WFNGC Accuracy - Should I Expect More?

[Krooz]

Finally got off my duff and loaded up my first 250 WFNGC hardcast bullets over 10 and 10.5 gr of Unique. The 10.5gr had the best accuracy with a 9 shot group of 3.5" at 50yds (Leupold-Gilmore dot scope).

What a pleasure to shoot compared to a full house load of W296 pushing the 240 XTPs. Comparable accuracy as well though the XTPs held a little tighter group. I'm quite pleased actually and believe this will become my all purpose hunting round for deer/hog - but wonder if I should expect more accuracy out of the setup (44RB 8 3/8")? The bullet drop is around 6" at 100yards with a sucky group- don't know the fps without a chrony. Plan to load more but zero at 75yds next trip to the range. Itching to get a Trophy 2X6 at some point so that would tighten things up a bit I suspect.

So  - live with this or tweak some more? Maybe about all I can expect using the dot scope? I'd like to be able to shoot at 100yds but realistically 75yds would be my upper limit 95% of the time. Thinking I don't have much more room to bump up with the Unique and probably shouldn't start dropping below 10gr to hunt with it. Do like the lightened recoil though....

Thanks

Krooz

[wyozx]

My Taurus Raging Bull 6" 41 mag shoots just under 3" at 100 yds with 210 gr jacketed bullets. I have some 250 gr lead gc bullets but haven't tried them yet. By the way I have a 4x scope on it, so some more magnification should help you tighten the groups some.

[sixshot]

  You didn't say what caliber you're shooting but I assume its a 44 magnum. That 250 gr slug should easily handle anything you are going to run into in the lower 48. Your 3 1/2" groups at 50 yds are fine, you will probably tighten up somewhat with a 4X but the Dot sight is easier & faster in the hunting world, out to 100 yds its more dependent on the shooter being able to hold his groups within reasonable size that what scope is on top. 100 yds is starting to get very difficult for most of us under hunting conditions so the old pie plate rule is a pretty good indicator of your own personal hunting distance.
  You are starting to reach the upper pressure levels with Unique, not there yet but close, it can pressure spike on you in a hurry when you go a little too far. Switching to 2400, AA#9 or H110 will tame things down and allow more velocity with lower pressures if thats what you need (its not needed) but some people like to throttle them up.

Good luck,  Dick

[Krooz]

Thanks, yeah I see the dot is going to limit me when it comes to group testing. I'll zero at 75yds as best I can and see what I have, probably load a few with 11gr Unique too and see what they do (I don't want to go past 11gr). Hopefully I can run a performance test Wednesday evening!

My buddy just bought a SRH454 and is putting a Trophy 2X6 on it - which is good since that scope is on my wish list so I'll get to check it out and decide if that's the scope for me....

Krooz

[corbanzo]

Well krooz I got good news for you. - Trophy 2-6 and RB is not the worst idea I've ever had.

[Lone Star]

The problem could simply be an aerodynamically unstable bullet profile.  While not a full wadcutter it is pretty short for its diameter and blunt nose.  Unique could also be the cause, using a different powder could solve the problem.  Since lower-than-H110-recoil appears to be a goal here, try BlueDot or AA-7 or Universal.


BTW Corbanzo, consider sliding that brand new Trophy scope back about 1/4".  As it sits now it will get blasted with soot and other debris from the muzzle, eventually cutting through the finish....



.

[Graybeard]

But if he moves it any further back the blast will catch the lens and that's far worse than finish damage to the tube.

[corbanzo]

That picture is from a couple years ago.   

It has had more soot and lead on the bell now than you would believe, finish is screwed, but the glass is perfect - all I care about.  Like GB said, moving back would cause big problems.  I have seen guys move them back and put on sun shades to deal with the gas problem, but this has been working fine for me. 

Oh, I just got the 1/4" part...  Lone star, it's ported, if you see the cutouts in the barrel. I would have to move it back 2" to miss the blast on the bell, and then my glass would be completely screwed in a cylinder full or less. 

I would have to do the sunshade thing, or put a cantilever mount on (which would look rediculous because I would have to mount it like 5" back to save it), or a red dot if I didnt have it set as I do. 

Hey krooz, was wondering, after your 9 shot group... where did the last three of the two cylinders full go, don't tell me you stopped before you were empty... I know I can't.   

3.5" at 50 is plenty good for killin stuff.  In my .454 I am loading some 300grn LFNGC over XX of IMR4227 (xx think WAY over max, but worked up safely for MY gun) and am happy to be getting just over 4" at best one cylinder groups at 50 with it.

[Lloyd Smale]

wfns are tough to get to shoot well at low velocitys and especially one as light as a 250 grain 44. Push it harder and it may shoot better.

[Lone Star]

...has had more soot and lead on the bell now than you would believe, finish is screwed, but the glass is perfect - all I care about.  Like GB said, moving back would cause big problems.

IME moving the objective back only smokes the lens a little, as long as it is behind the muzzle - easily cleaned.  But I didn't see the ports - yeah the finish is doomed and the lenses would be too if moved back....



.

[Krooz]

corbanzo - instead of a full cylinder I only put 3 shells at a time in to force me to take my time - otherwise I tend to squeeze off too fast. Then, if reasonable accuracy, I save some for hunting with until the next set of experimenting. I posted in another thread that I was able to get a 2.5" group at 75 and similar at 100 but 3.5" lower (10.5 gr Unique - 11gr was no better - maybe worse). Quite pleased right now.

Had the dot on a doe Friday evening at 60yds- she was quartering towards me but with her head/neck/brisket behind a tree - opted not too shoot. I believe had I had a conventional scope mounted that I could have made short work of her with a shoulder/lung hit - as it was, with no magnification, I was afraid of the potential of a hit too far back.

Hey, anyone, regarding the Trophy 2X6 - would the Elite be better since it has the fixed eye relief at 20"? ($100 bucks more though)

Thanks

Krooz

[Graybeard]

Hey, anyone, regarding the Trophy 2X6 - would the Elite be better since it has the fixed eye relief at 20"? ($100 bucks more though)

Not in my opinion after having owned and used a pile of both. I'd as soon have one as the other. I've pretty much given up on the idea of using scopes on handguns personally and have a couple of my scopes listed for sale on the Optics Classifieds here to include a Trohpy 2-6 Silver and a gloss Leupold 2X. I'm gonna keep a Bushnell 2X only just in case at some future date I again decide to stick a scope on a handgun.

[TommyD]

wfns are tough to get to shoot well at low velocitys and especially one as light as a 250 grain 44. Push it harder and it may shoot better.

My experience in .45 Colt with the 260 WFN is similar to what Lloyd says. Poor groups when the velocity was under 1000 fps. When I cranked up to 1200 fps with H110, the groups tightened considerably.

I have had better results with the 260 LFN. 4 inch groups at 100 yards with either the lower or higher velocity charges. This is out of my Super Redhawk .454 loaded down to 45 colt levels (Ruger, not Colt SAA).

This is not 44 mag, so the results may not be directly transferrable.

Tom