Finally got in a shoot

[brewer12345]

I put a new peep on the 54 plains rifle I plan to hunt this fall. With the hunting aperture I was getting 1.5 to 2 inches at 50 yards with a known accurate round ball load this rifle likes. I know it will do a lot better with the smaller aperture, but I find those sub optimal for the hunt where I sometimes have to take a quick offhand shot.

Doing unsupported walk and shoot drills as if I bumped a deer I was easily within 6 inches at 75 yards, which is dandy for my purposes. I accidentally double balled a load and found that the two balls hit an inch apart and 6 inches high.

On a whim, I tried some 450 grain Lyman plains bullets I cast a couple years ago and never did anything with. Over a wad and 80 grains they shot a slightly bigger group than the round balls, but easily sufficient for big game. I suspect I could find up a more accurate load, but since these are overkill for deer and a shoulder breaker, I left it at that. Just surprised they shot that well in a slow twist round ball barrel.

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

From the caption I thought you meant something else. Just as well.

 

[woodnbow]

From the caption I thought you meant something else. Just as well.

Same here. Glad to be wrong.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I have peeps on many of my rifles, (don't like scopes) I find the small apertures great for sighting in, and really testing the rifle's accuracy, and for hunting use a bigger one, or none and just go with the ghost ring when I'm in the really thick stuff. Just takes a few seconds to remove or replace...but...don't drop it!

 

[brewer12345]

I have peeps on many of my rifles, (don't like scopes) I find the small apertures great for sighting in, and really testing the rifle's accuracy, and for hunting use a bigger one, or none and just go with the ghost ring when I'm in the really thick stuff. Just takes a few seconds to remove or replace...but...don't drop it!

I blew an easy shot on a doe a couple years ago because it took too long to line up the shot with a target reticle. No more for in the field.

 

[J-Bar]

…

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I blew an easy shot on a doe a couple years ago because it took too long to line up the shot with a target reticle. No more for in the field.

A large aperture does not lose much accuracy, compared to a target disc/reticle. I'm kind of amazed at how well just a ghost ring will shoot.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Good hunting. I tried RB in a Parker-Hale Enfield (2 band) and it shot poorly.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Good hunting. I tried RB in a Parker-Hale Enfield (2 band) and it shot poorly.

Yeah, the shallow minie' ball rifling does not always do well with ball. Sometimes does okay in some rifles. Probably requires an extremely tight patch which is not so great for hunting. In my 1861 Springfield, I get a wild flyer every four shots or so, but they don't come in any order so again, not so good for hunting. However, she shoots good with the LEE REAL over a good hunting charge. I sometimes think about having it smooth bored, then rifled for round ball.

 

[brewer12345]

Yeah, the shallow minie' ball rifling does not always do well with ball. Sometimes does okay in some rifles. Probably requires an extremely tight patch which is not so great for hunting. In my 1861 Springfield, I get a wild flyer every four shots or so, but they don't come in any order so again, not so good for hunting. However, she shoots good with the LEE REAL over a good hunting charge. I sometimes think about having it smooth bored, then rifled for round ball.

The Zouave I shot a doe with last year shoots round ball very accurately. Only like a 75 grain charge of OE 1.5 with PRB, but 278 grains doesn't need much speed to kill a deer. Plan to try REALs and a minie or two with it this summer, although I already thought the ball was excessively destructive last fall.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

That's good, some minie' rifles do okay with PRB, some not so much, I wonder why. Do you patch real tight, real loose, ? I hunt a grizzly recovery area, (technical label for: "place to dump problem bears") so I kind of like to keep my charges on the heavy side. But you are right, a .58 ball over 75 grains is no slouch.

The REAL mold I have throws a 456 grain bullet, it likes 85 grains of 3fg. I'd like to go heavier, but I get best accuracy with 85 grains. Those are good bullets, it sure is stable, cuts the cleanest holes in paper you have ever seen. !

 

[brewer12345]

That's good, some minie' rifles do okay with PRB, some not so much, I wonder why. Do you patch real tight, real loose, ? I hunt a grizzly recovery area, (technical label for: "place to dump problem bears") so I kind of like to keep my charges on the heavy side. But you are right, a .58 ball over 75 grains is no slouch.

The REAL mold I have throws a 456 grain bullet, it likes 85 grains of 3fg. I'd like to go heavier, but I get best accuracy with 85 grains. Those are good bullets, it sure is stable, cuts the cleanest holes in paper you have ever seen. !

I use a .570 ball and a .015 patch. I haven't tried to find an accuracy node beyond that, since I only hunt deer with this thing and that is more than enough. The REAL mold I bought drops right at 440 grains as advertised. I have to believe that a slug like that over 86 grains of 3F would dump a bear pretty well. I have a 405 grain and 530 grain minie mold. Once I get some cast and sized, I will play with them and the REAL. Hard to imagine that much is walking away from a solid hit from any of those. Then again, I do not have grizz locally.