Change of pace @ Dinger's Farm

[Sabotloader]

It was a great day here - I really needed to go shoot something... Long-Shot and I have been talking about shooting PRB's at some of the local Rondy events in the area so I decided I would take one of the Renegades that I use for shooting PRB's and head out to the Dinger farm.

I really was not planning on shooting all that much but when I got to the farm there were unbroken birds all over the place on  the hillside. So I just walked out into the field and looked for unbroken birds, set them up where I found them.  According to the range finder the birds near the crest were 80-82 yards out and the closet bird was about 25 yards.  The majority of the birds were in in the 25-35 yard area.  When I got back to the truck and looked the hillside over there were a lot of available birds!  The challenge was on...

The birds from 50 yards in were really not much of a challenge, they broke rather easily.  The birds out there at 80+ were much more of a challenge. When looking through the peep and across the fiber optic front sight they are darn small.

The rifle... just a regular TC Renegade 50 cal. 1-48 twist.



This is a collection of pictures taken during the shooting



Long-Shot - you should have come down and help break birds with that 54 of yours!!!

[chukar58]

Great post on making some smoke and busting some clay birds.  I like to get out and shoot my smoke pole on a nice sunny day.  Just wondering what kind of groups you get with the 1-48 twist and PRB at 80 to 100 yards?  I have a T/C white mountain in the 50 cal and looking to get another sidelock 50 for PRB shooting. 

[Sabotloader]

Great post on making some smoke and busting some clay birds.  I like to get out and shoot my smoke pole on a nice sunny day.  Just wondering what kind of groups you get with the 1-48 twist and PRB at 80 to 100 yards?  I have a T/C white mountain in the 50 cal and looking to get another sidelock 50 for PRB shooting.

Here a few target various ranges...



This is a 100 yard target - I was searching for the right combination. You can see shooting T7 without a wad to protect the patch from the heat of T7 does not work real well.  Shots with the wad installed work much better.



another



Here is a target shot to collect velocities

[MagKarl]

What do your shot patches look like?  Are they burning with only 60gr?  Have you tried thicker patches? 

Most shoots I've attended require open sights, no peeps if you want your score to count.

[oneshot12]

Sabotloader  looks like you got it dialed in now   .even if it is 30 yrds     but in my 54 i only use the spit patch 20 thou  65 gr  3 f  and let fly after the #11 cap   of course    think i am really going to have to get over your way an bring a few buddies so we can have a blast  busten them birds up  with ya
 nice shoot en 

[Sabotloader]

What do your shot patches look like?  Are they burning with only 60gr?

They do burn with T7-3f, but with the other subs or real BP they work very well.  With the addition of the wad there is not problem at all.  T7-3f creates far more heat than do the other subs - but it also burns very clean.

Have you tried thicker patches?

I have tried 0.018 patches both cotton and pillow ticking - no better results.  Pillow ticking really goes to heck.

Most shoots I've attended require open sights, no peeps if you want your score to count.

Around here and the events that I go to in eastern WA and OR - peeps are not a problem at all.  The score is not big deal for myself anyway - all I do is the rifle walking trail and it is all for the recreation and fun in it.

[Sabotloader]

Sabotloader  looks like you got it dialed in now   .even if it is 30 yrds     but in my 54 i only use the spit patch 20 thou  65 gr  3 f  and let fly after the #11 cap   of course    think i am really going to have to get over your way an bring a few buddies so we can have a blast  busten them birds up  with ya
 nice shoot en 

common over it is tons of fun...

[MagKarl]

Wow! Your patches are completely shredded.  I am surprised you get such good grouping when you get that kind of patch damage with plinking loads.  What happens with a 90-100gr hunting load?

[Sabotloader]

Wow! Your patches are completely shredded.  I am surprised you get such good grouping when you get that kind of patch damage with plinking loads.  What happens with a 90-100gr hunting load?

60 grains of T7-3f is giving me the velocity of 100 grains of BP or the Pyros.  If you look at the one target with velocities you can see what I am talking about.

The patches in the last picture are very typical of what I am getting now with this load and a lubed wad on top of the powder.

[oneshot12]

  if your getting that with just  60 grns of t7  Wow  i might have to start giving that stuff a try in the 54 during hunting season   .I normally  shoot 90 grns  during hunting season of 3f Pb   but man that sound like it could do much better with less and it burns a bit cleaner too i understand .
will let you know how it works 
but i see your butting the wonderwads over the powder   i done do that anytime of the year  never seen much difference ether  way ?   

[Sabotloader]

if your getting that with just  60 grns of t7  Wow  i might have to start giving that stuff a try in the 54 during hunting season   .I normally  shoot 90 grns  during hunting season of 3f Pb   but man that sound like it could do much better with less and it burns a bit cleaner too i understand .
will let you know how it works 
but i see your butting the wonderwads over the powder   i done do that anytime of the year  never seen much difference ether  way ?   

I am really hoping to shoot the 54 this weekend - if I am able to I will get some velocities with different loads of powder.

Yes I put the treated wad right on top of the powder for heat insulation.  T7 burns at such a higher physical temperature than does real BP or the pyros, and I only have room for a 0.015 patch.  T7 has no problem burning through a .015 and when I use a .018 pillow tick - it gets worse.

[oneshot12]

  dang that stuff must get pretty darn hot then   have you shot a 20 thou  Patch ? if you have is it still doing the same thing ?   darn going to be interesting then to give this a good try  I think  looking forward to hearing  more  about it  when you get back

[Sabotloader]

dang that stuff must get pretty darn hot then   have you shot a 20 thou  Patch ? if you have is it still doing the same thing ?   darn going to be interesting then to give this a good try  I think  looking forward to hearing  more  about it  when you get back

I have not shot 0.020 patches - I would never get them down the bore - I am positive that I would tear them just getting through the crown.

This is a picture of a .495 ball (left) and a .490 ball on the right.  Both patches are 0.015 cotton patches.  The .495 with patch was difficult to get through the crown and down the barrel. I think you can see that the patch is stressed thinned to the point the it is beginning to tear.  Shooting it with T7 would easily burn the thinned section of the patch out.

[oneshot12]

now heres a question then  you think oyu might be cutting the patches as you start them down   meaning the lands are to sharp ?  or even more you might just need to got to a thinner patch all together  shouldn't be seeing this just trying to start the ball down the barrel .what kind of lube are you using on the patch?  other question is it really any better to use the 495 ball   i have pretty much always stayed with the 490 in my 50 and 530 in the 54  they work best and a 20 thou patch .

[Sabotloader]

now heres a question then  you think oyu might be cutting the patches as you start them down   meaning the lands are to sharp ?

With a .490 ball & .015 not a problem at all - just a small tap on the short starter and push it in then down with the ram rod - really not a lot of work at all.

With a .495 & .015 - definitely a problem take a really good force to get it through the crown and definitely more pressure to get it down.  So yep the patch is getting cut in this one.

 

or even more you might just need to got to a thinner patch all together  shouldn't be seeing this just trying to start the ball down the barrel.

I have and have tried 0.010 patches they are to thin period...

what kind of lube are you using on the patch?

They wonder lubed patches plus I add a additional lube when shooting them.  The lube I add is a home made lube built by on old timer over in troy.  I do not even ask him what is in it.  This guys is a serious BP rock sparker shooter and has won a ton of events.

other question is it really any better to use the 495 ball.

Only if you have a large bore gun - all of my TC barrels are fairly tight.

i have pretty much always stayed with the 490 in my 50 and 530 in the 54  they work best and a 20 thou patch .

 

The .490 and .530's are all I shoot - but I would never get them loaded with a 0.020 patch in amy of my Renegades without beating the ball down the barrel and on a dirty barrel - I would even hate to think of that one...