jonk
01-07-2015, 11:34 PM
So awhile back, I posted my winter projects were as follows:
-Get my Fayetteville sighted in for the Hodgdon bullet. Done.
-Get my newly purchased 1816 up and running. Mostly done, still need to take it out again to verify the load it liked.
-Bend the barrel on my 1842 to correct a severe (3 foot) elevation issue. Done.
-Try my friend's Rogers and Spencer to see if I shoot it better than my 1863. Done.
-Try hard lead in my sharps. Not done.
-Do lock work on my Euroarms Enfield, and install a better peep. Not done.
-Do lock work on my Pietta smith and work up a load. Well, the lock work is done. Now for the load. I have 5 bullets to try; a Lyman 340, Hodgdon 320 solid base, Gompf, Lee 6 cavity, and very similar but slightly fatter custom close out Lee 2 cavity. I have 100 rounds loaded, with 10 of each bullet, using 30 gr of 2f and 10 each with 3f. I also have some new cases for a baseline.
Question: the bore looks pretty good, with only a hint of pitting in one area (got it used) but I've read horror stories about backwards rifling and all other manner of things. If none of these bullets group at all, is there anything else I should try before just sending it off for a reline?
Right now I shoot a Pedersoli sharps as my main gun with Rapine Christmas tree bullet. I do pretty well with it. I'm neck and neck with our team commander to nudge him out of the number 2 A team spot. :D Buuuutt... it sure is time consuming to make sharps ammo, and if I can get a similar hit time with the smith (or better!) to what I currently have, it sure would be nice not to have to glue in bullets and make tubes and yada yada yada...
-Get my Fayetteville sighted in for the Hodgdon bullet. Done.
-Get my newly purchased 1816 up and running. Mostly done, still need to take it out again to verify the load it liked.
-Bend the barrel on my 1842 to correct a severe (3 foot) elevation issue. Done.
-Try my friend's Rogers and Spencer to see if I shoot it better than my 1863. Done.
-Try hard lead in my sharps. Not done.
-Do lock work on my Euroarms Enfield, and install a better peep. Not done.
-Do lock work on my Pietta smith and work up a load. Well, the lock work is done. Now for the load. I have 5 bullets to try; a Lyman 340, Hodgdon 320 solid base, Gompf, Lee 6 cavity, and very similar but slightly fatter custom close out Lee 2 cavity. I have 100 rounds loaded, with 10 of each bullet, using 30 gr of 2f and 10 each with 3f. I also have some new cases for a baseline.
Question: the bore looks pretty good, with only a hint of pitting in one area (got it used) but I've read horror stories about backwards rifling and all other manner of things. If none of these bullets group at all, is there anything else I should try before just sending it off for a reline?
Right now I shoot a Pedersoli sharps as my main gun with Rapine Christmas tree bullet. I do pretty well with it. I'm neck and neck with our team commander to nudge him out of the number 2 A team spot. :D Buuuutt... it sure is time consuming to make sharps ammo, and if I can get a similar hit time with the smith (or better!) to what I currently have, it sure would be nice not to have to glue in bullets and make tubes and yada yada yada...