New Renegade with Lewis's bullets.

[idahoron]

Lewis sent me some 416 gr paper patch bullets to try in my New Rifle here is a picture if you don't remember.

I had a hardness of .060 on my dial, that is about 9.2 BHN that's kind of a guess. It was between 9 and 9.5 BHN. I filed off the nose to get a wider spot to test the hardness.

I was set at 100 yards and I used the setting I determined from the last shoot with my 11mm rifle bullets. I had a wind that was gusting 5 to 8 MPH left to right, here that is west to east.
The first shot was a cold clean bore. It was the farthest to the right. The second was the center shot.

The third shot I was glad didn't affect the overall group but the wind was just what it was. The group size with the cold shot was 2.429"

I was very pleased with the group. The wind is just the wind, I wish I could get a calm day.
After my last range test I figured out what my MOA of drop was on my 11mm bullets in my Hawken. I wrote those MOA drops in my range note book. So I decided to go straight to 200 yards over my cross sticks no bench.
I set the Lee Shavers Mid range sight for .29 and took a shot. I didn't hold any windage, the wind was not real bad at that time. I could hear the impact.
I reloaded and took the same shot. Again impact.

I'm assuming that the second hit was the one with the lead still in the hole. The first one was the lower clean spot.
I was very pleased that the sight setting was spot on for elevation. The wind is just the wind.
Overall that bullet shot very well considering I just volume measured 80 gr of Pyrodex P and used a 50 cal over powder wad. I was very pleased that the cold bore shot was right there.
The bullets shot great. I will be testing them out farther next time.

 

[deermanok]

Nice shooting.

 

[sdporter]

I can’t wait to get into my new shop so I can get out and start burning powder. Nice shootin’ Ron!

 

[rangerod]

Man that guns a looker Ron.

 

[Idaholewis]

Nothing wrong with that Ron Wind SUCKS! And you guy’s live in it Down there. If you take the Cold Bore Shot out, Your last 2 were just under 1-1/2” (assuming the checks are 1” inch) The 2 on your Steel at 200 Yards look very Good My Steam Cleaner and Paper Patch Fiasco got me in a Habit of Throwing my Cold Bore shots away, I literally mean throw them away, as in shoot them in a Stump, Bank, Etc. I usually do this with 2 Shots, Swab Out Good, Then Start my Group

That Piece of Steel has seen better Days

I will be curious to see how that Bullet Flies in your 1:30 Twist farther out, I would use a Chunk of Cardboard as Backing, To see if the Bullet is poking a Nice clean Hole? Sometimes it is tricky to see on a regular piece of Target paper as These Pointed Nose Bullets Tear a Hole VS a Wider Meplat that Punches a Hole like a Hole Punch

 

[Idaholewis]

Your Hardness test is Slightly off, My guess is you didn’t have a Large enough Flat (Meplat) Filed, and the Test “Bled off“ The Cupped Base would need to be Removed as well to get an Accurate reading
I cast those Bullets of Stamp Certified 1-20 Alloy From BACO, That is ALL this Particular Lead Pot is allowed to have in it. I have tested BACO’s Alloys several times, they are always SPOT ON what the Certified Stamp Says

 

[idahoron]

Your Hardness test is Slightly off, My guess is you didn’t have a Large enough Flat (Meplat) Filed, and the Test “Bled off“ The Cupped Base would need to be Removed as well to get an Accurate reading
I cast those Bullets of Stamp Certified 1-20 Alloy From BACO, That is ALL this Particular Lead Pot is allowed to have in it. I have tested BACO’s Alloys several times, they are always SPOT ON what the Certified Stamp Says

The nose is filed back pretty far but I didn't file off the cup. I will try that again.
I am wondering about stabilization way out. I am wanting to get out past 300 on my next trip. I had planned to us a big piece of cardboard for a backer. I didn't know if they would punch a clean hole with that nose.

 

[idahoron]

Have you ran those through your sizer?

 

[Idaholewis]

Have you ran those through your sizer?

Yea i have in the few situations where i needed a little extra Wiggle Room, When i do so, I lube them well and send them through Base First, This allows me to Push on the Tiny Meplat of the Nose, You DEFINATELY Don’t want to push through Nose First with these, You could easily Damage the Cupped Base Rim with the Push Rod, And that is What Steers the Bullet.
That Bullet Drops from the Mold at .443 i believe? Most of the time I don’t need to do anything with them, Simply Patch & Load them (Depending on Which Bore i am Working with?) I do have a .442 Sizer that i use on occasion, Again when i need a little extra Wiggle Room, Such as my 1-20 Twist Rice Barrel, it has a TIGHT .449.5 Bore

 

[Idaholewis]

The nose is filed back pretty far but I didn't file off the cup. I will try that again.
I am wondering about stabilization way out. I am wanting to get out past 300 on my next trip. I had planned to us a big piece of cardboard for a backer. I didn't know if they would punch a clean hole with that nose.

Ok, i bet the Cupped Base is where the Test “Bled off” some, That little Thin Rim with That much pressure against it.
File that Rim Down, and the Nose (Remember this is a Nose Pour Bullet, The Sprue is at the Nose instead of the Base) You want to test the “Core” You Should come in at .068-.070 There very close abouts. This Stamp Certified Alloy is Tested Per Batch, and is literally Stamped in it

 

[idahoron]

I screwed up when I said sizer. I meant to say have you tested them with your Hardness tester. The size was perfect.

 

[idahoron]

I have filed off the base and the nose. All I'm getting is .060 I would be curious to see what your tester has them at. Do you have an ingot to test against?

 

[Idaholewis]

I have filed off the base and the nose. All I'm getting is .060 I would be curious to see what your tester has them at. Do you have an ingot to test against?

I just ran a Test, I decided to do a Video of my Tester doing a Test, This was a Perfect candidate for it


This is what i have from Buffalo Arms, This is the ONLY stuff Allowed in my 1-20 Alloy Lead Pot
https://www.buffaloarms.com/20-1-al...hop-block-priced-per-lb-8-lb-blocks-20-1alloy
Description

This is how i buy my 1-20 Alloy From Buffalo Arms, Chop Blocks.

Flip it over and it’s Stamped

I Cut 1 Segment off with my Cutter to do the Hardness Test on

I made 5 Tests Total, 3 of them read .069 on my Dial, and 2 of them read 068, Which is SPOT ON for 1-20 Alloy

 

[LR_Smoker]

I’m always impressed with your detailed explanations and scientific approach to explaining the various methods you use. Once again I must applaud you for all your help. All of the time and effort that you put into explaining the “nuances “ of bullet casting and wringing the maximum precision out of those bullets are of tremendous help to a student such as myself.

 

[Denis]

Nothing wrong with that Ron Wind SUCKS! And you guy’s live in it Down there. If you take the Cold Bore Shot out, Your last 2 were just under 1-1/2” (assuming the checks are 1” inch) The 2 on your Steel at 200 Yards look very Good My Steam Cleaner and Paper Patch Fiasco got me in a Habit of Throwing my Cold Bore shots away, I literally mean throw them away, as in shoot them in a Stump, Bank, Etc. I usually do this with 2 Shots, Swab Out Good, Then Start my Group

That Piece of Steel has seen better Days

I will be curious to see how that Bullet Flies in your 1:30 Twist farther out, I would use a Chunk of Cardboard as Backing, To see if the Bullet is poking a Nice clean Hole? Sometimes it is tricky to see on a regular piece of Target paper as These Pointed Nose Bullets Tear a Hole VS a Wider Meplat that Punches a Hole like a Hole Punch

Ok, now, question its for hunting, if you throw the first shot away for paper shooting and then the gun stabilizes. Does that mean i have to shoot one round in the ground then good to go hunting

 

[Saxtonyoung]

There are different strategies, I like to know where bullet is going to hit with a cold clean bore because that will be the shot I hunt with. Others prefer to foul the bore first then load their hunting shot. Anyway you play it you should know how your hunting gun reacts to different situations.

 

[Idaholewis]

Ok, now, question its for hunting, if you throw the first shot away for paper shooting and then the gun stabilizes. Does that mean i have to shoot one round in the ground then good to go hunting

No not at all! I was strictly talking Target/Benchrest Shooting, When i shoot for Groups i Throw the Cold Bore away, I usually shoot 2 “throw away” Shots on average, Then Start my Group. The reason for that is i use a Steam Cleaner on a Fairly regular basis through the Breech end of my Barrels When i clean them, After doing this The Cold Bore shot with Slip Fit PAPER PATCH Bullets can be disastrous, I mean off by Several Feet BAD

For a Hunting Rifle i NEVER Steam Clean through the Breech, I clean normally in a Bucket of Water. I test my Cold Bore Shot 3 or 4 outings Back to Back to make Sure they hit where they are Suppose to, And they always Do

 

[Renegadehunter]

Lew, don't you have a procedure for prepping for hunting where you use a 209 cap conversion to "foul" the bore and that has been successful for you in bringing your clean bore shot closer to subsequent fouled shots? Think I remember seeing something like that in one of your videos. I know you haven't done much BP hunting the last couple of years and have been CF hunting, so perhaps you haven't prepped one like that in a while, but just wondering if you still find fouling with a 209 primer to help with the clean bore shot? (yes, I'm the king of run-on sentences). This might be interesting to the above folks.
Ron, not trying to hijack your thread, hope you'll forgive me.

 

[Idaholewis]

Lew, don't you have a procedure for prepping for hunting where you use a 209 cap conversion to "foul" the bore and that has been successful for you in bringing your clean bore shot closer to subsequent fouled shots? Think I remember seeing something like that in one of your videos. I know you haven't done much BP hunting the last couple of years and have been CF hunting, so perhaps you haven't prepped one like that in a while, but just wondering if you still find fouling with a 209 primer to help with the clean bore shot? (yes, I'm the king of run-on sentences). This might be interesting to the above folks.
Ron, not trying to hijack your thread, hope you'll forgive me.

Yep, that is the method i came up with for prepping my Sidelocks for Hunting. I bought a Magspark 209 Nipple/Adapter Specifically for doing this Task. I pop 1 or 2 Federal 209A Primers Straight Through, Then i Run a Clean/dry patch down & back (it will be BLACK from the 209 “Soot”) Then i Simply Load my Rifle & go hunting. This method simulates a Fouled Bore, And ENSURES there is no Oil, or Debris of any Sort in the Flame Channel/Patented Breech, and the “Black Soot” Coating left behind in the Flame Channel/Patented Breech allows my Powder Charge to “Flow” Through like a Hot knife through Butter, Settling under the Nipple where it Belongs. This method ABSOLUTELY works, and it does so EVERY TIME

A HOT Fed 209A Shotgun Primer or 2 Popped Through the Flame Channel/Patented Breech of a Sidelock Muzzleloader is FAR & AWAY SUPERIOR To popping a few Little No. 11 Percussion Caps through, There is NO Comparison

 

[idahoron]

I wonder if the smaller piece of lead/bullet is causing the lower reading?
I don't doubt the hardness from BACO I'm just trying to understand the difference. Did you try a bullet filing it off?