45-70 AT 200 YARDS WITH 325 FTX Hornady LEVERevolution LOAD

As promised, I went back to the club today for the single purpose of shooting a couple of groups at exactly 200 yards with the Marlin Model 1895 45-70. I had a Wild West Happy Trigger installed about a year ago and that has made a difference in the groups. Truth be known, I have shot enough over the years, that I can do pretty well with any trigger if need be, however there is NO question that we all shoot better with a clean crisp trigger in the 2.5 to 3 LB range.

I stapled a more definitive target to my back stop this afternoon in order to make sure I was aiming at the right target. My last session showed a two shot 3/8 inch center to center groups at 100 yards which printed 2 1/2 inches above my point of aim. My trip today was to establish how accurate Hornady's projection of trajectory on their website is and to determine if I just plain screwed up and shot at the wrong 200 yard bulls eye target or not. I have been known to screw up over the years, but not normally shooting at the wrong target.

The Hornady website indicates if your point of impact is 3 inches above your point of aim at 100 yards, that the 200 yards impact would be 4.1 inches below your point of aim.

LINK to Trajectory table for 45-70 LEVERevolution load 

HERE are the results from my 2nd range session:

The first test was NOT a fluke and I am not losing my mind. I finally got back to the range and fired a 3 shot group with the 325 grain Hornady FTX LEVER evolution load at 200 yards. The 3 shot group was in the black and center of the group was 7 1/2 inches low at 200 yards.  NOT such a bad thing as the group is a decent group for a lever action 45-70 utilizing a 4 1/2 power scope at 200 yards. If I had a 3X9X40 on board and cranked it up to 9 power, I am sure I could have printed a tighter group. I am NOT unhappy with the performance of the gun or the load. The gun as sighted in is a dead on hold out to 150 yards and with a pocket size range finder and 15 or 20 seconds to make the shot, it is easily a 200 yard deer, or moose or black bear gun. That being said, I DO THINK (at least for my rifle) that Hornady's published trajectory tables for this load are a bit Optimistic.

Dan

Dan

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words." —1st Thessalonians 4:13-18