"Across the course" with cast bullets

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  • Last Post 11 April 2012
45ACPete posted this 29 March 2012

I haven't posted anything about my reduced-course match shooting lately because my scores hadn't been anything to brag about. I did pick up a 1917 Winchester that had been sporterized--glass bedded in a nice Bishop stock, Timney trigger, and a Williams target rear sight. After a promising beginning, my scores with it were no better than my '03 Springfield (with similar mods). For both guns I had been using the same mixed batch of W-W and R-P brass that I generally neck sized with a Lee collet die. I occasionally resized the case bodies with a Redding body die--at least the cases that were meant for rapid fire. I did gauge the cases from time to time with a Wilson case gauge and everything seemed OK. There was some shortening of cases and I went so far as to separate the brass into lots of 2.480- and 2.480+. Didn't seem to make much difference. Tried several different bullets--Lyman 311284, 311299, 311679, SAECO 315. Sized them mostly .311, although I tried .310 also. Scores were lousy.
I bought a lot of 350 LC 78 NM cases on the “other” forum--went through all the usual match-prepping steps (this was new brass-still shiny inside although somewhat tarnished on the outsides) and then loaded 100 with the usual Ed Harris load. I did however, seat the bullets with the Vickerman seater I recently acquired. Last Saturday I equaled my previous best score (with the '03)--a 453 on our course of fire (20 shots offhand, 10 RS, 10 RP, 10 SP) It would have been possibly ten points higher but I moved my sight right after my two sighters in RP were both at the edge of the black at nine o'clock--should have left it alone as my group was out to the right. I know--I committed a cardinal error. I made two changes in loading--new brass and a different seating die. Don't know whether one or the other or both helped my score. Guess I ought to range test with old brass and the Vickerman. For now I'm happy--my goal of shooting a Master level score is in sight.

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72coupe posted this 29 March 2012

453, good score especially considering 40% is offhand.

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Ed Harris posted this 29 March 2012

Above 450 with military bolt firing cast is a great score. I would be proud of that. Good work.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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45ACPete posted this 29 March 2012

Thanks, Ed and “72". No speculation from either of you as to whether the new brass or the Vickerman seater is the greater aid to better accuracy? I have checked for concentricity and it seems that I'm getting a higher percentage of loaded rounds with .001 or .002 runout although the total range of runout (.004) is about the same as I was getting with the ordinary garden variety RCBS seater I had been using. Pete

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72coupe posted this 29 March 2012

Pete I have only been shooting highpower for 25 years and it seems to me that improved scores are seldom related to improvements in equipment.

Its nearly always improvement in the shooter.

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delmarskid1 posted this 30 March 2012

Practice is the best equipment. Great score. I hope you can beat it. My club does 10 off hand and 20 slow prone. I've not gotten close to your score.

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Ed Harris posted this 30 March 2012

Are your club matches fired at 100 or 200 yards?

A bunch of us in VA used to shoot issue 03A3s with cast at 200 yards, and while the SR1 target could be cleaned, the MR52 was a real rat bastard.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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runfiverun posted this 30 March 2012

it's the brass. you lost your anneal.

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runfiverun posted this 30 March 2012

it's the brass. you lost your anneal.

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45ACPete posted this 02 April 2012

200yds--a couple of years ago when I took this up I thought maybe I could get one or two other guys interested in shooting CB's but I'm still the only one. The same club holds silhouette matches on the same range and there are some CB shooters there--I mean to show up there one Sunday.

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Wineman posted this 11 April 2012

Pete,

What range are you at? I live by Sac and shoot a cast silhouette at Lincoln on occasion. It could be fun for a XC cast road trip though. I have relatives in SC so it could be a fun weekend.

Wineman

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45ACPete posted this 11 April 2012

The range I'm referring to is Chabot in Castro Valley--match is 1st Sunday. 20 shot match and 40 shot match, alternating each month--(May 6th is 20 shots). You could PM me for exchange of phone nos. etc. and we could go up there together. Pete

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