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I got one of those feeling this is going to get really long... Terry hates it when I try to write something - I can not be brief - so bare with me.
Went to the farm with a few different thoughts in mind...
1. I wanted to test two different vent liners in a modified Knight FPJ breech plug.
2. I want to get some chrono times to verifly a finding discovered by Grouse.
3. I wanted to shoot the used/new Knight DISC Elite that i got on Wednesday.
4. I added an extra step at the end and decided that I wanted to shoot some long distant shots... it turned out to be 240 yards.
5. Verifiy that this Cabelas 3x10x40 Powder Horn scope might be as good as I thought.
When I got to the farm and got everything set - it was great... great temperature and little wind. That would change in the next 15 minutes to a very vigorous swirling wind at the silos and blowing straight down the draw....
I decided to start shooting with some Hornady 250 grain FTX bullets - needed to use them for something because I would never use them for hunting.
I had installed a Lehigh Extended Vent Liner, used to get what is called 'center ignition'. This is a prototype liner that Lehigh Dave wanted to try, and I actually thought it might reduce blow-bac into the Knight bolt. It did not stop the blow back and after thinking about it - I can totally understand why. It also produced a reduced velocity as it leaked pressure back.
After, contemplateing the small problem(s) mentioned above - I had a bigger problem! Both FTX shots - tumbled @ 50 yards... (See Group #1 two shots) My first thoughts.. shoot this barrel is shot!!!(remember it is a new to me used gun). Decided to move from the FTX's to a known good bullet - grabbed a box of Speer 250 grain Gold Dots. Considering the wind - I considered Group #2 somewhat a success. The Gold Dots did fit a little tighter going down the bore also - got a little extra velocity.
I then made some adjustements. I pulled the breech plug took the extend vent liner out and installed the domed Lehigh vent liner GOOD move on my part. It was a ton cleaner and velocities moved back up where I thought they should be with a 250 grain bullet and 100 grains of T7. I also made a scope adjustment loaded up the Gold Dot again - took a three shots - made a final adjustment and shot 4 and 5. (See Group #3).
Then I decided to make another bullet switch to a .458/300 grain Sierra. I had decided this gun will become and elk gun so I wanted to shoot some 45-70 type rifle bullets from it. I also upped the powder up to 120 grains... (Group #4)
Group #5 - this is the bullet that will be shot from this gun for elk season at some point in the future. The Lehigh .458/275 grain bullet broke the paper great.
If you would want to read more about my converted FPJ plug. Look at this thread.
http://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/phpBB ... hp?t=13872
And if you are interested the domed Lehigh plug did cut back on blow bac significantly. I still had soot in the breech area but it was from shooting the FPJ with VERY used red plastic jackets. Nothing was deposited on the scope after the shooting - It was good - really good....
The NFPJ conversion is much cleaner yet - still not perfect but very little fouling soot and no blow bac.
At this point I thought I had accomplished my goals... but I could not resist the urge to shoot something long with the Lehighs...
I looked around in the wheat stubble and found a 'green' clump of something near the top of the ridge... Decided I was going to take the shot(s) Remember I had sighted this gun in at 50 yds and had not verified it 100 or any other distance.
This first pic is take from the clump of Thistle looking back a the shooting area...
Shot #1 - I held directly on the target with the apeture. The shot appeared to be on line but low.
Shot #2 - Held on the first line under the main Xhair. Again on line but not as low.
Shot #3 - Held on second line under main Xhair - one again on line but this time just a bit high....
Here is a picture looking back from the green clump (thistle) to the truck...
The next picture shows the gound contacts of the bullets... DON'T laugh - they were the only thing I had to mark the points with - the next picture is even more weird. Each shoe marks a contact point and above the green clump on the right is my range finder....
When you look at form this angle it is a bit deceptive because of the ground slope.
This picture shows more about the shots....
Now then... I stood the shoes up so you could see the elevation difference already knowing everything is right... but shot #1 held right on the green clump is about 12" low. Shot #2 using the 2nd elevation line is about 6" low and Shot #3 which you can not see is about 4" high... either way or anyway with a little practice and knowing the gun and projectile - it can be done...
OK - I'll quit - but it was fun this morning even in the lousy wind...
Went to the farm with a few different thoughts in mind...
1. I wanted to test two different vent liners in a modified Knight FPJ breech plug.
2. I want to get some chrono times to verifly a finding discovered by Grouse.
3. I wanted to shoot the used/new Knight DISC Elite that i got on Wednesday.
4. I added an extra step at the end and decided that I wanted to shoot some long distant shots... it turned out to be 240 yards.
5. Verifiy that this Cabelas 3x10x40 Powder Horn scope might be as good as I thought.
When I got to the farm and got everything set - it was great... great temperature and little wind. That would change in the next 15 minutes to a very vigorous swirling wind at the silos and blowing straight down the draw....
I decided to start shooting with some Hornady 250 grain FTX bullets - needed to use them for something because I would never use them for hunting.
I had installed a Lehigh Extended Vent Liner, used to get what is called 'center ignition'. This is a prototype liner that Lehigh Dave wanted to try, and I actually thought it might reduce blow-bac into the Knight bolt. It did not stop the blow back and after thinking about it - I can totally understand why. It also produced a reduced velocity as it leaked pressure back.
After, contemplateing the small problem(s) mentioned above - I had a bigger problem! Both FTX shots - tumbled @ 50 yards... (See Group #1 two shots) My first thoughts.. shoot this barrel is shot!!!(remember it is a new to me used gun). Decided to move from the FTX's to a known good bullet - grabbed a box of Speer 250 grain Gold Dots. Considering the wind - I considered Group #2 somewhat a success. The Gold Dots did fit a little tighter going down the bore also - got a little extra velocity.
I then made some adjustements. I pulled the breech plug took the extend vent liner out and installed the domed Lehigh vent liner GOOD move on my part. It was a ton cleaner and velocities moved back up where I thought they should be with a 250 grain bullet and 100 grains of T7. I also made a scope adjustment loaded up the Gold Dot again - took a three shots - made a final adjustment and shot 4 and 5. (See Group #3).
Then I decided to make another bullet switch to a .458/300 grain Sierra. I had decided this gun will become and elk gun so I wanted to shoot some 45-70 type rifle bullets from it. I also upped the powder up to 120 grains... (Group #4)
Group #5 - this is the bullet that will be shot from this gun for elk season at some point in the future. The Lehigh .458/275 grain bullet broke the paper great.
If you would want to read more about my converted FPJ plug. Look at this thread.
http://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/phpBB ... hp?t=13872
And if you are interested the domed Lehigh plug did cut back on blow bac significantly. I still had soot in the breech area but it was from shooting the FPJ with VERY used red plastic jackets. Nothing was deposited on the scope after the shooting - It was good - really good....
The NFPJ conversion is much cleaner yet - still not perfect but very little fouling soot and no blow bac.
At this point I thought I had accomplished my goals... but I could not resist the urge to shoot something long with the Lehighs...
I looked around in the wheat stubble and found a 'green' clump of something near the top of the ridge... Decided I was going to take the shot(s) Remember I had sighted this gun in at 50 yds and had not verified it 100 or any other distance.
This first pic is take from the clump of Thistle looking back a the shooting area...
Shot #1 - I held directly on the target with the apeture. The shot appeared to be on line but low.
Shot #2 - Held on the first line under the main Xhair. Again on line but not as low.
Shot #3 - Held on second line under main Xhair - one again on line but this time just a bit high....
Here is a picture looking back from the green clump (thistle) to the truck...
The next picture shows the gound contacts of the bullets... DON'T laugh - they were the only thing I had to mark the points with - the next picture is even more weird. Each shoe marks a contact point and above the green clump on the right is my range finder....
When you look at form this angle it is a bit deceptive because of the ground slope.
This picture shows more about the shots....
Now then... I stood the shoes up so you could see the elevation difference already knowing everything is right... but shot #1 held right on the green clump is about 12" low. Shot #2 using the 2nd elevation line is about 6" low and Shot #3 which you can not see is about 4" high... either way or anyway with a little practice and knowing the gun and projectile - it can be done...
OK - I'll quit - but it was fun this morning even in the lousy wind...
