Mounted a scope on my Fast twist Knight .45 and did some shooting this past weekend. The Leupold QR bases I installed would not give me enough movement to the right. I shot the first target anyways, to see if it would be worth switching the bases, so all of the POI's are to the left of POA. After finishing the first target, I decided I would try swapping the bases, the front and rear are the same base so I just swapped them around and it gave me plenty of adjustment, putting me back close to center. I had this same thing happen with another set of these Leupold bases, so if you ever run into that, try the switch, it just might get you closer to the center of adjustment.
I had eyeball bore sighted the rifle, and that is when I found out I was running out of adjustment, but at that point I figured I better shoot it first. Just as I thought, it wasn't going to work. Anyways, I ended up walking the bullets in from the top of the target trying to get close to start shooting some groups. After getting it close, I decided to shoot a bullet that I knew would shoot well out of the 1:20 twist, the 350 gr White Power Star saboted bullet. That would be the bullet all the way to the right in this pic.
Overall target, the close up's will tell you what sabots were used. 200 grain Lehigh bullets were used with 120 gr loads of BH209 for the remainder of the target.
After shooting the 350 grainers, the next load using the 200 grain Lehigh, 120 grains BH209, and the Harvester EZ load (smooth blue) hit very high. My POA was the lower right bull. These sabots are also just to easy to load, the range rod nearly loads it by itself.
After making a scope adjustment the Knight HP brown sabot was next, these load extermely hard.
Next was the Harvester Blue Crush Rib, these load quite easy, but boy do they shoot. I will do some more testing with these sabots and all the bullets. The Barnes and Hornady's also shoot better with this sabot out of this rifle.
The next sabot was the T/C Green XR, thes are also MMP like the brown Knight HP and load about the same, quite hard.
The last group of this target was using the tan MMP sabots that are supplied with the Barnes ExpanderMZ bullets, they loaded just about right and shot quite well.
The next target was shot the next day after switching the bases around. I eyeball bore sighted it and was able to move the reticle back closer to the center. The rifle was left dirty, and I continued to shoot without cleaning or swabbing. I used the 180 gr XTP mags to get it on paper, the first shot hit to the right. I made my adjustments and shot a 3 shot group that averaged 1" right of the bull. Made another adjustment and shot another 3 shot group, the last shot hit low. Here is the overall target and the first two groups.
The next group was shot with the 195 gr Barnes ExpanderMZ and what is becoming my favorite sabot for this rifle, the Harvester Blue Crush Rib. This group is scary good.
The next two groups were with the .358" 200 gr FTX, I made a scope adjustment between these groups. I could get two close, then the last wanted to wander. I really think the barrel was pretty hot at this point, I should have gave it more time between shots.
The last group, was shots 39, 40, & 41, without cleaning or swabbing.
All groups were shot with the NFPJ conversion and Winchester W209 primers. All loads fired instantly. I did have a head scratching moment in the first target, if you look real close on the first overall target you will see a "?" near the top. I think I might have made my first loading mistake, but am not entirely sure what happened. That load recoiled so hard my scope came back and hit my shooting glasses and "rung my bell". :shock: Needless to say, it got my attention, and when I removed the Win W209 primer the back of the primer was blown clean out. I could see the anvil, and I don't know where the primer part went. I have forgotten to add powder before years ago, but I think I just might have loaded my powder twice. :? I was using two different length loading rods, and I just might have made the mistake by not keeping track of the witness mark. I am 99% sure I didn't, but I cannot explain the heavy recoil, and both my loading rods were on the bench.
Just be careful while loading, I know I sure will. I have checked the rifle out, and everything checks out good. I really think the fast twist likes most of those bullets, and I might be able to improve a couple of the loads by tweaking the powder charges, I just wanted to know what they would do at maximum horse power. :wink:
I really think this barrel would shoot conicals as well as my White .451, but this bore is .452" and the .450 slip fit conicals just drop right through the bore. If I get some .452-.453" bullets I will give it a whirl. I am also thinking this rifle might be a candidate for going sabotless with .451-.452 jacketed bullets, stay tuned for that experiment once I figure out what bullet/size fits best.
If you can find one of these 1:20 twist Knights, I say grab it up. Whoever said they don't shoot, sure wasn't shooting the powder and bullets I tried. If you look in the bullet pic up top, the two bullets on the left are what was available when these 1:20's hit the market. Touting 150 grain loads, unheard of velocity, these 155 gr and 180 gr XTP Mag's just can't be rotated that fast. I used 80 grains on the 155's and they spun off to all directions, the 180's shot fairly well with a light load of 80 grains.
More testing is in the works, I just hope I can get those .358" FTX's to hold a little tighter, it may take a little more juice.
I had eyeball bore sighted the rifle, and that is when I found out I was running out of adjustment, but at that point I figured I better shoot it first. Just as I thought, it wasn't going to work. Anyways, I ended up walking the bullets in from the top of the target trying to get close to start shooting some groups. After getting it close, I decided to shoot a bullet that I knew would shoot well out of the 1:20 twist, the 350 gr White Power Star saboted bullet. That would be the bullet all the way to the right in this pic.
Overall target, the close up's will tell you what sabots were used. 200 grain Lehigh bullets were used with 120 gr loads of BH209 for the remainder of the target.
After shooting the 350 grainers, the next load using the 200 grain Lehigh, 120 grains BH209, and the Harvester EZ load (smooth blue) hit very high. My POA was the lower right bull. These sabots are also just to easy to load, the range rod nearly loads it by itself.
After making a scope adjustment the Knight HP brown sabot was next, these load extermely hard.
Next was the Harvester Blue Crush Rib, these load quite easy, but boy do they shoot. I will do some more testing with these sabots and all the bullets. The Barnes and Hornady's also shoot better with this sabot out of this rifle.
The next sabot was the T/C Green XR, thes are also MMP like the brown Knight HP and load about the same, quite hard.
The last group of this target was using the tan MMP sabots that are supplied with the Barnes ExpanderMZ bullets, they loaded just about right and shot quite well.
The next target was shot the next day after switching the bases around. I eyeball bore sighted it and was able to move the reticle back closer to the center. The rifle was left dirty, and I continued to shoot without cleaning or swabbing. I used the 180 gr XTP mags to get it on paper, the first shot hit to the right. I made my adjustments and shot a 3 shot group that averaged 1" right of the bull. Made another adjustment and shot another 3 shot group, the last shot hit low. Here is the overall target and the first two groups.
The next group was shot with the 195 gr Barnes ExpanderMZ and what is becoming my favorite sabot for this rifle, the Harvester Blue Crush Rib. This group is scary good.
The next two groups were with the .358" 200 gr FTX, I made a scope adjustment between these groups. I could get two close, then the last wanted to wander. I really think the barrel was pretty hot at this point, I should have gave it more time between shots.
The last group, was shots 39, 40, & 41, without cleaning or swabbing.
All groups were shot with the NFPJ conversion and Winchester W209 primers. All loads fired instantly. I did have a head scratching moment in the first target, if you look real close on the first overall target you will see a "?" near the top. I think I might have made my first loading mistake, but am not entirely sure what happened. That load recoiled so hard my scope came back and hit my shooting glasses and "rung my bell". :shock: Needless to say, it got my attention, and when I removed the Win W209 primer the back of the primer was blown clean out. I could see the anvil, and I don't know where the primer part went. I have forgotten to add powder before years ago, but I think I just might have loaded my powder twice. :? I was using two different length loading rods, and I just might have made the mistake by not keeping track of the witness mark. I am 99% sure I didn't, but I cannot explain the heavy recoil, and both my loading rods were on the bench.
Just be careful while loading, I know I sure will. I have checked the rifle out, and everything checks out good. I really think the fast twist likes most of those bullets, and I might be able to improve a couple of the loads by tweaking the powder charges, I just wanted to know what they would do at maximum horse power. :wink:
I really think this barrel would shoot conicals as well as my White .451, but this bore is .452" and the .450 slip fit conicals just drop right through the bore. If I get some .452-.453" bullets I will give it a whirl. I am also thinking this rifle might be a candidate for going sabotless with .451-.452 jacketed bullets, stay tuned for that experiment once I figure out what bullet/size fits best.
If you can find one of these 1:20 twist Knights, I say grab it up. Whoever said they don't shoot, sure wasn't shooting the powder and bullets I tried. If you look in the bullet pic up top, the two bullets on the left are what was available when these 1:20's hit the market. Touting 150 grain loads, unheard of velocity, these 155 gr and 180 gr XTP Mag's just can't be rotated that fast. I used 80 grains on the 155's and they spun off to all directions, the 180's shot fairly well with a light load of 80 grains.
More testing is in the works, I just hope I can get those .358" FTX's to hold a little tighter, it may take a little more juice.
