I am fond of Pyrodex 50 grain pellets for hunting. Lately however, I have read where others have weighed triple 777 pellets and found in the same box a difference in weight of up to 4 or 5 grains between pellets. We use VOLUME AND NOT WEIGHT when measuring loads, however the point here is that the pellets are not all equal. I have done the same exercise on Pyrodex pellets (when they first came out) and did not see any real measurable results with this type of discrepancy. I am not saying it doesn't exist and have not put pellets on the scales in a while, however my group size with Pyrodex pellets indicate they are better regulated.
On the other hand Triple 777 loose powder does have an advantage in the velocity department over Pyrodex loose or in pellet form. I am almost out of Pyrodex pellets at the moment and have two or three cannisters EACH of Pyrodex RS and Triple 777 loose powder.
My son Jeremy who likes to hunt with me (and I with him), is fond of finding places where 200 yard shots are very easy to find especially in NYS's late ML season. My goal is to find a load that works for a dead on hold out to 150 yards and a pre-determined hold over for 200 yards. Combined with an accurate range finder, and the stability of the thumbhole stocked Omega, he can take that 200 yard shot with confidence.
He is well aware of excerting the same amount of pressure on the ramrod to seat whatever bullet he is using consistently. It is not necessarily 20 or 30 or 40 pounds of pressure that matters as much as the same pressure or very close to it for each time you seat a bullet.
Here is what I found out:
My first 3 shot group at 75 yards with 110 grains of Pyrodex RS, a 250 grain Hornady SST bullet and Remington clean bore primers went 2 and 1/4 inches at 75 yards. My first group with the same bullet and primer and 110 grains of fffg 777 powder went into 1 and 3/4 inches at 75 yards. I was NOT happy with either group.
I made a scope adjustment and moved the target out to 150 yards. with the Pyrodex load printing two shots center to center at 1 inch and the third shot opening the group to 3 and 3/4 inches and about 5 1/2 inches low. I fired only two shots with the Triple 777 load as the two shots were 4 and 3/4 inches apart.
I cannot blame the wind as it was calm and sunny today. There was another shooter next to me at the bench shooting large caliber centerfire rifles and occasionally I would be squeezing the trigger and he would fire at the same time possibly causing my shot to go wide. I know this happened on the 150 yard group with the Pyrodex.
I can't account for the group size other than it might be due in part to the heavier trigger on the Omega, and the Remington Kleen bore primers or I was just having a bad day. It happens. I also noticed that the Remington kleen Bore primers were all sticking in the Breech plug and had to be pulled out with angle nose pliers.
I am thinking of going back to the range when I get time and make two changes. I am going to use 100 grains of Triple 777 (Instead of 110 grains) and for the other group two 50 grain Pyrodex pellets with the same bullet and see what that produces. I swabed between every shot with one wet and one dry patch as I always do. I did notice immediately the "Crud Ring" near the breach plug with the Triple 777 which was not there with the Pyrodex loads.
One observation is that the recoil and noise from the Triple 777 load was definitely more noticeable than with the Pyrodex and YET..........point of impact at 150 was the same from an elevation standpoint. That tells me that inside of 150 measured yards, there is no advantage either in group size or any less drop than with the Pyrodex loads.
I KNOW the Omega has shot better on several occasions than it did today. I will keep experimenting until I get a load that will do 1.5 inches or under at least out to 150 yards and try next time to check it out at 200 yards.
Additional Thoughts:
In thinking about this later in the day, I think I know what may have caused by bad shooting today. I opened a brand new box of Hornady SST-ML sabots with the newer LOW DRAG easier to load sabots this morning where in the past, I had used Hornady's regular 250 grain SST sabots and NOT the newer LOW DRAG sabots. I did note while at the range they were easeir to load than I remembered. In second guessing myself, I am thinking that perhaps this affected my group size more than any other factor since last year when preparing for the fall hunt, my groups were more on the order of 1.5 inches or LESS with the same 110 grain Pyrodex RS loose powder. To appease myself and check it out, I am posting a much earlier post showing results as good as 1/2 inch three shots groups at 100 yards using both Pyrodex RS loose powder and Pyrodex pellets.
I guess I should read my own blog before going to the range. My guns do NOT LIKE TRIPLE 777 for some unknown reason, however I get fantastic groups with Pyrodex pellets and Pyrodex loose powder at the 100 grain charge. PROBLEM SOLVED. please read this post from 8/22/2008. I could have saved myself from a morning of disappointment by reading my own earlier posts.
I will concentrate going forward on perhaps the 240 grain and 300 grain XTP's behind 100 grains of Pyrodex RS loose or 2/50 grain pellets. I may also go back to 245 grain Barnes spitzers as I have 1/2 box of them left. These gave me 1/2 inch 100 yard groups. Jeremy may have to settle for getting to 150 yards or closer. MY Triple 777 experimenting days are OVER WITH.
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8760873176714179494#editor/target=post;postID=669283914479976021
ANOTHER previous post on Omega range time:
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8760873176714179494#editor/target=post;postID=5879307707971449364
(UPDATE) July 1, 2012:
I went to the range again this morning and tried the following:
110 grains of Pyrodex RS behind the 300 grain Mag XTP .45 in a sabot
100 grains of Pyrodex RS with the same load
2/50 grain Pyrodex pellets with the same load
100 grains of Pyrodex RS behind a 245 grain Barnes Spitzer (under 2 inches)
2/50 grain Pyrodex Pellets behind a 250 grain TC yellow tipped Shock Wave (3/4 inch group)
ALL groups used Triple 777 primers which toally eliminated the sticking problem and eaisly popped out when I ran my first wet patch down the bore after each shot.
All of the above are under 2.5 inches however some were close to that.
Winner of the day was (2) 50 grain Pyrodex pellets behind a TC 250 grain Shock Wave bullet. (PHOTO INSERT ABOVE) Three shots went into 3/4 inch at 75 yards and same load went 2.75 inches at 150 yards and approximate center of group point of impact was 5 and 1/2 inches LOW. I COULD go hunting with this load. I adjusted the elevation up one inch and to the right 1/2 inch which would put me about 4.5 inches low at 150 and 2 inches high at 75 yards.
For right NOW, I am going to settle on this 250 Shock Wave loading with 2 Pyrodex pellets until I find something that shoots better.
Dan
Second photo is the Pyrodex group at 75 yards, third photo is the Pyrodex group at 150 yards with (ONE pulled shot / flinched at rifle next to me going off), last photo is Triple 777 group at 75 yards.
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