i TRIED THE NEW RUGER OLD ARMY TODAY

I was upstate this week and tried a few different loads all using .457 ball I loaded 35 gr. 3F goex a wad .450 and a grease cookie on top of the cylinder.I was surprise the gun like 40 gr. 3F Wad no difference grease cooking or not and about 20 yards 2 hand hole 5 shots in around 2" group
I can say from what I see i will bet the cylinder can hold 43 grains and a ball and no grease cookie.I did find as the load increase the POI did also .I was aiming at 15 yards 6 o'clock hold and the bullets hitting the 10 ring;I did notice at 40 grains the bullet climbed about
5" high center of the bull 3 round almost touching
I can say the ball .457 makes a big hole
 
Great Range Report

:)
Flintforever

Sounds like you had a fun time. Thanks for the range report. Some great groups and interesting stuff on the varying of loads. The .457 makes a really big hole. You bet. :)

I've read some range reports from the Civil War on the use of the Walker or Dragoon with a .454 Round Lead Ball or even the modest .36 Caliber Navy Revolvers... No way I would ever want to get on the wrong end of one of these Old Ladies. The Ruger Old Army is of course a target gun but bears a close resemblance to the 1858 Remington which has a long history on battlefields as well.
 
Range day to day:
I was out to day but instead of goex 3F I tried some triple 777 3F 30 gr. and a wad and RB @ grease cookie and at 20 yards man blew the 10ring out of the target.
I played with a few different charges and went up to 40 grains still the ruger tack drive them round balls.
I would say at 50 yards and the same sight picture hold the gun shot high about 7" over center with 40 grains :The group more like 6" on paper.
I drop down to 30 gr. and the group got tight but still high over center
I have to say for a cap and ball it can shoot.
I have another ? how many shooters here drop the lower half of the trigger frame out of the gun for cleaning.
I myself remove he nipples drop the cylinder in hot soapy water,emerge the front of the barrel into the hot water scrub with a nylon bore brush,I clean the frame inside and out :I also send a little cleaning solution down the sides of the hammer and try to clean the residue out of the trigger parts,oil all parts before putting it back together.
I read it not that hard to drop the lower half out of the gun for better cleaning ?I just like to here the pro or cons on the subject
 
Flint

I chronied my ROA last week and was disappointed at the outcome. I am getting less than 500 fps with 30 grains of GO fffg. I would have expected more than that. It may be time to find out if my 30 gr measure is accurate.
 
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I do most of my shooting at 7 yards to 50' with 20 gr of FFFg Goex and a .457 round ball. 25 yards and beyond I use 30 grains. No wads, no filler, no grease, just dump in the powder and seat the ball however deep it is. The target above was a dynamite challenge where you had to hit the fuse without hitting the dynamite. I learned after the first two shots to aim at the D in the word dynamite on the center stick of dynamite, this was offhand at 15 yards.

At 25 yards I didn't save the targets but I shot it alongside my S&W M57 41 mag and actually shot a group half the size of my magnum. Both guns shot from a rest on the bench. At 30 yards my group is pretty much the same and it shoots to point of aim. I haven't tried it at 50, 75 or 100 yards yet, that's another trip.

So my answer to your question is I see no need for filler. The ball being deep in the cylinder, at least in my gun seems to have no detrimental effect on accuracy. I might change to a different tune when I start shooting longer ranges but at 30 yards and under I am happy shooting it bare back.
 
Easy drop out just got done with it a little dirty but no deep pitts or rust.
I only had a little problem with the Pawl Plunger the spring part ;I was looking for a small hole on the rear frame part above the screw hole but it only sit flush againg the trigger housing plate.
cleaned and oiled and ready to go
 
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