my best Shiloh Sharps .40-65 group to date

[Chaneylake]

Shiloh Sharps .40-65
Iron Sights - -Mid Range Vernier rear sight - -globed front sight
61 grains of 1.5 Swiss black powder
396 grain Buffalo Arms "Money Boolit" cast by ChaneyLake

100 yard target - - 5 shot group - - 1 3/8 inch group

I also shot a 1 1/2 inch 5 shot group yesterday

the 1 inch group just might be possible

 

[mr.big]

 

[Jon]

Wow Ray you have really tightened the groups up! Thats some amazing shooting right there.

 

[Chaneylake]

Wow Ray you have really tightened the groups up! Thats some amazing shooting right there.

its been a long ride, that group represents about 400 rounds through the .40-65. I started at 55 grains working up a load 1 grain at a time. 50 +/- shells at each grain change, I finally started compressing powder about 0.04 of an inch and the groups got tigher, I am still having some issues with this particular load, it might be my cast boolits, I just do not have enough experience yet

I have many 3 shot groups that are 1 inch or less but I like the more difficult 5 shot group

 

[Plateau Hunter]

Excellent shooting. PH

 

[ttf909]

very nice

 

[44fanatic]

Thats looking pretty impressive. What issue are you having with the boolits?

 

[Chaneylake]

Thats looking pretty impressive. What issue are you having with the boolits?

the main issue is my 5 shot groups, somewhere through the 5 shots 1 or sometimes 2 will jerk to never never land even when I feel that I have pulled off a good round, I have many shot targets that when I was shooting 3 are within 3/4 inch and the other 2 might be 1-2 inches outside, plus my impact point is floating around about an inch, I am wondering if this is related to black powder

 

[Chaneylake]

looking good sir

did you ever get your hardness thing worked out? Strictly as pertaining to the casting procedure

according to hardness tester, I am[imo] as close to 1:20 as I can get, this is what the competition shooter shooting 1000 yards want

 

[quigleysharps4570]

Looking real good.

 

[44fanatic]

Thats looking pretty impressive. What issue are you having with the boolits?

the main issue is my 5 shot groups, somewhere through the 5 shots 1 or sometimes 2 will jerk to never never land even when I feel that I have pulled off a good round, I have many shot targets that when I was shooting 3 are within 3/4 inch and the other 2 might be 1-2 inches outside, plus my impact point is floating around about an inch, I am wondering if this is related to black powder

From what you have posted before, it dosnt sound like a casting or reloading issue, assuming that all of your rounds are very consistent (boolit weight, powder weight, shell length, seating) so I would rule that out. The slower burn time on black powder could definitely effect a floating impact zone but that is just me thinking, dont know much about the stuff.

With your cast boolits, is there any possibility the base was damaged? I have no clue how far off target a damaged boolit will go if the damage is not readily apparent. For me, it isnt so easy, nor time efficient to check all of the bases in a pile of 500-1000 fresh boolits.

 

[Chaneylake]

44fanatic,

my boolits look great to me, at the same time I have very few that weigh 400 grains, which tells me there might be some small flaw in them since the sample boolits that came with the mold all weigh over 400 grains

the bases look great to me and all measure the same when I check with dial caliper

the whole issue just might be my rookie status, the guys at Buffalo Arms keep telling me that it takes 2-3 years to get one of these guns perfected when starting from the rookie status

 

[7-08 fan]

very nice

 

[Wobblyshot1]

You've come a long way. That a very good group there. Alot of folks would have a hard time doing that with their scope mounted centerfires. Looks like the shot to the right opened it up for ya. Maybe the wind drifted it.....have you ever given some thougt to a few wind flags placed between the shooter and the target( and learning how to "read" them)?

I don't think the black powder is the problem. I have a friend who is into the BPCR silhouette game pretty heavy and is also an excellent marksman. He chrono's all his loads and the standard deviations he's getting are quite impressive. He uses different powders also.....Swiss and Goex are his prefered, but even Wano or Elephant. Whatever he finds that "works" in his various load combinations. Maybe in your next powder order you can get a sample or two of another powder just to try out.

Keep on shootin! Will probably be seein that "5" shot 1" group soon.

 

[ShaneHallum]

looks really good. really good