45 Colt LOVE this gun - tears paper though

M

mravery

New member
Hello all,

Just recently picked up an Uberti Smoke Wagon, 45 Colt w 4 3/4 barrel. Shoots spot on dead center right out of the box. First 45 that I have ever owned and love this caliber!

I've been trying different loads Winchester 250 grain, MagTech 200 and 250 grain and then some others from a local manufacturer.

Lat time to the range though, I had a weird experience with the target (pictures attached). I was shooting the 200 gr MagTech ammo and it was tearing the paper. It would punch a hole but then left a paper 'tail'. Now I will tell you that the 200 Gr MagTech is pretty light round, with next to no recoil.

This was after shooting around 120 rds and it was a mixture of the rounds listed above. It was also the first time that I had leading in the barrel (was either form the local manufactured rounds or the 250 gr MagTech as I had never used either up to that point.

Any ideas why the paper tore?



 
A couple of things ~ mild loads at low velocity, with no sharp shoulder to cut the paper. Target paper is lightweight material.

Wadcutter or semi-wadcutter bullets will cut a clean hole.

Bob Wright
 
Do your targets hang free, or are they on a backer.

What your target shows, is the same thing that happens to paper targets I shoot, when they are over the part of the backer, thats shot out (nothing behind the paper), and not supporting the paper.
 
Correct AK103K

They were hanging free, nothing behind them and nothing weighing them down. The local range only uses clips to hold the top two corners.
 
You could try mounting the targets on a piece of cardboard, and then hang that on the clips. Ive shot at ranges that mounted their targets that way, and it worked just like a backer, and the holes in the target, look like you expect them to.
 
And use NRA standard targets, printed on brittle paper that punches clean. Some of the old timers would even bake it dry and even more brittle in a low oven.
 
The NRA regulation type targets mounted on a backer are what you want if youre shooting for score.

Targets printed on printer paper, or notebook paper, are usually the worst, and where you see the above type tears the most.

Any of them shot at or near "point blank", in contact practice, dont usually fare well at all, but especially the ones with no backing. You get muzzle blast, cantaloupe sized holes in that case, if the target is still there at all. :D
 
thats what any large bullet looks like puching through free-standing paper. your not key-holing becuse you can see the circle in the middle of the tear.
 
Had the same thing happen but i was shooting down hill.and all the tails were on the same side.I was using hp's.
 
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