More testing with the MK-95 and my lead bullets

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ShawnT

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Finally got back out today to shoot some Pure lead bullets in the Mk-95 .54 cal that I cast while on vacation a couple weeks ago and even cast a few yesterday while it was raining. It was a nice day here on Long Island but Windy, as usual :roll: , going left to right and switching diagonally from over my left shoulder to the target. It was sunny and about 45* when I got set up and got to about 55 when I stopped. Club had a match on the rifle range so had to go down to the 50 yard pit. I tried 3 different loads, 80, 90 and 100 grainsV of BH, CCI 250 LRMP, and MMP Purple sabots. had to stop when I ran out of Sabots, someone forgot to add a new bag to the range box. :oops: :d'oh!:

I print my own targets and this is one I use a lot. Problem with it is that my crosshair covers it up and I do tend to wiggle around a bit. These rifles are real light and have a skinny forearm so for me to shoot a decent group I have to put a real tight hold on the rifle fore and aft plus lean into it, so sometimes I get a little high/low or left right when the shot breaks just from wiggling around. Oh well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :wink:

On this first target I tried shooting like most do and not swabbing between shots. This never really seemed to work in my KRB7 and on my older MK-95 barrels. After the 4th shot wandered high I tried a dry patch swab and shot 5 came back to the group. Out of curiosity I then left the bore dirty for shot 6 and it went back out a bit. I noticed that if I don't swab between shots I feel sabot sort of chatter on the way down the bore, I don't get that when I swab with the dry patch. I sort of wandered if that is just due to the older barrels on these rifles. Anyway swabbing seems to work for me so I continued it the rest on the morning.

This was the target for the 80 grainV load. You can see shot 5 hit #3 after the dry swab. Still was not too happy with at load for 50 yards.


This was with 90 grainsV. That is 8 rounds. Had 3 wander on me but 5 in that 12 o'clock cluster. Getting more happy.


This is with 95gnsV 10 shots.


Last target with my last 5 sabots and 100 grainsV of BH.


Some of the vertical was probably shooter related but overall I am happy so far with the way it is coming together. I plan to use this rifle and bullet on Deer this year and can't wait till first week of December. :D
 
well the powder charge seems to definitely make a game change. But a lead bullet that size should really be a good hunting load. And you did some nice shooting.
 
Thanks, it's getting there. Yea a .500 diameter (1/2") chunk of lead should smack em with authority. Since these are pure lead I do wonder how much of a charge would be too much for it. I do remember some friends that shot round ball from 50's and 54s with 100grains of Black. They never seemed to have a problem.
 
Pretty darn good shooting there Shawn.

If you're having trouble getting a good fix on that target you might try this one. I find it works well with a scope. It's in JPEG format and will print on 8.5 x 11" paper. I make one master copy with my printer and take it to a copy store and make a whole bunch for six cents a copy.

 
Thanks Semisane.

I have a folder on my PC that is full of targets. :D This is the one I have been using the most with muzzleloaders but also use one similar to yours. I like the "crosshair" line on the target as a reference but if I don't get the power setting on the scope right or have a wide crosshair then it covers that line. I think it is more just me wiggling a bit and not concentrating as much as I should getting a tad excited that the bullet seems to shoot well so far. I print them myself on 62# Cover Stock. I like the heavier papers for targets the bullets cut cleaner holes.
 
Shawn,
You really should send me some do those lead hunks and I'll test them with t7 for you!
 
pjsoden said:
Shawn,
You really should send me some do those lead hunks and I'll test them with t7 for you!

LOL, I was thinking the same thing. :lol: My .54 mk would probably like them bad boys. :yeah:


Speaking of them.... Shawn you got a pic of the big lead you made?
 
Uh-oh. Maybe I should not be showing pictures anymore. :lol: I developed a little issue with the mould not closing completely, most likely caused by me. Spoke to Veral yesterday and got some tips and now waiting to talk to him again. I have some made up just got to get the issue resolved so I can make some more. Had a issue with the RCBS handles that started things then I think I got a little crazy.

Here ya go. These were some of the first I made and they are a mix that comes out to 9BHN. The bullets I shot Saturday are 5BHN (Pure Lead) of course they look the same.


Been concentrating on the MK-95 .54 that I want to use this season. Later I want to see if they work in the MK-85 too, but see no reason why they won't, actually should work great with loads of T7. I am pretty green at making lead bullets so I am still learning but so far I am happy with the design. Is this design best for a lead bullet... I have no idea but I like the look of it myself. If this works well for me I plan to get Veral to make me a similar one in .452 in the 290 to 300gn range.

I do have to make up a new jag to load with, especially with the soft lead ones, been carefully using a Barnes 50cal jag for the moment. Veral told me to drill one out and fill it with epoxy, then put a bullet in it till it sets up. I plan to do that but with Devcon. I have 2 of the original Knight jags (That originally came with the ramrods) coming from Numrich.
 
WV Hunter said:
Cool Shawn.

Do you plan to make some conicals for it as well, at some point in the future?
Don't have any plans for conicals at this point. That would mean more equipment since they need sized and Lubed. I never have shot a conical come to think of it, I went from PRB straight to Sabots. I may get a .452 mould in similar design for my 50's though.
 
Re: More testing with the MK-95 and my lead bullets updated

Today I was able to get the MK-95 .54cal and my lead bullets out on the range to 100 yards. It shot pretty good except for the 3 I screwed up on. These rifles are light and have a very skinny forend and if I don't hang on good it will flip them around so I take full credit for my lost shots. :oops: I stopped for a while and then shot the last 2 back into the group. First 5 I was real tickled with and should have just stopped but it was going too good and got a bit cocky. :roll: Same load I shot at 50 was used, 100 grainsV of BH, my latest casting of bullets 336grains, MMP Purple 50X54 sabot, and CCI 250 LRMP.


I did shoot a target with 3 rounds before I started this one but accidentally threw out the target, but it was not good. I had bought 2 new Barnes .54cal loading jags to try on these bullets. One of them I sort of flared the mouth a little more and then ruffed up the bottom and added some Devcon to it and seated a bullet by hand and let it sit over night. Then removed the bullet and cleaned it all up. I only opened up and polished the mouth of the second. I had trouble getting them to start and seat the bullet and found it was getting down into the sabot when seating. It must have caused the sabot to seat weird because with the same load it threw the shots all over. I filed down the jags so that they would not contact the sabot and they worked much better for the above target. The one I added the Devcon to fits the bullet nice and worked extremely well and I am going to modify the other to match.

I think I will just need to move the scope left a tad and use this load for Deer hunting.
 
Looks good Shawn :D

By chance, have you been able to recover any of those bullets? Just curious how they hold up, and what they look like. They sure shoot good, if they expand and hold up well which they likely do, you definitely have a great hunting load.
 
WV Hunter said:
Looks good Shawn :D

By chance, have you been able to recover any of those bullets? Just curious how they hold up, and what they look like. They sure shoot good, if they expand and hold up well which they likely do, you definitely have a great hunting load.
No I have not recovered one yet. I was trying to think of a way to do it. Our club would not let us place anything on the range to capture one so I would have to dig one out of a berm if I can see where they hit.

Do you still have your bullet testing box?

Have you noticed any PMs in your inbox?????
 

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