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- Jun 8, 2018
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About 10 years ago my son and I put together a kit rifle. He was 3-years old at the time and mostly did some light sanding and staining of the wood. Anyway, it is a 24", 1:48 ROT .50 caliber sidelock. We called the gun his "Squirt Gun" because he was a little squirt when we put it together and it is a light, short and petit rifle.
When he got a little bigger and could shoot it we sort of "customized" it. I D/T it for bases and put a 2.5X Leupold Intermediate Eye Relief Scope on it. I also put a quick-release comb that raises the shooters cheek in-line with the scope and slopes away to keep any recoil off your cheek. It has a leather covered recoil pad on it, and a few tack inlays with a little pewter Angel inlayed on one side. The sights are Williams open peep rear and red fiber optic red sight under the scope with see-through mounts.
Now this is sort of a Frankenstein of a rifle but it has a lot of sentimental value to us. Over the years we never could find a real good load combination for accuracy. At one point we used Cheap Shot Sabots and got 3-4" groups at 80 yards and we did kill a hog with it at around 50-yards. Another time we sighted in with 300-grain Hornady XTP in green crush rib sabot. The groups were the same 3-4" but at 100-yards. We tried every combination of PRB loading we could do and ended up 4" groups at 50-yards and we did kill a ram with it. Recently we sighted in with 295 grain Powerbelt's after trying 245 grain and 295 grain versions and getting "some" accuracy with the 295 AT's. The problem has been inconsistency. Two shots will be right on the money and the next will go randomly several inches away. A 3-shot group with the Powerbelts with be 3-5" at 100-yards. A 5-shot groups will probably stay within that same size, but 2 out of 5 will be aborations that open up the main group.
My son is getting ready to hunt with The Squirt Gun this year and asked me to take it to the range (he's 14 and tied up with football and lacrosse). We just did a bedding job and the wood to metal is real snug now. I did the whole routine - PRB with different patches, ball sizes and lubes. Nothing under 5" groups at 75-yards. Tried 245 grain Powerbelts. 5" groups at 100-yards with the best of several powder charges. 295 gr Powerbelts doing the 3.5-5" group thing. Digging through my box of "misc. extra ML stuff" I found a box of Hornady PA Conical projectiles (and I have 3 boxes at home). It says right on the box .512 and "for 1/66 twist barrel". Well, nothing else worked so why not?
I shot 60 - 100 grain charges at 50-yards and 70-grains proved most accurate. I got a few 3-shot groups with 2 shots touching. Figured out to wipe the lube off of the conical and out of the base cavity (they have way too much lube on them). More accurate when wiped. Moved back to 100-yards. Usually I'd shoot a group before moving the scope but this target has been proven to track with the scope adjustments - 4 clicks per square. Shot 1 was 3" high and 1.5" right. Moved scope down and left. Shot 2 was 1.5 inches low and .5 inches left. Moved scope up and right. Shot 3 was .5 inch low and 1-inch left. Moved scope 1-inch right and 1-inch up. The next 5-shots went into a 1-inch group!! Holy Sugar Honey Ice and Tea!! This was a long day at the range, shooting near 100-shots and burning over a pound of powder to find the holy grail of combo's for this rifle. Thank you LORD. 10 cents a shot and I have 300 of them compared to the $1 per shot stuff that gave half-donkey'd groups. I am real excited to have found an accurate load for this rifle!
When he got a little bigger and could shoot it we sort of "customized" it. I D/T it for bases and put a 2.5X Leupold Intermediate Eye Relief Scope on it. I also put a quick-release comb that raises the shooters cheek in-line with the scope and slopes away to keep any recoil off your cheek. It has a leather covered recoil pad on it, and a few tack inlays with a little pewter Angel inlayed on one side. The sights are Williams open peep rear and red fiber optic red sight under the scope with see-through mounts.
Now this is sort of a Frankenstein of a rifle but it has a lot of sentimental value to us. Over the years we never could find a real good load combination for accuracy. At one point we used Cheap Shot Sabots and got 3-4" groups at 80 yards and we did kill a hog with it at around 50-yards. Another time we sighted in with 300-grain Hornady XTP in green crush rib sabot. The groups were the same 3-4" but at 100-yards. We tried every combination of PRB loading we could do and ended up 4" groups at 50-yards and we did kill a ram with it. Recently we sighted in with 295 grain Powerbelt's after trying 245 grain and 295 grain versions and getting "some" accuracy with the 295 AT's. The problem has been inconsistency. Two shots will be right on the money and the next will go randomly several inches away. A 3-shot group with the Powerbelts with be 3-5" at 100-yards. A 5-shot groups will probably stay within that same size, but 2 out of 5 will be aborations that open up the main group.
My son is getting ready to hunt with The Squirt Gun this year and asked me to take it to the range (he's 14 and tied up with football and lacrosse). We just did a bedding job and the wood to metal is real snug now. I did the whole routine - PRB with different patches, ball sizes and lubes. Nothing under 5" groups at 75-yards. Tried 245 grain Powerbelts. 5" groups at 100-yards with the best of several powder charges. 295 gr Powerbelts doing the 3.5-5" group thing. Digging through my box of "misc. extra ML stuff" I found a box of Hornady PA Conical projectiles (and I have 3 boxes at home). It says right on the box .512 and "for 1/66 twist barrel". Well, nothing else worked so why not?
I shot 60 - 100 grain charges at 50-yards and 70-grains proved most accurate. I got a few 3-shot groups with 2 shots touching. Figured out to wipe the lube off of the conical and out of the base cavity (they have way too much lube on them). More accurate when wiped. Moved back to 100-yards. Usually I'd shoot a group before moving the scope but this target has been proven to track with the scope adjustments - 4 clicks per square. Shot 1 was 3" high and 1.5" right. Moved scope down and left. Shot 2 was 1.5 inches low and .5 inches left. Moved scope up and right. Shot 3 was .5 inch low and 1-inch left. Moved scope 1-inch right and 1-inch up. The next 5-shots went into a 1-inch group!! Holy Sugar Honey Ice and Tea!! This was a long day at the range, shooting near 100-shots and burning over a pound of powder to find the holy grail of combo's for this rifle. Thank you LORD. 10 cents a shot and I have 300 of them compared to the $1 per shot stuff that gave half-donkey'd groups. I am real excited to have found an accurate load for this rifle!
