Free: Contests & Raffles.
It's fairly common to read that "each rifle is different and prefers a specific load" to function best. In the days of handmade rifles which were individually built, this would seem to be obvious. It's harder for me to imagine that two modern inline rifles are different enough to actually fire differently given identical loads. The tolerances in manufacturing are very precise.....at least more precise than other variables, i.e, the variation in power charge measured by volume, the air temperature, the barrel temperature, the moisture level of the powder, bore fouling, the shooter....etc....etc....Even different brands of rifles must be closer tolerances than other variables. They are mostly 50 caliber bores with a 1/28 or 1/48 twist. Barrel length (and therefore, muzzle velocity) seems like it would be the main difference, which has less to do with accuracy on a 100 yard range.Are we really talking about working up a load that the shooter "believes in ?".....rather than what the rifle likes? I'm sure many of you will disagree, based on your individual experiences (also called anecdotal evidence) which is completely unscientific, and based on individual human perception at a single point in time, rather than actual repeatable numbers and statistical analysis.So tell me I'm full of crap, or shut up about "working up a load." Just put in 100 or 120 grains of powder, your favorite bullet.......and shoot more.
You don't think there are any less variables than building an accurate hand load for a rifle or tuning a bow/ arrow combination? You are full of crap.
trade secrets man. Go shoot your own rifle a hundred times and figure out a load for it. Two identical rifles will not have same POI or group at the same target using the same load on the same day, its just a known fact. My two identical knight bighorn .50 rifles differ slightly at 100 yds using the same load. I'm not saying I have to have two seperate setups for the rifles but even at 100yds, the difference is minimal as far as a smokepole goes with open sights. and I'm confident in either rifle. 150g pyrodex pellets, 240g hornady xtp
Quote from: barracuda163 on August 25, 2013, 05:07:38 PMtrade secrets man. Go shoot your own rifle a hundred times and figure out a load for it. Two identical rifles will not have same POI or group at the same target using the same load on the same day, its just a known fact. My two identical knight bighorn .50 rifles differ slightly at 100 yds using the same load. I'm not saying I have to have two seperate setups for the rifles but even at 100yds, the difference is minimal as far as a smokepole goes with open sights. and I'm confident in either rifle. 150g pyrodex pellets, 240g hornady xtpYou figure it will take me 99 times to try 3 pellets instead of 2? Or should I just start and finish with the max recommended load and skip the 100 trips.
My rifle is can be very temperamental. I shoot a 54 cal hawkens and i just doesn't like shooting Hornady great plains no matter what the powder charge is. I'm all over the paper. But I drives tacks with 430 grn maxi balls. So that's what I shoot, even though I have to buy the slugs online. Since T/C stopped making the 54. cal line of maxi balls I had to find a differant supplier.
It's fairly common to read that "each rifle is different and prefers a specific load" to function best. In the days of handmade rifles which were individually built, this would seem to be obvious. It's harder for me to imagine that two modern inline rifles are different enough to actually fire differently given identical loads. The tolerances in manufacturing are very precise.....at least more precise than other variables, i.e, the variation in power charge measured by volume, the air temperature, the barrel temperature, the moisture level of the powder, bore fouling, the shooter....etc....etc....Even different brands of rifles must be closer tolerances than other variables. They are mostly 50 caliber bores with a 1/28 or 1/48 twist. Barrel length (and therefore, muzzle velocity) seems like it would be the main difference, which has less to do with accuracy on a 100 yard range........
Quote from: kerrdog on August 25, 2013, 08:56:36 AMIt's fairly common to read that "each rifle is different and prefers a specific load" to function best. In the days of handmade rifles which were individually built, this would seem to be obvious. It's harder for me to imagine that two modern inline rifles are different enough to actually fire differently given identical loads. The tolerances in manufacturing are very precise.....at least more precise than other variables, i.e, the variation in power charge measured by volume, the air temperature, the barrel temperature, the moisture level of the powder, bore fouling, the shooter....etc....etc....Even different brands of rifles must be closer tolerances than other variables. They are mostly 50 caliber bores with a 1/28 or 1/48 twist. Barrel length (and therefore, muzzle velocity) seems like it would be the main difference, which has less to do with accuracy on a 100 yard range........I'm not giving you any crap, but I think this is part of what needs to get sorted out. From what I understand, there is no 'standard' for a 50cal bore diameter. Those who are way more experienced than me on muzzleloaders know like it's chiseled in stone somewhere that certain brands are 'tight' while other brands are 'loose'. Muzzleloader manufacturing just does not seem to get the tight tolerance machining that modern rifles do.What I do know from personal experience is this: I poured my own 440gr 500S&W conicals, lubed and sized them all to .501 and pushed them with 80gr of RS FFg thru both my new Extreme and my used Bighorn. Same everything except for the actual rifles. The Bighorn threw them wonderfully. The Extreme....well...... I gave up for now even getting them on paper reliably at 50yds. These monsters can do a lot of damage going thru an animal SIDEWAYS, but the accuracy is less than desired!
