Progress report

[laowho]

Hi Guys,

Just a progress report for everyone who's been so helpful. The Soule finally arrived yesterday (2 months back ordered) so I did a bore alignment yesterday and got the sights to mechanical zero until tomorrow when I'll aim for actual zero (@ 100 yds). Have ladder targets for the various loads. Lots to compare/contrast--maybe too much to be able to cull any meaningful info. Have OE in 1.5 and 2, and Swiss in 1.5 and 2.

Gonna load two of my casts--the Lyman 132 Postell (535gr @ 18:1) and the Saeco 645 (485 gr @ 20:1) and compare w/ Montana Bullet Works' Postell (530 gr but different profile than the Lyman mould) and Saeco 645 (485 gr). The MBW bullets are a Lyman #2 alloy @ 15 BHN. Also gonna load their PJ Ideal Replica (550 gr), a mould I do not have but almost ordered til I put the brakes on. Eager to try it.

Last time out my loads tumbled and key holed. I'm hoping it's b/c I'd stuffed them w/ undersized wads--I'd made a punch while waiting for the back ordered .45 punch. Tomorrow the loads will be wadded with the proper size. Gonna read the Soule directions for interpreting the calibrations, and reckon I'll probably be zeroing all over again @ 200 yards the next time. Also gonna go back to scratch and just use 68 and 69 gr. Will revisit the higher compression 70 gr loads later. Just tryin to keep things manageable. Cheers, Doug

[Gunlaker]

Doug how hard were the bullets that tubled and keyholed? As long as you are not damaging the bullets upon seating, even without a wad, the Postell bullets should fly well at 68 or 69gr of Swiss 1.5.

Also make sure that you have the fouling under control. Hard fouling can cause a lot of problems. The Shiloh .45-70's have good barrels and chambers. They gnerally aren't too picky about what bullets you feed them.

Chris.

[laowho]

Hi Chris,

They were 20:1, but yeah, it's possible too that I compressed them too much when seating. The fouling was good--usin the Napa cutting oil 1:7 and wiped b/t shots. Nice muzzle crown grease star after shots, checked the barrel b/t shots, etc. In fact, when I cleaned it at home there was virtually nuthin to clean. Decided for tomorrow to use 10 rounds each of the Saeco 645 again, w/ 1.5F and 2F OE and Swiss, and @ 66 and 68 gr. My wife's goin with so we'll only be there 2 hours and can't get off more than 40 rounds in that time with their break set-ups. I'm fire-forming the last of the new brass so needed a seating die for those, but the others I was able to seat by hand. Was otherwise careful this time to not over-compress when seating. Thanks, Doug

[laowho]

Well Chris,

Today was the best day yet. Used my Saeco 645 casts w/ 66 gr and 68 gr 1.5F OE and Swiss. Gotta say the Swiss drop tubed better and compressed easier than did the OE. I'd bore calibrated the sights @ 40 points, but @ the range this fell to 15 points under the 66 gr measures, and windage zero was spot on so no need to fuss w/ the front globe for now. This was all @ 100 yds. Noticed just a smidge of added elevation under the 68 gr loads. Three bullseyes on the round targets was most satisfyin, almost as good as the nice clean holes and no keyholing. I can tell I'm gettin better @ loading, and maybe the full sized wads helped too, along with not compressin the bullets when seating. Got the same results from the fireformed/hand seated bullets and those that were die seated into still unfired brass. Everything's comin together, and these sights are a real joy to use. Maybe this is why they call it Holy Black--today was like we'd attended the Sermon on the Mount. And if it's possible, I think my wife had a better time than I did. She had a total of 3 scratch shots, with the 27 other hittin the round 10" target from 75 yds w/ the 30-30, and what's better, she told me wh/ ones she'd scratched. She's a natural to be sure. Gonna get her a Marbles sight for it. She ALMOST tried the Sharps today. Oh happy day...Cheers, Doug

[laowho]

p.s. Also gotta remember to chamfer the necks. I know the brass sometimes bites the bullet. Tomorrow I'll measure my target marks to calculate for the load/bullet/distance and to learn the sight.