For Day Shooting The Patriot

[Fishbc]

First day shooting my Patriot yesterday.
Amazing quality in the build of that gun.
Was shooting Fury 225 star tipped in it today. Using Imr 4198 (gave up finding H4198), & N120. 56 to 57 grains. Gonna go to 58 grains today.
Lots of comments on here about the light Patriot having excessive recoil. I did not see that at all! To me it was pleasant to shoot.
Also shot some Barnes 195's. with 33 grains of N110 First with Barnes' sabot, then the Harvester Light Blue Crush Rib. Loading was harder with the Barnes sabot. Accuracy was better with the Harvester. Gonna move upward in grains today. No recoil to speak of with these bullets!!
Also gonna shoot some Fury 250 Star Tipped today.
Best 2 groups were just under 1.5' @ 100 yds. I'm sure I can do better.
Comments?

 

[ElDiablo]

Everything Mark makes is top notch! Glad you’re enjoying it! Sounds to me like you’re in the right neighborhood with those loads. I’d expect pretty manageable recoil. When you start getting up into the 275-400 gr bullets you’ll notice a difference!

 

[LHR]

Everything Mark makes is top notch! Glad you’re enjoying it! Sounds to me like you’re in the right neighborhood with those loads. I’d expect pretty manageable recoil. When you start getting up into the 275-400 gr bullets you’ll notice a difference!

Or try 78gr. by weight of BH209 with a 275 - 300 gr. bullet and get back to us on recoil.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

Sounds like a good first outing.

The supplied tan sabots with the Barnes 195 Expanders are MMP sabots. I couldn’t get those to shoot well for me. I use Harvester Light Blue sabots, non-crush rib. Those work the best for most, including myself.

 

[Fishbc]

Sounds like a good first outing.

The supplied tan sabots with the Barnes 195 Expanders are MMP sabots. I couldn’t get those to shoot well for me. I use Harvester Light Blue sabots, non-crush rib. Those work the best for most, including myself.

I am going to try the Light blue without ribs tomorrow.
My best load so far is the Fury 250 gr. Star tipped with 57 grs. of IMR 4198. Group was /4" @ 100 yds.
Gonna try 58 grains.
My question is when dealing with loads is it beneficial to adjust loads by 1/2 grain to tweak for accuracy.?
With cartridge guns I've seen 1/2 grain make a huge difference is groups.
Not sure it's that way with muzzleloaders?

 

[ENCORE50A]

I am going to try the Light blue without ribs tomorrow.
My best load so far is the Fury 250 gr. Star tipped with 57 grs. of IMR 4198. Group was /4" @ 100 yds.
Gonna try 58 grains.
My question is when dealing with loads is it beneficial to adjust loads by 1/2 grain to tweak for accuracy.?
With cartridge guns I've seen 1/2 grain make a huge difference is groups.
Not sure it's that way with muzzleloaders?

Yes. I've ran tests using 1/4gr.

Here's a Satterlee test using 1/2gr. There are 2 nodes. I always shoot the lessor charge.






Here's a 1/4 or so..........

 

[Fishbc]

Yes. I've ran tests using 1/4gr.

Here's a Satterlee test using 1/2gr. There are 2 nodes. I always shoot the lessor charge.



View attachment 44321


Here's a 1/4 or so..........

View attachment 44322

Great info!!

 

[ElDiablo]

Single shots at 1/2 gr increments won’t tell you anything statistically. You’d need a lot more data to see any difference in loads that similar. If you ran that ladder three times like that you’d likely get three different results.

You’re better off moving in grain or more increments and shooting 5-10 shot groups.

 

[ENCORE50A]

Great info!!

The best muzzleloader shooters in the Nation use the Satterlee tests. This test absolutely works, and you don't have to do it over and over. Developed by CF shooters, the test absolutely works for smokeless muzzleloaders too.

I learned of this test from Bestill Creations LLC, after Jeff built my custom rifle.

A Satterlee test will save you time and money in the long run. At today's prices for components, saving time and money is precious.

"The Satterlee method is a technique used in precision rifle load development.

1. Incremental Powder Charges: The Satterlee method involves loading a given cartridge’s brass, primer, powder, and bullet combination with incremental powder charges. These charges are carefully adjusted to cover a range of velocities.
2. Velocity Flat Spot: The goal is to find a velocity “node” where an increment of powder charge results in minimal change in bullet velocity. This “flat spot” in velocity indicates a stable load configuration.
3. Fewer Shots, More Data: Unlike traditional load development methods that require firing multiple shots at different charge weights, the Satterlee method aims to achieve accurate results with fewer rounds. Typically, shooters fire around 10 rounds to identify the velocity node.
4. Verification: Once the initial node is identified, you can load 10 more rounds with the same charge weight to verify the data. This streamlined process allows you to complete load development from start to finish using just 20 rounds.

In summary, the Satterlee method simplifies load development by focusing on velocity nodes and minimizing the number of shots needed for testing123. It’s a valuable technique for precision shooters seeking optimal performance from their rifles."