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Thread: First shot - Massive Flyer... Why

  1. #11
    Greg Ogdan 110th OVI is offline
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    First Round Flyer

    Boots, I shoot a custom '42 with a deep rifled barrel. when I went to the Hodgden, I found I had to size right at bore. Remember, the Hodgdon has a thicker skirt so it takes more energy to get obturation. If you're loading FFg powder, try going to FFFg.

    Greg

  2. #12
    bobanderson is online now
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    I have a different approach.
    Measure the thickness of the skirt. In my experience, a thick skirt won't completely expand into the rifling in a clean barrel. In my gun, the first shot landed about a pigeon low at 50 yards. It got so predictable that I would break the second bird in the row while aiming at the first one. Once that fowling shot was done, the gun shot true.
    A friend on my team suggested bouncing the ram rod hard on the ball for the first shot. It actually improved things but didn't completely solve it. BTW, this won't work for every gun. A Mississippi rammer has a flat tip. Bouncing a Springfield style rammer wouldn't work because the profile is different.
    I ended up making a new base pin with a thinner skirt. Exact size escapes me, but now the first shot lands where it is pointed.

    Of course, where it is pointed when the shot breaks is still all my fault.
    Bob Anderson
    Ordnance Sergeant
    Company C, 1st Michigan Volunteer Infantry
    Small Arms Committee

    "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a hand on.
    I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."
    - John Wayne in "The Shootist", 1976

  3. #13
    Rick R is offline
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    I used to have the same problem. I found that by giving the first round an extra hard bounce of the ram rod I all was good. I experimented with technique on a barrel loading ball over powder and pulling the breach plug between attempts to develop a feel that assured expanding the ball into the grooves without excessive deformation. Then I moved to the range and I shot a bench rest target with five all first clean bore shots and got a great group. Problem solved. That was with a PH Enfield 3 band. With my PH 2 band I had the same issue but it liked being dirty and I never cleaned between events, used the same technique for that first pigeon. Perhaps a different sizing die would have been an answer, even a .001 larger size for the first round.

  4. #14
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    Made it to the range today with a slightly larger bullet, 0.0015 thousands bigger. All shots inside the pigeon.

    Guess bigger bullets are the answer!

    Thanks everyone for their input.

    Boots
    Mike 'Bootsie' Bodner
    Palmetto Sharpshooter's, Commander
    9996V

  5. #15
    Grandpot is offline
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    Introduction and thank you.

    Mike "Bootsie" Bodner recruited me. It is my Zouave he has been working on. He got her dialed in by using experience, tenacity, and advice from you folks. Thank you.

    Don't worry about my handle, Grandpot. I'm not a pothead. It's a funny story I'll tell you when we meet.

  6. #16
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    Well, you hang around with a guy named Bootsie. How much stranger can it get? LOL
    Mike 'Bootsie' Bodner
    Palmetto Sharpshooter's, Commander
    9996V

  7. #17
    Joe Plakis, 9575V is offline
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    Why not just do what I do.... Take the first round out of your cartridge box and throw it on the ground..... Then pull out the second round and load and shoot it ...... problem solved.
    Joe Plakis XXVIII
    Middle-Atlantic Region
    SAC
    9575V

    "Great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better." John Kotter

  8. #18
    Mike Rouch 07791 is offline
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    Red face

    Joe is right, I do the same thing.

  9. #19
    efritz is offline
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    1st shot

    Just so I get this right? Do you use that same round over again from skirmish to skirmish to throw on the ground or do use a different round? I know consistency is important and you guys seem to know what you?re doing. Can you pick out your 10xs too? That would be worth sharing.
    When in doubt, mumble, when in trouble, delegate.

  10. #20
    Grandpot is offline
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    You guys have me thinking

    Those last three responses are interesting. I can follow the train of thought, it's similar to mine. When I bought my pickup truck brand new, I took a key and scratched the heck out of the bed. The salesman was astonished and asked what I was doing. I simply told him, now I don't have to worry about getting that first scratch anymore.

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