If a day at the range while most folks are workin and sweating, my hard work was a bit better.
I have been developing loads for my .45 acp match pistol. I was looking for the most accurate bullet / powder / primer combination.
I shall begin with the fact that I no longer have a Ransome Rest, which is the best way to develop loads.
So I was shooting hand held, using a foam kneeling pad on the shooting table to rest the butt of my .45 on and a 3 moa red dot sight, installed just for this process, all groups were 10 rds.
I had loaded 185 gr button style SWCs and 200 gr H&G 68 style SWCs over Bullseye ranging from 3.5 gr up through 4.5 gr. in .1 gr increments.
It is truly instructional to see the differences in bullet / load variations.
My groups at 50 yds varied from 8" H/V through 2.5" H/V. The winner was a Missouri 200 swc over 3.8 gr of Bullseye. This is handheld with the butt resting on a stiff foam pad using an Aimpoint 3 MOA dot.
The differences are both impressive and disheartening. Ths same pistol will group between 8" and 2.5" at 50 yds with just changes in bullet and powder charge.
So, I proceed from here. One thing I do know for sure now. If I get a 5 instead of a 10, it is my fault & not that of the load or pistol.
Something else for me to consider. 23 years ago with a different .45 and a Ransome rest, I had developed a load that used my 200 gr SWC cast with a Lee mold and 3.8 gr of Bullseye that shot into 2" at 50 yds.
Perhaps Bar-Sto barrels just like 3.8 gr of Bullseye and 200 gr SWC bullets.
Roger
I have been developing loads for my .45 acp match pistol. I was looking for the most accurate bullet / powder / primer combination.
I shall begin with the fact that I no longer have a Ransome Rest, which is the best way to develop loads.
So I was shooting hand held, using a foam kneeling pad on the shooting table to rest the butt of my .45 on and a 3 moa red dot sight, installed just for this process, all groups were 10 rds.
I had loaded 185 gr button style SWCs and 200 gr H&G 68 style SWCs over Bullseye ranging from 3.5 gr up through 4.5 gr. in .1 gr increments.
It is truly instructional to see the differences in bullet / load variations.
My groups at 50 yds varied from 8" H/V through 2.5" H/V. The winner was a Missouri 200 swc over 3.8 gr of Bullseye. This is handheld with the butt resting on a stiff foam pad using an Aimpoint 3 MOA dot.
The differences are both impressive and disheartening. Ths same pistol will group between 8" and 2.5" at 50 yds with just changes in bullet and powder charge.
So, I proceed from here. One thing I do know for sure now. If I get a 5 instead of a 10, it is my fault & not that of the load or pistol.
Something else for me to consider. 23 years ago with a different .45 and a Ransome rest, I had developed a load that used my 200 gr SWC cast with a Lee mold and 3.8 gr of Bullseye that shot into 2" at 50 yds.
Perhaps Bar-Sto barrels just like 3.8 gr of Bullseye and 200 gr SWC bullets.
Roger
