that was happening around me. Do not think the college kids I was sharing the pit with had ever seen a ML being shot before and they were really interested in the Chronograph and how it worked.
That brings me to shot #5, I have not got a good reason that it jumped so high in velocity above the sabotless. I really did not think I was loosing that much pressure from the sabotless bullets. They loaded very well and felt very strong good going off. Anyway i was dissappointed, but decided to go on with the testing. Glad I did, you can see the next three shots fell in place just fine and the velocities seemed to be what I would expect. But.... I am not sure what happened with #5.
After shooting the target, I took 12 clay pigeons down to the rock wall and placed them in various places and elevations. I started shooting the sabotless first.... and OK I could not handle that slow of a velocity so I did move the volume measure to 110 grains... It made me feel better - so feeling better I knew I would shoot better - right?
Had no problem with the first 5 pigeons with the sabotless bullets, the 6th bullet was shot by one of the college students, he really wanted to shoot an muzzleloader. So I told him to stand the bird on top of the front sight and not to worry about lining the peep and hood up his brain and eyes would do that. The MK shoots the sabotless right at 1 3/4 to 2" high @ 100. I also tried to tell him is was a smooth light (3lbs) trigger pull, but that really didn't mean much to him. Well I be darned if he did not break the bird. He was more excited than I but now the whole group of college kids thinks there is nothing to shooting a ML... oh well!!!
Next I switched to the .458/277 grain Lehigh and a MMP Orange sabot. I missed the first two shots using the same hold as I would with the sabotless. First shot... I thought OK my fault... second shot the Kids said I was just barely over the top of the bird. So then I put and air gap between the front bead and the bird - no sweat from then on.... they all broke just fine.
Here is the information if you want to take the time to sort it all out...