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Powder charge...

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rick landes:
I am test firing a .54 swamped Rice barrel in a Lancaster stock.

The front sight is about 1/4 high about 1 1/2" max back from the muzzle, the rear sight is about 9" ahead of the breech plug. The rear sight is a dovetailed into place typical primitive style sight with a jewelers saw blade width notch.

Test loads at 25 yards are great ( about in the same hole) with about 45-55 grains FF and a greased .018 pillowtick patch . Then when moving out to 100 yards I am needing to fire a 100 gr FF charge to get the ball 3" high, groups are very good.

 My question is how does this match with others experience. I am thinking this seems a rather high charge for this range/rifle/barrel. I am also thinking about the hold over for 200 yards...

What do you all think???

BrownBear:
For 100 yard shooting a charge of 100 grains of 2F in a 54 cal isn't out of line at all.  I am kinda surprised however that you are 3" high at 100 yards with the same sight picture that's right on the money at 25 yards- without regard for the powder charge that you're using.

I usually sight in dead on at 50 yards with my hunting load (90 grains rather than 100), which puts me 4-5" low at 100 yards, meanwhile my POI is right on the money at 25 yards.  My sight height is little different from yours, but the POI is little changed at either 50 or 25 yards when using my standard 54 cal small game charge of 35 grains of 3f, BTW.  At 100 yards the POI for that 35 grain charge would be lots lower I'm sure, but I haven't tried it.  If I was intent on longer range shooting I'd probably sight in at 75 yards rather than 50, anticipating a POI of around 2-3" low at 100.

As for 200 yards?  With a 100 grain charge hitting 3" low at 100, the POI at 200 is lots lower than I'd ever consider for hunting.

All those 100-200 yard #'s verge on theoretical for me though, because I've done darned little of it.  I'm just not a long range shooter.  Hat's off to the #'s provided by anyone else who does lots of long shooting.

northmn:
My recommendation is to shoot at 200 yards on a large target and draw your own conclusions.  I shoot about 120 grains of 2f in my 54 with a 1-72" twist and get very good accuracy at 100 yards.  Some like 3-f and shoot a lighter charge of 80-90 grains.  While 2f may foul more, that is of little consequence on a hunting load and it is said to give lower pressures.  Your loads sound about right for what is reported as typical 54 charges.

DP

Roger Fisher:
Well now Rick, you don't s
ay if you are burning Swiss or someother powder...
Assume it is not Swiss and your 100 yd result is 3" high we'll assume you mean 3 inches above the X ring...!  So, did you try 80 to 90 of the 2 f you are using?  That should put you closer to that 10 ring..!

I shoot 75 3 f Goex or Schuetzen in my offhand rifle, at 100 yds.    (But then I am shooting one of those puny little .45s! ::)

Dphariss:
1/2 ball weight of powder is not excessive, especially  FFG.
For flattest trajectory it should be about 2.5" high at 60 yards. Assuming you are getting 1750-1850mfps.

Dan

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