Working up a new load: Epiphany.

BeanMan · Jul 23, 2016

I'll be hunting with a muzzleloader rifle this year and it's been ten years since I last used it. I went out to try some new load workups with fancy new copper bullets and Blackhorn 209. I haven't shot open sights in a very long time.

I found out something I hadn't planned on at age 57. I can't see squat at 50 yards out of my right eye. It's time for glasses. I fired 7 rounds at what I guessed was the center of the target, I would have killed an elk but it's obvious it's time for corrective lenses.

Cow Tag · Jul 23, 2016

It Happens.

txhunter58 · Jul 23, 2016

I kind of have the opposite problem. I can see the target OK but can't see the front sight!

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

Zeke · Jul 24, 2016

Vision is THE most important facet with shooting any open type sights whether it's rifle, pistol or shotgun.

Mine are slipping at 62 and I have a bad cataract in my left eye (like looking through a frosted shower door) which will suck until next year when I'll probably have to do both eyes by then.

Sorry to hear (since I can't see) that you had an epiphany about your slipping vision.

Good luck and get close!
Zeke

Elkduds · Jul 25, 2016

I feel you. Adding fiber optic ghost ring rear sight to my cva Optima in an attempt to address aging eyes. Also, congratulations on 5K posts. You have shared volumes of help w the MM family!

nocal · Aug 5, 2016

Put a scope on the rifle....it will help take your (or anyones) eyesight issue away from the process. then once you find the best load, merely remove the scope form the mldr.

good luck,

BeanMan · Aug 5, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Aug-05-16 AT 09:09PM (MST)[p]Thanks nocal, I may try that tomorrow

Gator · Aug 8, 2016

Keep the scope on if it's legal.
3x9 with a Bullet drop cross hairs in it this scope is a good power to use for the 100 yd 150 yd, and 200yds crosshairs. It's what I'm using on my Omega right now.
BH 209 95 gr. 295 sabots are doing good right now for me. Shot some 240gr sabot and they are grouping even tighter,But I like the extra weight of the 295 for a bigger whack.
Set the Omega up with a 2 lb trigger pull instead of a 4 lb pull.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]

Cow Tag · Aug 8, 2016

Bean Man, any improvement over the initial sighting in experience? I see TWO of my front sights when I view down the barrel of my new Accura V2 CVA. Does not help out my accuracy for certain. Any late news that you can share with your MM audience? Cow Tag

John_The_Bastard · Aug 9, 2016

Hello Beanman
I wear progressive bifocals and have an optometrist who also hunts and shoots. He spends a little extra time fitting my glasses to better accommodate shooting. When looking thru the glasses especially on the range a person tends to see thru the sights by holding their head down and looking up to align the eyes with the sight. This causes you to be looking thru the lens at an angle different from your normal ....just looking thru them. This can distort your sight picture. I have fairly tall sights on my rifle and the optometrist lowers the upper beginning of the more powerful reading part of the lens a bit when he orders the lens from the manufacturer. Just a couple of thoughts that might help if you get Glasses. I turn 70 this fall when I hunt in your area and I see well using glasses.
J_T_B

lve2143 · Aug 9, 2016

Fred,
A good quality peep sight helps with
that as well, or it has for me.

You only look through the back sight,
and never have to look at it like, like
one would do with a regular, "buckhorn"
style rear sight.

That doesn't cure our vision issues, but
it is the best way to go, either way.

Larry

BeanMan · Aug 16, 2016

Thanks Larry, I have a peep.

I just shot the 350 grain FPB's out of my Omega. Wow, they shot well, better than anything I have tried before. I settled on a 100 grain load because it was the most accurate. I started at 80 and shot 5 shot groups, then 90, then 100. I put a scope on it for load development and shot 1.5" groups which I will not match when I put the peep back on.

Elkduds · Aug 21, 2016

I finally got good results w FPBs in my CVA Optima. I could not get them to start. I wound up pushing bullets through the barrel from the breech end. Then they would load down the muzzle, with firm encouragement from a short starter. 90 g of T7 ffg, fiber optic ghost ring sights, and softball-size groups @ 100 yards. I won't mess w that success until after Sept.

Waygoner · Aug 23, 2016

I had lasik surgery around 15 years ago. Best thing I ever did. It was expensive back then, much cheaper now. My long distance vision is still excellent but I have to use reading glasses now.

Cow Tag · Aug 23, 2016

Elk Duds, how hard was it to push the bullet forward thru the barrel? I have a new Accura V2 and the .50 caliber FPB bullets by Hornady will definitely NOT go into the barrel the conventional way/method. it is a ton of trouble to do what you are doing. My question to you is this: Is the accuracy worth the trouble of doing so? I like the Hornady FPB copper bullet but questioning the time and effort it would require to use it while hunting for a cow elk within 16 days in Colorado. Any advice or an opinion would be appreciated. Cow Tag

Elkduds · Aug 23, 2016

It was a chore, only took a couple minutes per bullet. I used a range rod, which is longer than the rod under your barrel. My range rod has a palm saver, so that helped. I used the narrowest end of the rod, it fit inside the domed base of the FPB without pushing the bullet edges wider. Bullets came out w grooves from the rifling. They would then start down the muzzle, using just the palmsaver from the CVA range rod. Once started, the ramrod pushed them down. Accuracy was great. Internet feedback is that the bullet does well on elk-size game, hopefully I'll confirm that in a few weeks. Note: when the barrel was warm from shooting and fouled, bullets started a little easier. I won't try to start any more FPBs until I boresize them. My backup plan was TC maxiballs, I'm sure they will load easily and they do fine on elk. Hope that helps.

Cow Tag · Aug 23, 2016

Your detailed explanation helped me. My new Accura accepts the Federal B.O.R. copper bullet nicely and I am satisfied with their accuracy (270 grain). I have a new supply of the TC maxiballs as well as a box of No Excuses 460 grain lead bullets---and a pack of the Hornady FPB bullets. The FPB and the No Excuses will have to be bore sized in the manner you did your bullets in order for me to get them DOWN the barrel to load. I emailed the CVA factory and a rep told me that the bore on my Accura V2 was .499". The No Excuses 460 plainly states the size of these bullets are .503. Maybe not be able to even bore size them? May have to use the Federal copper bullet in 270 for my Colorado black powder cow elk hunt in 15 or so days? I may try to bore size a few of my Hornady FPB's and possibly the No Excuses to check out their accuracy as both will get the job done on Mrs. Elk come September 10th. Any other comments or advice is appreciated. Cow Tag

cannonball · Aug 27, 2016

I went to a 3 X 9 Scope with a omega TC gun, 209 powder, and a variety of slugs. The spitfire were the most accurate and the hardest to load. The slugs I really did not like were the copper bullets. They left a little reside build up in the barrel and made it harder to load each time I shot until cleaned. They really didn't group all that well either.