4th of July range day

Moderators: gds, bakerjw, renegade

Post Reply
User avatar
dellet
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 6967
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:25 pm

4th of July range day

Post by dellet »

Every July 4th I make it a point to shoot something with some history. The choice this year is a model 45 Stevens chambered in 28-30-120. This rifle was built somewhere around 1900, likely about the time the cartridge introduced.

Image

This cartridge is closely related to the Stevens Arms company and was considered very accurate in its day at 200 yard competitions. The case is 2.5” long and has been out of production for about 100 years unless you get custom brass made. Some is available as collector pieces, this one is dated to about 1910.

Image

Because of the scarcity of the brass, and actually keeping with the tradition and techniques of the time, a single case is generally used for an entire competition. Fire formed brass is indexed to the chamber and the only sizing involved when shooting by breach seating is to flare the neck between each shot. Here was today’s loading station on the front porch.

Image

Some things not show are the tools for seating the bullets. The bullet is inserted into a fired case as a slip fit, a rod is inserted through the base where the primer pocket has been drill out. This is inserted into the chamber and the bullet with a taper is pressed into the chamber. Some seating tools allow you to lever the bullet completely into place, I use a machined plug which is basically a solid case that is about 1/16th inch longer than the case. This seats the bullet deep enough so that the base band is about halfway into the lands.

The case is charged with powder and inserted behind the bullet. The case neck is flared to help center the case in the chamber and seal the gasses forward keeping the case from collapsing during firing.

This type of shooting has some different challenges and the results can be seen below. This is only a 50 yard target with the scope adjusted for 200. Point of aim was the dots

Image

Two groups, the left group over the 2” Dot was shot first. A group of 6 with a single low shot. The low shot was due to what would normally be considered low neck tension. I forgot to flair the neck on the case for that shot. The excessive drop was due to low velocity cause by pressure blowing back past the case instead of pushing the bullet.

The second group on the right over the smaller dot has its own lessons. That is a 25 shot group. The flyer has its own story.

Image

The first thing to note is there was a change made between groups, that was the dot size. The scope is fixed at X15, the black center of the 2” Dot was too big to keep a consistent point of aim. I think a smaller dot could have tightened the group even more. It is possible to have too much scope.

To be continued due to number of photos........
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
User avatar
dellet
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 6967
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:25 pm

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by dellet »

On the way to shooting the right hand group, I made a mistake at about shot #4. The first three lower shots were followed by a case loaded and no bullet in the chamber. I fired a case full of powder.

Image

The three shots on the bottom, case fired with no bullet, then the right hand flyer fired in the dirty bore. At this point I cleaned the bore and chamber. The two high shots are the first two fired after cleaning.

At the 3rd shot after cleaning it started to settle in.

Image

The next 19 shots did the same.

Image

The above group is .910” X .650” outside to outside. All things considered, not bad. Removing the top cold clean bore shot the group rounds out nicely to a sub MOA group. I needed to work on technique as my last time out I struggled.

Here’s 200 yards

Image

The above target was shot with multiple cases, rings are 3/4” for reference. As shot it measures 2.25” x 1.10”. With some work on technique, shooting a single case and indexing it, I expect the get rid of the horizontal. Time will tell.

Just thought I’d share something a bit different
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
TRshootem
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 264
Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2014 1:13 am
Location: Montana

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by TRshootem »

Pretty cool story on that rifle, and some pretty fine accuracy. I know a lot about a few things in the shooting world, this type of cartridge loading is new to me, now added to the data base. After your visit here and at the gun show, I got a sense of your interest in these old shooters. No doubt an enjoyable way to celebrate our history of firearms and freedom. I am pleased that men like you keep this history alive. Let freedom ring on this day :P

Best to you and yours

TR
User avatar
rebel
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 7285
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:01 pm
Location: Moonshine Country

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by rebel »

Dellet is Quigley up yonder :mrgreen:
That is so cool, the rifle, the technique, the casting. It's an unappreciated time in the US shooting history. Led to quite a few innovations I believe.
Awesome rifle and thanks for sharing.
You can't beat the mountain, pilgrim. Mountains got its own way.
User avatar
dellet
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 6967
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:25 pm

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by dellet »

TRshootem wrote: Thu Jul 04, 2019 9:05 pm Pretty cool story on that rifle, and some pretty fine accuracy. I know a lot about a few things in the shooting world, this type of cartridge loading is new to me, now added to the data base. After your visit here and at the gun show, I got a sense of your interest in these old shooters. No doubt an enjoyable way to celebrate our history of firearms and freedom. I am pleased that men like you keep this history alive. Let freedom ring on this day :P

Best to you and yours

TR
Schuetzen is a very interesting discipline. To see the groups people were shooting with iron sights and cast bullets is actually pretty amazing. Scopes really never made it into competition, only a few years before WWI. After the war interest in cpsingle shots fell off and the NRA competitions pretty well killed off the big Schuetzenfests. Everything back in the day was offhand, but loads and testing was benched. Modern meets generally have a mix of bench and offhand shooting, along with some rimfire classes. Bigger meets probably take 1/2 MOA or better to win off the bench.

There will be a couple of shoots this summer in Butte and Hamilton, if I can get my act together I’m going to shoot in one of them. Might be worth a trip to see some good shooters in action. Might be fun to meet up again.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
TRshootem
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 264
Joined: Fri Dec 26, 2014 1:13 am
Location: Montana

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by TRshootem »

Sounds like a great event to partake in, never been. Now that you have refreshed my foggy cranium, I bump into a a older gent who speaks of these meets and his experience when he lived in the mid west somewhere. Please message me if you plan on doing one, would be great to see ya and experience some historical rifle action. I spent some time today at the range near Boulder, full auto stuff, a bit of long range steel banging, including reaching out with a 5.56 pistol. Fun day with some fellow shooters :P

TR
User avatar
plant.one
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 6823
Joined: Tue Jun 23, 2009 8:31 pm
Location: Oakland County, MI

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by plant.one »

neat!
Reloading info shared is based on experiences w/ my guns. Be safe and work up your loads from published data. Web data may not be accurate/safe.
This disclaimer will self destruct in 10 seconds.
blaster
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 780
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:18 am
Location: Fla. Keys

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by blaster »

very interesting ! thanks for posting.
peace through superior firepower
User avatar
dellet
Silent But Deadly
Posts: 6967
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:25 pm

Re: 4th of July range day

Post by dellet »

A quick trip to the range after work today and dialing in at 200.

Image

Top shot is a fouler, then the bottom two on the right. Made a change at the front bag, now resting on the barrel instead of the forearm, then four more just right of center.

Then tragedy struck, another loading error and home I went. Need to see this repeated a few times and be able to get though a session without making a loading mistake, but it looks promising.
300 Blackout, not just for sub-sonics.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 45 guests