Did some load workups with the Sharps this weekend.

[Maillemaker]

Took my Sharps to the range this weekend to do some load workups. I had done this before with this gun and thought I had worked out that 45 grains 3F Goex was optimal. But I was experimenting with the new dipped bullets and so decided to first to 5 shots each of 5-grain jumps from 20 to 60 grains. Then I went back and did 1-grain increments from 40 grains to 54 grains, in 10-shot groups.

The problem with shooting 10-shot groups is I'm pretty sure I'm "losing" bullets in the same holes / torn paper, so it makes it hard to enter the bullet hits in my OnTarget software. I think I'm only going to do 5-shot groups from now on.

So, first the 5-shot groups, starting with 20 grains 3F Goex. You can see the 20 and 25 grain loads were so light they dropped down onto the targets below the ones aimed for:

http://i.imgur.com/gUcg6zgl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/j8xECbIl.jpg

40 grains looks pretty good. Something wonky happened at 45 grains. I think I put 2 shots on the wrong target (the one above it), but even so, they are all over the paper, and inconsistent with the rest of the groups. There was a horsefly trying to eat me...I squashed him after the second bite. :)

But pretty much between 40 and 60 grains the groups are not so good. But something interesting happened at 60 grains - that is a heck of a group. I want to try that one again. Unfortunately when I did the 1-grain increments I stopped at 54 grains.

[Maillemaker]

So the 1-grain increment targets with 10-shot strings. Again, 40 grains looks very good. Although 43 looks decent, and 47 was promising, but again these strange fliers. Maybe the horsefly was biting again that round. http://www.n-ssa.net/vbforum/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif

http://i.imgur.com/5TaDFMJl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/M3rPJLil.jpg

So for now I'm thinking 40 grains 3F is my best load.

Steve

[Maillemaker]

All of this shooting amounted to 195 shots. I shot all 195 shots without cleaning the action - I only brushed the bore after every string. The Larry Flees breech job is rock solid. No gas leakage, and no change in the working of the action throughout. Now I probably will not do this kind of torture test again, because it's hard on the gun and really makes on some crud that makes cleaning harder than normal. Also the o-ring was noticeably damaged and had to be replaced.

But as you can see from the pictures, all of the gas was contained in the breech. Before the Larry Flees job, you'd find evidence of vented gas everywhere - especially with lots of soot and fouling under the foregrip. All of that has stopped now.

No fouling under the foregrip:

http://i.imgur.com/X9bqnzxl.jpg

Most of the carbon buildup is on top of the breech block from percussion caps:

http://i.imgur.com/nskbmMRl.jpg

[Maillemaker]

The breech area is fairly clean:

http://i.imgur.com/fcMfdyll.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lyNFXVxl.jpg

The breech gas plate face still has grease on it. I'm using high pressure grease:

http://i.imgur.com/LzAeFXZl.jpg

[Maillemaker]

Again, nothing vented under the foregrip:

http://i.imgur.com/oa0wejGl.jpg

I had about 10 misfires out of the 195 shots.

While I was at the range I posted some N-SSA adverts:

http://i.imgur.com/dbFXAvIl.jpg

Steve

[ms3635v]

43 grains looks pretty good as well Steve.

[Bruce Cobb 1723V]

To heck with the 40 grain. The 20 grain is the best! Just shorten your front sight. Think of the money you'll save in powder. The secret is always been about group size, never about sight locations. You can always move sights.

[Maillemaker]

The 20 grain group is terrible though?

Steve

[Bruce Cobb 1723V]

I was reading your target, not your words. What ever you did on the very very top left is good, plus or minus a couple should do it. I don't see any flyers there either.