White Lightning @ Dinger Farm - Velocities

[Sabotloader]

It was agreat morning here to get a shoot in... cooler and cloudy as it rained like heck here last night.

I have been itching to check the velocity on the sabotless bullets I am shooting from the Lighning.  Plus some velocity thoughts had risen about how much powder I might be burning.

I have pretty much settled on 110 grains of T7-3f as my powder load, and I could see no visable signs that I was not burning the powder, the chrono would tell me for sure.  The Lightnng is a stubby 22" barrel, so I really wanted to find out myself.

Here are the results of this mornings testing...



I still hate slide and glide sights, but you can see I made a slight windage adjustment after the first few shots. It made me feel a little bit better even though accuracy was not the concern of the moment.  I was loading and shooting one shot after another, until Tom walked over and we started talking.

The other part of the mission this morning was to check the condition of the breech area after shooting.  It actually surprised me that it remained as clean as it did.

[JimmyHoffa]

Always enjoy these posts.  Thanks for all the experimenting.  It looks as though with the 120 grain you've basically equalled a .45-70 Gov't loaded to trapdoor specs.

[Sabotloader]

Always enjoy these posts.  Thanks for all the experimenting. It looks as though with the 120 grain you've basically equalled a .45-70 Gov't loaded to trapdoor specs.

Shoot... I did not know that... I was just pulling the trigger.

[Dry creek]

have you ever tried pyrodex p powder that what doc recamends.

[Sabotloader]

have you ever tried pyrodex p powder that what doc recamends.

I honestly have not used much Pyrodex.  It is so weak and corrosive as compared to T7.  I probably would use GOEX before Pyro powder.  I know a lot of folks use it and like it so what I indicate is just my opinion...

[Dan-o]

So you're still getting more velocity going from 110 to 120 grains.

Do you just reach a point and decide that enough is enough (like at 110 grains).

Just curious.   

Thanks for the cool write up.

[Sabotloader]

So you're still getting more velocity going from 110 to 120 grains.

Do you just reach a point and decide that enough is enough (like at 110 grains).

Just curious.   

Thanks for the cool write up.

110 is going to be my normal hunting load for elk, mostly because this is hammer gun and I really do not need the extra blow back.  For deer I would probably drop down to 100.

The only reason I moved from 110 to 120 was basically to see I would still gain velocity.  With the 22" barrel I was not sure I could even burn it all but it appears it does.

[Dry creek]

i was told p powder burns faster and cleaner.

[Dan-o]

Nice accuracy, by the way.

Do you lube those bullets?  Use a wad?   What kind of bullets are those?

Now you've just got me curious........

[Sabotloader]

Nice accuracy, by the way.

Do you lube those bullets?  Use a wad?   What kind of bullets are those?

Now you've just got me curious........

No lube, no wad, they are brass and like copper brass is self lubricating.

Lehigh a smal company in PA makes them although he is not making them right now.  He is to busy making things for Knight.  We dreamed these up a year or so ago and he made a small experimental run of bullets.