The Great MAH Spring KISS Competition.

[SgtJethro]

Adam, you old Scotish suppository, malevolent MAS maligner and misguided Mauserphob, I think that I might have a go at your latest contest. It will give me an excuse to drag out the old rifles for a spring cleaning and a shoot before they turn into tomato stakes. Haven't pulled a trigger since I moved up into the hills in October. Just need a calm day with no snow.

I assume that by "scored outward" you mean that when the shot breaks the line, it is counted as the the lower ring value.

Jethro

MM, glad to see you back. Someone should have warned you that becoming a ridge runner can be hazardous for a big city transplant. You might want to ensure that you spread the downhill time equally between the right and left leg so that one does not end up being shorter than the other.

[Niner]

SgtJethro, glad you resurfaced. Being a hillbilly must be agreeing with you. But Adam knew what would draw you out. You are our long time master promoter of internet shoots and your participation is required to make it official and happy to see now that it is official.

[dromia]

Hey AJ,

so glad that your alive a kicking mate and surviving the country living experience.

Really pleased your entering, it will demostrate how truly inclusive this competition is, where we just let absolutley anyone enter, although I would draw the line at the Welsh mind.

Outward scoring means that so long as the line is cut then it scores the higher, inward means the the bullet hole has to be wholly within the line to score higher.

Inward scoring is more challenging so I thought I'd leave it out for you retired wrinklies.

[SgtJethro]

Thanks guys, it is good to be back. Sorry to be out of touch for so long. It has taken a bit more time that I expected to get moved and settled in. In the midst of it all, my father passed away just short of hitting 90 and I inherited a bit of a mess.

Being is the hills is "GGGGRRRREEEEEAAAATTTT !" to quote Tony the Tiger. I was born a hillbilly and raised as a hillbilly.

Adam, I hope that you are planning on shooting that Trapdoor in the match. In fact, I would like to challenge you with Trapdoors. I promise to use only bullets and will leave the bayonet at home.

Jethro

[joseyclosey]

Hey AJ and MM, nice to have you lads back on the scene.



Joe

[dromia]

MM,

sounds like a real bugger with the old heels there, don't know whether I'd have wanted them both gone at the same time. Zero mobility but it would all be over sooner or one at a time longer overall but some mobility.

Guess you didn't have the choice so academic really.

Pleased your on the mend now though and back into the old shooting lark.

We had a three week period with no full bore over the winter and I was positively grieving my loss.

Sad really.

[dromia]

Sorry to hear about your dad AJ, still 90 is a good innings.

If I live that long and still function I'll be happy.

Regarding the Trapdoor.

I've still got some work to do on the full stoke loads but I do hope it will be ready to shoot for the competition.

So if all things go to planwith the load development I'll be honoured to accept your challenge sir.

I'm currently competing with it in a local clubs 25yrd indoor small bore range in their pistol calibre competition.

I load a Hornady .457" ball over 5 gns of FFFG powder and it will just make a one hole group in the bull at 25yrds if I do my bit.

The cases look empty with the ball down the bottom pressed on top of the powder, it must go at least 2" before it hits the rifling but is incredibly accurate, no recoil, no noise just a pop and no smoke.

It caused a bit of a stir when I told them I was enetring with a 45-70 the committe was quoting me range specifications and all sorts, I had weeks of fun with them.

[SgtJethro]

After several days of high winds and quite damp and nippy temps, yesterday was a reprieve with temps in the 30's and winds in the 10-15 mph range. Maybe it was cabin fever setting in, but I decided to take the ole 1884 Springfield Trapdoor rifle out for a little tuning up. Adam and I have a bit of a sidebar challenge going for the current match and I am definitely determined to give him a run for his money.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/ ... ayonet.jpg[/pic]

The '84 Trapdoor was zeroed at 260 yards. I have no idea why this particular distance was chose in lieu of the normal even hundreds of yard/meters. Normally, I apply a judicious amount of Kentucky windage and do OK. For this match I want to use a six o'clock hold on the paint and use the "Christmas Tree" sight aperture on the Buffington sight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/ ... ght_Up.jpg[/pic]

For the 45-70 Trapdoor, I normally use the 405 gr case roundnose hollow base bullet dropped from a Lee mould. I size these at .459". I have been using Accurate Arms 5744 powder because it isn't position sensitive, eliminating the use of a filler. I also have eliminated using a wad to that the bottom of the hollow base bullet can expand and get a better grip on the rifling, a-la Minie ball. 5744 is a bulky, fast-burning powder with good ignitabilty that works well in large bore, straight case rounds like the 45-70/90/110/120.

The proper bullet for this infantry rifle is a 500 grainer. The whussy horse soldiers complained of severe shoulder pain when firing this round in the short little carbines. To mollify them a bit, the bullet for the cavalry carbine was reduced to a 405 grain bullet. Call me a whuss, but I like the 405 grain bullet, especially its hollow base. That 500 grainer, even in the bigger infantry rifle, can result in a run for the medicine cabinet after a healthy round of shooting.

Yesterday I pumped 40,500 grains of lead down range with loads between 24 and 27 grains of 5744 in 0.5 grain increments. My best results seemed to come in the range of 25.5 and 26.0 grains. Still, I think that I will experiment a bit more in the 26.5 to 27.5 grain range.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/ ... r_84-1.jpg[/pic]

25.5 grains of AA-5744

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/ ... oor_86.jpg[/pic]

26.0 grains of AA-5744

Hopefully, with a bit more tweaking and practice, I can get the groups to tighten up a tad and obliterate that ugly red ball in the center.

I post this so that the old Oracle of the Honey Bucket will clearly see what he is up against.

Jethro



In case you are wondering, after shooting yesterday, I also went through several 500 grain capsules of Aleve for the shoulder after the initial numbness wore off.

[Aughnanure]

I noticed a reference back there somewhere to the Puckle.

Now I'm assuming that this one will use the Christian projectiles as the ones for Turks would place the firer at a disadvantage.

I also hope that it is to be fired standing unsupported and off the tripod.

Surprised though that the Museum would lend it out

Eoin.

PS. Just thought that I'd send a pic as well

http://www.ctsportsmen.com/news/PuckleGun.jpg[/pic]

[dromia]

Good shooting AJ me old feline fur fondler.

I'm not doing as well with my BP loads, they'll hold the 8" black at 100 yrds but there are some bad fliers though, only one in ten or so shots but enough to make good scoring an unlikelyhood. It isn't fouling thats the problem.

I've got some 5744 so I think I'll try that, need to get some new cases though as the ones I've got have enlarged flash holes.

I've got the 500 grain Saeco postel mould as well as the Lee HB 405 grainer.

What sort of crimp are putting on that Lee bullet AJ?