[Chief RID]

Went out to range to try some loads in the SBH. I am trying to get accuracy from a hunting velocity 240 gr. WFN lead bullet. I shot only at 25 yds. I believe the round is pretty consistant. I had 3 in 3 inches out of 6 on one set. I scattered the next 6 but they stayed in the target rings. The hunting velocity loads still eventually get me to flinching off the bench. I do better freehand about the flinching.

I dropped back to my plinking load with a 240 gr. SWC soft swagged bullet and the groups closed right up again. Had 3 of 6 in a 1 inch group.

I think all is OK for the SBH. Now I have to resume work on the 1894.

 

[Chief RID]

I use muffs now but I will give the combo a try. I don't know if it is the case here though. I don't know how much louder my hunting load is than my plinking load but I do know the muzzle jump is a sizable difference. Consistant grip improves things a lot and when I concentrate on that I do much better all around so that tends to make me believe that it is felt recoil making most of the difference. Now, just the flinching part ot steadyness at trigger pull, the blast could be a big factor.

A.J. Good to hear you are still messin with the handguns.

 

[Chief RID]

Oh Boy! An opportunitee to pontificate. Here goes.

My 44 is a 5.5 inch SBH. I shoot it a lot, in fact it is my favorite gun to shoot. I have gone from a poor shot to what I consider to be a good shot, standing off hand at various ranges out to 25 yds. I can hit a four inch square in a 3 shot run in 10 seconds from 30 yds to 10 yds pretty consistantly. Now load development from the bench is a different story.

My shooting had improved, and I was wanting to get to a pure lead diet for this gun so I bouhgt some hard cast bullets in .432 diameter and a # og H-110 and went to work. I found out quickly that I was not going to be able to get this round to group as well as my old hunting round, 13 gr of Blue Dot so I have settled on it. You see this combo is complicated more by the fact that I have a 1894 that I want the same bullet for, for hunting. The 13 gr of blue dot and a 240 gr XTP has been a proven round for me in both but more work is required to get the cast bullet to work.

All that being said, my plinking load for the SBH has always been 7.9 gr of Green Dot and a 240 bullet, any kind. I am now using a soft swagged bullet with little leading and great accuracy. I don't think you can get a bullet cheeper than 13.50 for 200 without making them yourself and these are available locally. Green Dot has a piculiar affinity for me. I don't know why. I put the stuff on my cornflakes in the morning.

I have a level at which, off the bench only, that I begin to flinch. The H-110 even caused the grip frame to hit the webbing of my thumb which will never do. I like my grip to nuch to change or wear a glove. What!? Wear a glove, that could work. Na.