Pratical accuracy?

Z

ZVP

New member
Is it reasobnable to expect 3" groups fired 2 handed at 15 ft from either a .36 or.44 cal revolver using Pyrodex and seabed balls?
ZVP
 
Yes, very reasonable.

I shot this group at 25 yards (75 ft) one handed with a Colt 1860 Army revolver. 25 grains Goex FFFg real black powder, .457 Hornady round balls.

The black part of this target is about 5.5 inches in diameter.


DSCN0238_zps47efe795.jpg


DSCN04491_zps71085d00.jpg
 
I am seriously going to have to practice. Last time I was out I was missing a 3ft x 3ft backing board at that distance. However it was just my first time with that pistol. Still, no excuse.

Good shooting for you though!
 
It takes a lot of practice to get good with a pistol, but the pistol itself can do it.
There are women folk out there that can beat me like a red headed stepchild.
 
Is it reasobnable to expect 3" groups fired 2 handed at 15 ft from either a .36 or.44 cal revolver using Pyrodex and seabed balls?
Click to expand...

I don't know what a "seabed ball" is, but yes, you could easily get 3" groups at a mere 15 feet using a 2-handed grip. Many people achieve 4" groups at 25' with a one-handed grip.

The key is to develop an accurate load shooting off a bench rest.

For .36 caliber, you will probably want to start at 12 grains and work up in 2 grain increments until you find your optimal group. For .44 caliber, start at 15 grains and work up.

You will probably find optimal groupings for .44 caliber at around 18 grains of 3F black powder. I don't know what you will find for substitutes like Pyrodex.

I load my balls with powder, then cream of wheat filler, and then the ball, such that the ball, when firmly seated on the filler, is flush with the face of the cylinder. Then I apply lube over the balls.

When you develop an accurate load off the bench, then you know what the firearm is capable of. The rest is up to you.

Steve
 
maillemaker

How do you get a consistant amount of COW so that the ball is the right height in the cylinder? Does COW crush?
 
How do you get a consistant amount of COW so that the ball is the right height in the cylinder? Does COW crush?
Click to expand...

I can pretty much do it by eye, but I also make little scoopers out of metallic cartridges and some copper wire.

Steve
 
I don't shoot much paper so this is an old target some of you have seen before. 25 yards +/- one hand hold, 25 grains of powder and a wad under a round ball.

 
My Pietta Remington NMA does 3-3.5" groups at 15 yds offhand with 30 grns of 3F Olde Eynsford or Triple 7 powder and my 170 and 195 grn bullets. My ROA does best with 35 grns with those powders and projectiles including a ball.
 
I meant to type swaged lead balls but the I Phone spelling corrector
made so
made something else of it...
Sorry
 
Well, don't normally shoot 15 feet.....but here's about my 10 shot average at 30 feet. Its a little tighter now, this pic is from last year.



slinging a swagged .44 over 25 grains of swiss.
 
12 grains for a .36? I think that's the recommended load from Pietta for my '61(or maybe 15), and when I tried it, the ball did not make it past the forcing cone. Interestingly enough, though, historic paper cartridges came in loadings from 12 to 20 grains, with a lot in the 15-17 grain range.
 
To the best of m knowledge, which is a bit limited, those paper cartridges used during the Civil War were all with conicals.

I'm not sure how the others loaded theirs, but research showed that the .44 caliber paper cartridge produced with Hazard's Pistol Powder was about 4F and as powerful as Swiss. This research can be found on Yahoo's Percussion Pistol Group, but he also gave permission to share it and so I saved it as he thought the group was closing not having the time to keep it operating. PM me your email address if you would like to see what all he found if you do not have a Yahoo account or don't want to create an account in the group.
 
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