More Chrongraphing

[northmn]

Daryl, while I at first questioned your use of 2f in a 40, I have been noticing smaller total variations with 2f.  I also see a trend that I have thought interesting in that I think the small bores are rifled too slow.  1-48 in a small bore like 40 and under is a slow twist.  I gave up on 32's because they needed to be loaded hot to shoot best and i see it in 40's.  When I shot the 40 in competition it did not give the performance I wanted with lighter loads, which should be to its advantage.  I was going to go back to the 45 for a competition gun as the heavier ball had certain advantages.  They should make small bores with faster twists to be used as small bores. 
I would like to do more chronographing with the 12, but it is under construction and while it fits, it still gives a pretty hard thump.  In most ways I am like Dpharsis in that I think with a roundball a rifle will do anything a smoothbore will, only better, so I will hunt with a rifle.  The 54 was a pleasant surprise.  Going to give it an overhaul this winter as it was the last rifle i built and was done pretty casually.

DP     

[Daryl]

I picked up a short flinter 'Canoe-Gun', but it's a .50 rifle. I plan of repairing the crown, testing for accuracy and chrono-testing before maybe re-barreling it with a 32" bl. .45, maybe a .50. It has a 15/16" barrel and could even go with a light .54 for hunting - we'll see.

 Shooting 12's and such in cold blood over a machine from the bench can be tiresome at best, and painful at the worse. I know whereof you speak.

 LB and I both use 2F in the .40's. My wife used to use 2F in her .36 as well - she was nigh unbeatable.

[northmn]

I read the Wigle Patch chronographing results and wanted to bring this forward for easier comparisons.

DP

[Herb]

Thanks, Northman.  I had to print out your file so I had the results before me.

[Daryl]

I see your point DP, but love the higher speeds due to the extremely flat trajectory to 100 yards. They make hitting at longer ranges easy once you learn not to hold too high.  I had the same 'problem' after i built a .257 AckImp, switching from the .458 as my main toy for everything. I kept shooting over coyotes, even at 200yards. The .40 is dropping only 2 1/2" at 100yds.  Quite a change from the larger bores 4" to 6".   

[northmn]

Coyotes and other varmits like Eastern Woodchucks make sense with high velocity loads in a smaller bore.  Used to shoot jackrabbits in western MN taht was a lot of fun and a real long range challenge.  Most of the hunting I do now with these small bores is for small game.

DP

[Daryl]

We don't have small game that's legal for shooting. The squirrels up here are declared fur-bearing so only licenced trappers can take them - besides, they are inedible.  We do have gophers though and next summer, I'm planning on using the .40 as a walk-about gun, instead of a .17 or .22 rimfire.  Most of those shots are in the 10 yard to 50 yard range.  Should be fun. I suspect the .40 with HighVel load will have much the same effect as a centrefire .17.

[Leatherbelly]

 I love my happy little forty! Shoots real flat at about 1800fps.  A good lube,tight patch and a 50grn. load of Goex 2f. yep,that's right,2f. Not a typo! LOL!

[Daryl]

I didn't know you'd chronogrpahed your rifle, LB.  Mine only gets 1,795with 55gr. I did chrono it though at 65gr. 2F and it was making 1,941 with that load.  Another 10gr. puts it up to 2,160fps.  I found that increasing loads in 10gr. increments usually gives 200fps average increases in my barrel - sometimes a bit less, sometimes a bit more.

[Daryl]

 I did some chronographing of the .45 barrel today, while working up a hunting load for deer. The results were interesting, to me, anyway.  The temp was up around 50F (10C with rather high winds with quite dry (white fouling) conditions).
: Using LHV for lube, and a .0215" denim patch, .445" pure lead ball, lee mould - 42" GM barrel and GOEX powder, (the powder lot that seemed to give low results in the .40 barrel).  Loading was very easy, 2 fingers once started into the muzzle & to down on the powder.  This combination could be started with only pressure on the rod's tip with a choked grip.
 I got the following results.
70gr.3F
1,796
1,800
1,801
1,799
1,806
es 10fps av. 1,800fps

80gr. 3F
1,963
1,955
1,962
1,960
1,961
es 8fps av. 1,960

  I was quite happy with the 150fps increase for a measely 10gr. of powder. However, this increase opened up my groups at an inch so 70gr. will do.  Of course, for a hunting load, the increased group size is rather meaningless - but then, it adds to my overal group size (errors) when shooting offhand. Either load should suffice for the little 4 point whitetails around here.  They are actually 5 points per side as the game branch now counts brow tines.  With a dressed weight of right around 200 - 230 pounds, I am looking forward to some good steaks.  I hope to get out this weekend with the owner of my 14 bore.  Now THAT's a deer rifle - and most anything else you might want to 'hole'.

[northmn]

Interested to see how it performs.  At 75-100 yards the difference between the 70 and 80 grain shrinks anyway. 

DP

[eldeguello]

120 2f
Ave Vel 1821
Extreme spread 65 (throw out the high and it was 21 fps).

Seems like this is THE load (assuming, of course, that the low extreme spread indicateds a similar accuracy level, which is not always the case!!)

[Daryl]

EldeQ- what calibre and barrel length? .54?

 I got out hunting with my .69's owner, except it was a modern gun hunt.  Saw 4 moose, no deer - came home with one of the moose - too easy - no challenge - 200 yards open sights at least - my favourite - Express Sight with bead.