Hey, I have been messing around with Trail Boss -- a pistol powder that can be used for light rifle loads.
Tell me if the logic works for you:
I shot a four shot .766 inch group (center to center) into the bullseye at 100 yards. I was happy. I then shot four more into a 200 yard target. The 200 yd group was not so tight and averaged 8.5 inches lower than the group at 100 yards. Looking at the trajectory table for this bullet, I searched for a velocity that when zeroed at 100 would be 8.5 low at 200. The velocity was 2000FPS. This seems about right. I was hoping I might get closer to 2800FPS. I am wondering how close the estimate will be when the sun shines and allows my chrony to work.
These loads were really light and surprisingly accurate. I was using a 55 Grain Combined Technologies (Winchester and Nosler) Boat tail Spire Point with 15.1 grains of Trail Boss. Not a cheap bullet but one I don't want ripping the rifling out of my barrel at 4000FPS. A second cool thing that was not so obvious to me is the slower bullet seemed to exaggerate the left/right error of my scope--no wind today. It was shooting an inch right with factory 100 grain loads and about 3 inches right with the light loads. I zeroed it out and will see the next time I shoot factory stuff if the theory holds true.
16.0 Trail Boss fills the case up to the neck.
Side Note: the bullets were part of a trade -- virtually free of charge. I wouldn't have wasted my time or money otherwise, but it was fun.
Tell me if the logic works for you:
I shot a four shot .766 inch group (center to center) into the bullseye at 100 yards. I was happy. I then shot four more into a 200 yard target. The 200 yd group was not so tight and averaged 8.5 inches lower than the group at 100 yards. Looking at the trajectory table for this bullet, I searched for a velocity that when zeroed at 100 would be 8.5 low at 200. The velocity was 2000FPS. This seems about right. I was hoping I might get closer to 2800FPS. I am wondering how close the estimate will be when the sun shines and allows my chrony to work.
These loads were really light and surprisingly accurate. I was using a 55 Grain Combined Technologies (Winchester and Nosler) Boat tail Spire Point with 15.1 grains of Trail Boss. Not a cheap bullet but one I don't want ripping the rifling out of my barrel at 4000FPS. A second cool thing that was not so obvious to me is the slower bullet seemed to exaggerate the left/right error of my scope--no wind today. It was shooting an inch right with factory 100 grain loads and about 3 inches right with the light loads. I zeroed it out and will see the next time I shoot factory stuff if the theory holds true.
16.0 Trail Boss fills the case up to the neck.
Side Note: the bullets were part of a trade -- virtually free of charge. I wouldn't have wasted my time or money otherwise, but it was fun.
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