- Joined
- Aug 12, 2005
- Messages
- 9,993
- Reaction score
- 57
Today I was going to make final adjustments to the Lyman Great Plains Rifle. I knew it was shooting to the left. Now with the much cooler weather I wanted to check it one more time, make any adjustments and get it sighted in for 30 yards or so, in case I decide I want to hunt with it.
So out in the yard I went. And set up at new target at 30 yards.. range finder verified. Then just like that, my mind went black. I could not remember what load this rifle liked. But I remember reading someone saying 95 grains of 3f black powder and they got outstanding accuracy. So I figured.. what the heck. I have Schuetzen 3f black powder, some olive oil as lube for the pillow tick patch, and plenty of home cast .495 roundball.. lets see what 95 grains does at 30 yards. Also I have never used olive oil in this rifle. I had also brought out some home made lube I made up Sunday I wanted to try...
Well 95 grains of 3f powder and olive oil is not the ticket. It was blowing my patches apart. And I mean, shredding them. So I had some .510 Circle Fly wads in the box.
I then lowered the powder charge to 70 grains of powder and no wad and figured I would try them. And for a better aiming point, I held level under that green square with the front sight.
4-6 were far to the left of the square and not really in a good group. So I was in kind of a quandary. I went in the house and looked at what this rifle liked, in my file. It read 80 grains of 2f black powder. So back to the range I went with my 2f black powder.
This time aiming at the green square again, I shot 7-10 and while still to the left.. the group was much better. But I figured.. it is time to adjust this rear sight and drift it to the right.
Back to the big red bull and I must point out a mistake in labeling.. I was shooting 80 grains of 2f for 11-14
Shot 11 was to the left.. just to check how much drift. #12 I adjusted and discovered too much adjustment. So I set it back just a little and made 13 &14 and that was pretty good.
I should point out.. it was NECESSARY for me to swab the barrel between shots. I could not believe how hard it was to load this rifle today. Whether it is the cold weather, the humidity, the junior lube, or what... But loading a second shot .. well if the ramrod was not stainless steel and I could not force that ball down the barrel, I would have been in trouble. But the load was 80 grains of Schuetzen 2f not 3f, a .510 circle fly wad, junior lube and patched pillow tick, and of course my home cast roundball in .495.
Anyway I saw that turkey and just had to try for the head. But first, I made just a very very small adjustment to the right. So small in fact, I was not even sure I had made it. I then took a bead on that turkey's head..
And fired two shots.. swabbing between shots of course. The to see what happens if I did not swab.. I loaded again, and either I flinched or what.. but blew that one out of the park.
I was going to shoot more, but they delivered a dumpster to my house for an upcoming construction project so I felt I better stop or I might scare away the dumpster.
So out in the yard I went. And set up at new target at 30 yards.. range finder verified. Then just like that, my mind went black. I could not remember what load this rifle liked. But I remember reading someone saying 95 grains of 3f black powder and they got outstanding accuracy. So I figured.. what the heck. I have Schuetzen 3f black powder, some olive oil as lube for the pillow tick patch, and plenty of home cast .495 roundball.. lets see what 95 grains does at 30 yards. Also I have never used olive oil in this rifle. I had also brought out some home made lube I made up Sunday I wanted to try...
Well 95 grains of 3f powder and olive oil is not the ticket. It was blowing my patches apart. And I mean, shredding them. So I had some .510 Circle Fly wads in the box.
I then lowered the powder charge to 70 grains of powder and no wad and figured I would try them. And for a better aiming point, I held level under that green square with the front sight.
4-6 were far to the left of the square and not really in a good group. So I was in kind of a quandary. I went in the house and looked at what this rifle liked, in my file. It read 80 grains of 2f black powder. So back to the range I went with my 2f black powder.
This time aiming at the green square again, I shot 7-10 and while still to the left.. the group was much better. But I figured.. it is time to adjust this rear sight and drift it to the right.
Back to the big red bull and I must point out a mistake in labeling.. I was shooting 80 grains of 2f for 11-14
Shot 11 was to the left.. just to check how much drift. #12 I adjusted and discovered too much adjustment. So I set it back just a little and made 13 &14 and that was pretty good.
I should point out.. it was NECESSARY for me to swab the barrel between shots. I could not believe how hard it was to load this rifle today. Whether it is the cold weather, the humidity, the junior lube, or what... But loading a second shot .. well if the ramrod was not stainless steel and I could not force that ball down the barrel, I would have been in trouble. But the load was 80 grains of Schuetzen 2f not 3f, a .510 circle fly wad, junior lube and patched pillow tick, and of course my home cast roundball in .495.
Anyway I saw that turkey and just had to try for the head. But first, I made just a very very small adjustment to the right. So small in fact, I was not even sure I had made it. I then took a bead on that turkey's head..
And fired two shots.. swabbing between shots of course. The to see what happens if I did not swab.. I loaded again, and either I flinched or what.. but blew that one out of the park.
I was going to shoot more, but they delivered a dumpster to my house for an upcoming construction project so I felt I better stop or I might scare away the dumpster.
