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Never has I don't shoot concave bullets ,Plain Base only for me /EdAre you using wads under bullets with concave bases?
Never has I don't shoot concave bullets ,Plain Base only for me /EdAre you using wads under bullets with concave bases?
When I was shooting hollow based bullets I used a golf ball sized piece of raw wool. (which my neighbors would gladly supply by the gunny sack!) It seemed to work well. I’ve always used something, wad, wool or vegetable fiber, between powder and projectile. I’ve never seen a decrease in accuracy and most of the time it’s helpful.Are you using wads under bullets with concave bases?
Hornady Great Plains - an all lead conical bulletpardon my iggernance, what is an HGP?
What’s that method exactly? Very hard to believe a wool wad would make your 1.5” groups go to 7” at 50 yards. Maybe the wad was getting stuck in the hollow base of the bullet?adding a 1/8 thick .54 wool wad between bullet and powder, with the wad loaded as IdahoLewis suggested in an earlier thread
Thanks - Just about loaded up for the hunt, and it's starting to snow! Nothing better for finding elk than an inch or two of fresh tracking snow.What’s that method exactly? Very hard to believe a wool wad would make your 1.5” groups go to 7” at 50 yards. Maybe the wad was getting stuck in the hollow base of the bullet?
Good luck on the hunt!
Thanks - Just about loaded up for the hunt, and it's starting to snow! Nothing better for finding elk than an inch or two of fresh tracking snow.
Here's the thread in which Lewis posted a video describing his loading sequence. It includes a demonstration of how he loads a wad over powder.
https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/felt-wad-over-powder.39556/#post-357175
I think that felt wads have a propensity to go cockeyed against concave bullet bases, and that's why I get poor accuracy with HGPs and Hornady PA conicals when I use wads. But... maybe I'm doing something wrong, and all thoughts / comments are helpful and appreciated.
Good news: With charges of 85grs W of T7-2F behind my sized HGPs I'm getting velocities around 1540 +/- 17 fps, 5 shot 50 yard groups that are consistently around 2 inches and centered about 1.5 inches high, and very clean powder burns. So.... I'm ready for deer or elk out to ranges of 125 yards or so.
Congratulations on your elk!!Idaholewis did not use hollow base bullets. He used flat base bullets. A wad between powder and a flat base bullet really helps to protect the base of the bullet, which is what "steers" the bullet. Lew also noted that lead fouling was reduced from using a wad vs. not using one. Without a wad he surmised that ignition was melting the base of the bullet edges slightly, which would contribute lead to the bore and cause the bullet to lose some of its "steering" capability. Makes sense.
A hollow based bullet, like your Hornady GPB's, is designed differently. The base of the bullet is supposed to flare out upon ignition, creating a tight fit to the bore that won't allow any gases to get past it.
Gas leakage around the projectile is an accuracy killer, so a wad being added with a hollow base bullet has the potential to keep the base from expanding. I think that adding the wad protected the ignition explosion from being able to reliably flare out the GPB bases, which means they weren't sealing to the bore well and gases were able to blow past it during its ride down the bore. Perhaps it was even stripping the rifling too without the base being expanded to fill the grooves better?
At any rate, your testing shows that no wad is working better for your load, so that's all that matters. Best of luck in filling that elk tag. I have been on a long dry spell of putting an elk in the freezer, I always archery hunt the rut every year. I managed to get one this year and have been greatly enjoying having elk meat in the freezer again, it is outstanding table fare.
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