My Labradar CAS muzzle velocities are getting pretty consistent now

[JimGnitecki]

I have patiently been working the issues out of both my recently delivered Dillon XL750 and my own setup, to improve the consistency of my 357 Magnum CAS handload that I use in both my Cowboy Action Shooting replica lever action rifle and my CAS revolvers.

Today, I was at the range to fire some groups to see how far out my Uberti 1873 rifle's sight settings were off after installing a different front sight that I could see much better. As it turned out, I only needed to fire 3 groups of 5 shots each to get consistent data for both elevation and windage errors.

I noticed that the Labradar muzzle velocities being reported seemed more consistent than I had been getting before. After the range session, I examined the Labradar shot log, and found a really nice set of statistics for this short 15 shot batch of shots:

Stats - Average 1129
Stats - Highest 1144
Stats - Lowest 1120
Stats - Ext. Spread 24
Stats - Std. Dev 6.86

This is a 158g .358" bullet load using TightGroup. In the revolvers, it gives a muzzle velocity of about 910 fps.

Finally!

 

[dredd]

Congrats!

It's a great feeling when all of the hair pulling, tinkering and frustration pays off!!!

 

[lordpaxman]

Nice! If respected, Titegroup rewards. Have fun at CAS, I’m leaving soon for a local USPSA match today. I made a quick run of a couple hundred 9mms, but using N320. I know you have limited availability of powders, but if you get a chance I think you’d like it.

 

[rsrocket1]

Did you change any settings on the LabRadar? Sometimes switching from rifle to handgun at those "low" velocities help (rifle bullets are expected to go into the 3+ kfps range). You could also capture the round a bit better switching from audio to radar capture or vice versa.

 

[JimGnitecki]

Nice! If respected, Titegroup rewards. Have fun at CAS, I’m leaving soon for a local USPSA match today. I made a quick run of a couple hundred 9mms, but using N320. I know you have limited availability of powders, but if you get a chance I think you’d like it.

I've used VV N320 a LOT in prior years, going back to the 1980s and early 2000s. I loved its cleanliness and quality. But now I am in Canada, where our 10% size of population compared to The U.S., and our Federal Government's antipathy towards firearms, limit the market significantly for licensed importers of high quality / higher cost powders, Vihtavuori powder's availability is VERY erratic. So, I am limited in its usage.

However, I asked Brad Miller PhD, a very experienced Ballistician and handloader and regular contributor at Shooting Times magazine, to help me explore and ultimately approve as both safe and effective a high velocity 9mm 115g handload using VV 3N38 (superficially a rather slow powder for 9mm). That load turned out to enable me to shoot 1 inch groups at 25 yards, at 13XX fps velocity, with my SIG P210A, when me and my aging eyes did my part! That is my ongoing "standard load" for my P210A, so I keep 3N38 in my powder storage.

Jim G

 

[JimGnitecki]

Did you change any settings on the LabRadar? Sometimes switching from rifle to handgun at those "low" velocities help (rifle bullets are expected to go into the 3+ kfps range). You could also capture the round a bit better switching from audio to radar capture or vice versa.

I have the Labradar set up for "pistol" velocities to handle both my 9mm handgun shooting, and ALL my CAS shooting, since my CAS rifle and revolvers all use the same handload referenced above. I am also fortunate in being a member of a very new and still underutilized shooting range complex. I often have an entire range within the complex to myself, especially in the (very cold) winter when the less serious shooters don't shoot, so have not had to take any measures to ensure that only my shots are reliably picked up by the Labradar.

My closest friend has the "trigger" device for his Labradar, but he had to get it from The U.S. via a circuitous path since those triggers are not normally imported into Canada for bureaucratic reasons.

The .357 Mag CAS revolvers shoot at just over 900 fps, and I always get a reliable shot pickup by the Labradar, except when the wind blows hard enough to turn the Labradar "off target". Our "Chinook" winds here sometimes surprise us with VERY strong gusts (60 mph or more), and the Labradar then becomes a "sail".

Jim G