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Doc Hoy

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Took along an Uberti Iver Johnson Cattleman in .44 Magnum loaded with Goex.
Also had two different rounds for the Uberti Smokewagon and the Uberti 73 Winchester in .45 LC. One round was a full load of Triple Seven FFg and the other was Pyrodex P.

I took along the Tokarev too but reported on that in the C and R forum.

I am being much more careful with collection of data on the handloads I am doing.

Results with the rifle were predictable. T7 did about forty FPS higher than the Pyrodex. And consistency was much better with the first SD being under twenty while the first SD with Pyrodex was well over thirty. That rifle with either powder is a tack driver. The long barrel (thirty inches) makes it very easy for me to keep everything in focus with my old eyes. I was knocking the black out of every target I put up. Just a sweet rifle.

The Smokewagon was an entirely different story. Pyrodex outperformed the T7 in both speed and consistency. 785 average for the Pyrodex and 770 for the T7. I really expected it to be the other way around and by a wider margin. 5.5 inch barrel on the Smokewagon. MV was quite erratic with SD at about fifty FPS for both powders. This may be too much powder for a 5.5 inch barrel.

Accuracy was about the same for the two different powders.

I need to load some .45 LC with Goex. Do a comparison with the real thing.

I am especially proud of my .44 Magnum rounds. I am using a 200 grain bullet and a full load of Goex in that round. Speed from that Cattleman (7.5 inch barrel) is right at 780 average and the SD is easily equal to purchased ammunition at under 17 FPS.

The really good news: My Chronograph survived without a scratch.
 
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Congratulations to your chronograph on it's longevity.

I don't own one, partly because I think the only way it would survive is if I TRIED to hit it....

Another reason is because I don't see what value knowing the velocities would have. All that matters to me is accuracy, best determined by group sizes.

What does it mean to you that one load has a higher average muzzle velocity than another load?
 
Two responses

Mykeal,

It is more or less a curiocity. I think that if I can have data on consistency of MV I might know more about drop. Also if I see and accuracy problem, and I can also see MV variation, I might know more about the source of accuracy problem.

I want to hasten to add that variations in MV will have very little impact on drop. I also agree that MV alone may be of very little value in isolating accuracy problems.

In the end, I get a lot of enjoyment in correlating different ammunition and firearm factors with MV.

Sal,

This rifle is im - friggin - pressive. I love it.
 
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