25 LBT carbine averages 2.5 in for four 5 shot groups at 150
When I sent my Royale back for the regulator, I put the Busnell Tactical 3200 5×15 on the carbine which usually wears the 2×7 Burris.
I had earlier in the day upped the power to 850 FPS from 770 by adusting the PW from 3 to 7 and filling to 3000 PSI rather than 2700 PSI.
The bullets were cast from one cavity only on the 2 cavity LBT mold, I weight sorted to + or – .2 grains and visually inspected.
The Chrony said I was doing 850 FPS and Handloads.com said I had 39 inches of drop from my 30 yard zero, so I dialed in 26 inches. I checked my zero at the middle white plate then shot at the outside white painted spots for groups, there were no flyers.
The four groups averaged 2.5 inches at 150 yards, the best 4 of 5 was just under 1 inch.
I made slight adjustments between groups, I filled to 3000 PSI every 3 shots.
The wind was blowing slightly on the first 2 groups so I had to read and hold accordingly
The last two groups the wind died down and I waited for a close to still condition before each shot.
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Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
Jerry,
Thanks for the tips.
I tried the chisel trick,I have put back thousands of bullets to be remelted due to those trailing bases over the years and tried many remedies,but the chisel worked wonders.
I will order the sizing wax next midway order.
I have never been a bench rest shooter, always just practiced field postions and competion postions off of sticks to get me my winters meat, some pelts or save me from embarassment at matches. It gives you an idea how these 25 LBT’s are starting to shoot. But by the time I get them figured out and shooting really well I am sure people will be bored by the posts.
Thanks again, it is always good to learn someting new.
Oldgoat,
Your hurtful remarks about my weight made me embarassed, so I took a filpino laxitive, three lbs of exlax with a Dawn dish washing soap chaser, and then did 300 pushiup in 30 minutes this morning to get some weight off.
It really worked well, but my ass has not been this sore since tax season.
RC
Jerry, you let your kids use a router? You might want to remove those pics before some state/federal agency sees them and comes knocking on your door! Kids can’t even have a pocket knife at school nowadays and you let them use a router? 😯
That shooting table looks really sweet but, the new, improved, extra large size RC probably wouldn’t fit it. Do you have any plans for a “double wide” version?
😆
The alox is crap! Shit can every drop of it ASAP!
Buy this: http://www.midwayusa.com/product/519525/imperial-case-sizing-wax-2-oz
No shit, a liitle of that stuff run through the die with a bore cleaning brush works wonders. We roll the brush through the wax lightly and then run the brush through the die. That makes a couple dozen or more slugs size smooth.
The wax is for sizing only and does the job. We have no problem cleaning it off for the colored slugs and use other lube for “in-barrel” performance.
Jerry,
I use the Lee sizng dies and I always assumed they needed to be lubed. I tried the allox lube they recomend but I never liked it, so I use the moly and then don’t lube after.
Thanks for the tip on the wire edges on the bases. And I will try that bagging specific weights.
I thought the hood would be a good bench, I used to shoot out the car window ith my elbow on the stering wheel…….Until the game warden caught me. 😆
Seriously tho that bench looks like a good project, just probably over my head.
RC
RC,
I read your full post on the hunting site but I’ll reply here.
I’m not getting to shoot at long ranges anywhere near as often as I’d like so I have to shoot vicariously through you. Although, I did kill two squirrels in the backyard today (both under 30 yards).
Here’s some additional, unsolicited tips:
Sort the bullets to +- .1gr. We advertise our match grade for .25 at +- .2gr but thats a lie, we sort to +- .1 and figure that will get inside most folks scales’ level of error. For 3-5 shot groups, it’s easy to separate 5 rounds that are identical or within .1. Just get those tiny ziplocks… Another tip, stir the shit out of the lead twice as often as you think is required…
Examining the bases at least twice is good but you’re probably seeing them 3 times already. In the mold after the sprue is cut, during sizing and during lube. Just be careful after sizing that they don’t rattle around too much. Freaking soft lead is such a pain! Anything can ding a sharp edge.
Why are you lubing before sizing? Your slugs should go through the die with hardly any effort. There is sizing die lube available and it works great for bullets with substantial contact (the best part is one tin of the stuff has lasted us for 3 years so far and is still 80%+ full!). I could be wrong (I often am) but I don’t think the spray moly before sizing is buying you anything. The real point is: are your bases perfect after sizing? If you have tails of any discernable size. use a sharp ass chisel to cut them off. Just lay the blade flat on the base and rotate the slug. We don’t ever have to do this with our .25s but some of the .465s through .87s occasionally need thai attention. Ant slug that goes through a die firm and has a full diameter base might need some dressing to be perfect.
Personally, I’d toss the moly and just lightly lube with power steering fluid (very lightly) just before shooting. For me, this routine lubes the pellet and the gun keeping the barrel clean(er) and the orings wet and the trigger group lightly lubed.
For the best groups, eliminate total changes in set-up between shots. If you fill after three shots and shoot 5 shot groups you might as well take a lunch break! If the object is the best the gun can deliver ever, tether it and shoot making sure every shot is from the EXACT same rested position (moving the gun on the rest an inch or two can have a big change on POI). If the object is the best the gun could do under field conditions, shoot as many shots as the gun can shoot fairly level before you’d have to use your buddy bottle. I know there are a bunch of group elitests out there that thgink nothing but a 5 shot group matters but that’s a silly standard for an Elk gun where even a second shot at range would be a lucky thing to have. For bigger guns shooting at longer range at bigger game, the object isn’t 5 shot groups, it’s a one shot exactly where pointed group. Shooting 3 shots tethered allows you enough information to be certain of fill pressure, hold and slug performance. Doing it over and over in less than perfect conditions teaches you feel for wind etc. Anyhow, interupting a group to go to the fill station makes it hard to have the best group and brings way too many shooter variables into play.
Get a fucking bench! Standing up and shooting off the hood was good enough to get you in the game but we want perfection now. That truck moves and so does the guy leaning on it. Further, the guy leaning on the truck gets tired (even if he doesn’t notice the gradual loss of fine motor skills) and can rarely repeat the exact stance from shot to shot. Well, why are your groups so good you might ask? Because you’re a super experienced shooter and you can compensate for a lot of shit. However, if you didn’t have to compensate for a fucked up set-up, you’d use your skills to dial in that last measure of precision without distraction.
I know you know all the above as you’ve won championships before but I figured I’d just blabber on a bit as I really don’t want to do any more cleaning today…
NTD,
Looking back at that old post has been fun. Chris is now a US Marine, PJ will be soon and Timmy was just looking over my shoulder amazed that he ever looked like that! But he remembered the project and the effort we shared, you’re right, the bench is good but the project was better.
Jerry,
Nice bench rest. Bettetr yet, doin it with your kids. :8: :8: :8: :8: :8: :8: :8:
Just build a bench. You’ve got the skills, anything you buy will come with someone else’s compromises.
Here’s a bench the kid’s and I built off of Gary’s idea. He was sure the Chinese would steal the idea/plans but I’m certain there’s no money in it!
http://www.airgunrendezvous.com/rendezvous/read.php?5,249
That bench was made for a spotter to sit alongside and the shooter could be either handed. Making one with one seat would give more room for shooting crap to pile up and be less complicated…
Jerry,
I seriously have looked at better rests, I narrowed it down to the Caldwell stable table, not sure what to put on top of it tho.
RC
Getting rid of all the variable you can control is the way it’s always done, 1000 yard pb’s or 150 yard airguns. You’re really necking it down but you do have to get a better rest. I don’t recommend an Audi unless it’s been filled with concrete!
Jerry,
My Royales shoot very well also, but not as good as this carbine. I just never put a good scope on it before.
The other thing is that I am weighing and sorting my bullets and using the mold as a single cavity mold.
RC
You’ll never hit anything with that. Better trade for a Rogue while you can. 😛
Very impressive! I did quarterly gun maintenance today . . . takes a while, but it’s a labor of love & beats house and yard work . . .
Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
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OG,
SOMEONE had to teach them which end of a screwdriver to hold! The power tools were just a nutural progression. Besides basic shop, the schools have stopped teaching US history (except the bad parts and Sacagawea being the hero of the L&C expedition) and government as well.
RC,
I’m glad there was a useful nuget in there!