CO Muzzy Range Test

[MathewsBull]

When you shoot 3 shots to foul the barrel. Is that just primer shots or full loads?

 

[alfagan88]

Finally had a chance this past Wednesday (3/17/21) to get back out and do some more testing. Weather was favorable at 36-40 degrees and 3-6 mph winds.

I weighed out various loads of BH209 and tested them with the box of Thor 250 gr Ballistic Tip .503's i received. Prior to shooting, i weighed all of the Thor bullets i received, with a majority of them weighing in between 249.0 - 249.6gr. There were a handful of outliers that were heavy (256.2gr). While shooting I used only the bullets weighing 249.0gr for consistency.

I began by fouling the barrel with 3 shots (80gr by volume of BH209 and the heavy Thor outliers). then proceeded firing each different load of BH209, beginning with the smallest first. I also made sure to rest the forend of the Encore on the shooting bench, rather than the barrel. I did not clean the barrel between any of the shot. I did use a 1/8" drill bit to remove carbon from the breech plug in between the varying BH209 loads. All shots were taken at 150 yards at separate targets for separate loads.

Results:
100gr by Volume / 70gr by Weight of BH209: 2.75" group (only 4 shot group)
105gr by Volume / 73.6gr by Weight of BH209: 4.25" group
110gr by Volume / 77gr by Weight of BH209: 5.25" group
115gr by Volume / 80.6gr by Weight of BH209: 4.875" group
120gr by Volume / 84gr by Weight of BH209: 2.0" group.

My grain scale only measures in 0.2gr increments, hence the 73.6gr and 80.6gr loads.

I was also able to recover two bullets from the ground behind the target. I've pictured one below. Good expansion (considering i was shooting into frozen ground) and weighing in at 246.2gr for 98.88% weight retention. The other weighed in at 246.4. Both showed visible and apparent to the touch engagement of the rifling.

Additionally, I removed the breech plug and visually inspected the barrel after I finished shooting. BH209 without a doubt created less fouling in the barrel after these 19 shots, as compared to one or two shots of 777 pellets (150gr) that I have used for whitetails here in NY.

Moving forward, I believe my plan is to zero the scope for the 120gr by volume / 84gr by weight load of BH209 to at least be close when the time comes to put the scope back on for deer season here in NY. In the meantime, i will remove the scope, install the Williams Western Precision sights I have, zero them, and continue to practice with them up until it's time to head to CO in September.

I understand each ML is different, but my hope was that maybe my testing will help someone else going down the same road. I'm also curious as to everyone's thoughts, and definitely open to suggestions!

 

[OXN939]

Finally had a chance this past Wednesday (3/17/21) to get back out and do some more testing. Weather was favorable at 36-40 degrees and 3-6 mph winds.

I weighed out various loads of BH209 and tested them with the box of Thor 250 gr Ballistic Tip .503's i received. Prior to shooting, i weighed all of the Thor bullets i received, with a majority of them weighing in between 249.0 - 249.6gr. There were a handful of outliers that were heavy (256.2gr). While shooting I used only the bullets weighing 249.0gr for consistency.

I began by fouling the barrel with 3 shots (80gr by volume of BH209 and the heavy Thor outliers). then proceeded firing each different load of BH209, beginning with the smallest first. I also made sure to rest the forend of the Encore on the shooting bench, rather than the barrel. I did not clean the barrel between any of the shot. I did use a 1/8" drill bit to remove carbon from the breech plug in between the varying BH209 loads. All shots were taken at 150 yards at separate targets for separate loads.

Results:
100gr by Volume / 70gr by Weight of BH209: 2.75" group (only 4 shot group)
105gr by Volume / 73.6gr by Weight of BH209: 4.25" group
110gr by Volume / 77gr by Weight of BH209: 5.25" group
115gr by Volume / 80.6gr by Weight of BH209: 4.875" group
120gr by Volume / 84gr by Weight of BH209: 2.0" group.

My grain scale only measures in 0.2gr increments, hence the 73.6gr and 80.6gr loads.

I was also able to recover two bullets from the ground behind the target. I've pictured one below. Good expansion (considering i was shooting into frozen ground) and weighing in at 246.2gr for 98.88% weight retention. The other weighed in at 246.4. Both showed visible and apparent to the touch engagement of the rifling.

Additionally, I removed the breech plug and visually inspected the barrel after I finished shooting. BH209 without a doubt created less fouling in the barrel after these 19 shots, as compared to one or two shots of 777 pellets (150gr) that I have used for whitetails here in NY.

Moving forward, I believe my plan is to zero the scope for the 120gr by volume / 84gr by weight load of BH209 to at least be close when the time comes to put the scope back on for deer season here in NY. In the meantime, i will remove the scope, install the Williams Western Precision sights I have, zero them, and continue to practice with them up until it's time to head to CO in September.

I understand each ML is different, but my hope was that maybe my testing will help someone else going down the same road. I'm also curious as to everyone's thoughts, and definitely open to suggestions!

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I have a dedicated blackpowder rifle for hunts involving open sights- the whole dance of changing irons for a scope and then verifying, tweaking and re-verifying zeroes every time I want to switch seemed like a lot of components and time expended to gain nothing. My irons setup is a CVA Optima, and it's been a fantastic rifle so far- got on clearance from Walmart for under two hundred bucks. Really, once you determine which diameter Thors fit your barrel correctly, I've found them to be much more accurate than I can be with irons at any charge weight between 85 and 105 grains by volume using any of the major propellants. I get an average of 1775 muzzle velocity using the 250 grain Thors with 90 grains of 777. Killed two good sized whitetail with it this year, and both were on the ground within 15 yards of impact. Have not killed an elk with it yet, but I'm pretty confident it'd have plenty of horsepower for anything within a reasonable range. Ray Charles could have confidently followed both of said blood trails.

The big observation I'd make regarding irons is that you really want to test that front globe sight out in low light before getting a surprise out west on your elk tag. One of the deer I killed was about 15 minutes before last shooting light, and I honestly had to aim using the center of the globe's aperture- the front sight post blended in to the animal's coat to the point of being completely invisible. That was a 20 yard shot, and I wouldn't have taken it any farther than that. I switched back to the stock fiber optic front sight after that little adventure.

One of the blood trails from this year's blackpowder season.

 

[alfagan88]

OXN939 thanks for the insight. I save my flintlock for hunting with open sights here in NY, but if I'm burning CO mule deer preference points on this hunt I'll be taking the reliable encore. I wouldn't take the scope off if it wasn't for this hunt. I plan on doing quite a bit of practice shooting in low light, as I've never used a globe sight before. I plan on getting either flourescent or glow-in-the-dark paint for the crosshair inserts for the globe sight, for the exact reason you described!

 

[OXN939]

I plan on getting either flourescent or glow-in-the-dark paint for the crosshair inserts for the globe sight, for the exact reason you described!

Tried that. I have perfect 20/20 vision and it was still nowhere near the sight picture I was comfortable with. The front globes are probably slightly more accurate for targets in good daylight, but considering that I'll be hunting in a wide variety of conditions and my max effective range is 125, the fiber optic front is an easy choice for me personally.

 

[Adam Gibbs]

When you shoot 3 shots to foul the barrel. Is that just primer shots or full loads?

Full shots.