As many know, I work on my rifle's loads until I am satisfied then start all over again. Well today was no exception. I had made up some new lube last week. It is basically Junior Lube. The recipe is on the internet if you Google it. I made a slight change in that I used liquid Alox instead of solid and melting it down.
But this time instead of castor oil, I purchased some lard. And made the lube just like the recipe says, again.. other then liquid Alox. And I really like the consistency of the lube.
So this morning it was cold 26 degrees.. and sunny so I went in the shop and started casting bullets. I cast the 450 grain UC Short Mags for my White Rifle. I wanted to try the new junior lube with them. And while casting, I thought of the Lyman Great Plains Hunter.
These are the bullets I cast. A .458 diameter 423 grain with an orange Knight Sabot makes for a hard hitting rifle. If cast normal they are a 405 grain out of a LEE mold. The next is a 50 caliber REAL conical. And the last is my UC Short Mag. This is a custom mold made for my White Rifle system. But I find that they shoot well out of a number of rifles. They weigh 449-451 grains and are .505 diameter. Out of pure lead they are a great bullet for stopping animals.
The GPH has the 1-32 twist. And it was shooting pretty good for a flintlock with 2f Schuetzen, a homemade castor oil lube and the UC Short mags with 65 grains of powder. So today I wanted to push them a little harder.I picked Goex 3f and 70 grains to increase their initial start up. And of course used the new Junior Lube to coat the conicals. Outside where it was still nice and cool, the lube was still soft to the touch but easy to apply and stuck to the conical bullets real nice.I set a target on the edge of the yard, so that should be 40 yards. The range finder gave me three readings of 39 yards. Good enough. I will never get a shot that far in my woods anyway.
On a clean barrel it hit just a little over the bull. I was not swabbing at all. And then after the rifle was good and fouled, it shot to the right a little. I had the flint finally break in the rifle and whether that threw the shot, or the flint flying out of the lock caught my eye, but I threw one shot. Not to bad for 39 yards.Then I got curious and moved the target back to 50 yards.
I love to shoot for the little white head of the turkey. But today, due to the sun's position, or shadows, or maybe my eyes.. I could not positively say.. I could see that turkey's white head. So I aimed center mass. 1&2 were to the right on the fouled bore. So I swabbed.. #3 was a little better. But not in the head. Oh well.Then I move that out of the way and started shooting for 1 gallon paint cans at 96 yards... I think I was hitting them as the one I checked had a heck of a hole in it. And then a hole in the other one. But they were not where I was aiming. I could not see them in the shadows back there all that well. I guess I now know why I need a scope for long distance shooting.
I understand that a lot of people question what 70 grains of 3f Goex black powder and a conical bullet will do to game. I personally have little doubt of the effect it will have. I just don't need to shoot more powder then that. Especially with a 450 grain bullet that is .505 diameter to begin with. If I hit bone entering.. all the better. If not, I will still knock a hole through a deer. And 70 grains is a very comfortable load to shoot. I hope to get a chance to test this load out come deer season.
But over all it was a lot of fun. And I do have a load to use for deer. From my stand to where the deer cross is 31 yards.... all I need is a chance. Down along the creek in the alder and cedar thickets, you can't see far. But you do want to stop the deer when they are hit. Last thing you want is for them to run off further into that thicket. I think this will do the trick.