I had a very happy and frustrating day at the same time today.
I shot my new encore for the 1st time. My first load was 80gr of BH209 using Fed 209A primers over a 280GRWFN 44cal in a harvester sabot. This shot very well. After some site adjustments, I had a 3shot clover leaf @ 60yds using factory sights. A last adjustment for windage, and I drilled bully eye on my last shot. Good start.
I cleanded the gun and began my Colorado elk load development. I am shooting Hornady 350gr FBP. I varied loads from 80 - 110 gr. None of them would group at all. My shots scattered in every direction. I would guess the groups ran 6-7" @ 60yds.
Is there any suggestions of if this bullet is salvageable in my gun, or do I nee to find a different bullet. I was thinking of trying the 300GR FBP to see if weight makes a difference.
For reference, the bullet loaded pretty easy in my gun. I have heard they are tight in encores, but that was not the case. It wasn't loose, but no more or less difficult than the sabot to load.
I don't think the issue is the powder
Actually, as long as you're talking conicals efremtags, I thing the issue IS the powder. I've seen lots of reports about the success of Blackhorn with a wide variety of sabotted bullets. But I don't recall any that report good results with full bore conicals.
not sure of your obsession with 777
I assure you I don't have an obsession with Triple 7. In fact, I don't use it much. Most of my shooting is with GOEX. I was just trying to help you identify the problem, and I really think you're missing my point. Blackhorn seems to be a great powder for tight fitting sabots but not for slip fit conicals. (Read that again. It's not suitable for loose bullets.) You're likely getting inconsistent burning rates with those bullets and that's giving you poor accuracy. Remember, it was your experience that the sabots shot great, but not the conicals. Go ahead and try the Thor bullets instead of another powder. You'll likely get the same results. On the other hand, you could spend the same money and try T7 with your FPBs to find out if that's the problem. If those FPBs shoot well with another powder you will know for sure. Heck, if the FPBs shoot well with T7, switching powder for just the Colorado hunt doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
Semi,
I beg to differ, although for his particular rifle you may be 100% right?
efremtags,
I have a few cases of Blackhorn 209 under my belt, and have been shooting it almost exclusively since it has been available, right at 2 years now. The 350 gr FPB shoots better than ANY other bullet in my H&R/NEF rifles. I do use custom breech plugs in my rifles, the standard H&R/NEF breech plug is useless for shooting BH209.
I would bet that your QLA on your T/C is not concentric to the bore. The QLA has been the biggest problem with getting conicals to shoot well out of the T/C's. They can be accurate as anything with saboted bullets, and this throws alot of people off.
A few things to remember when shooting BH209. You need to seat bullets firmly, keep the flame channel clean of carbon build up (1/8" drill bit turned by hand down to the flash hole), AND use a hot 209 primer (Fed 209A or CCI 209M).
You do know that Colorado also removed the 2x the diameter bullet length restriction for 2010, don't you? That opens up several other options that were once illegal to use.
I have several pictures, but will post a few here. I think they will speak for themselves. The problem is neither the powder or the bullet, and I know guys that have T/C's with good QLA's that will shoot them well. My NEF will shoot them into one hole occasionally, and under an inch more than not as long as the nut behind the butt don't get too loose. I would bet your QLA, or the flame channel in your breech plug is the problem.
FPB's
Conicals. I do use the .518" diameter by .060" thick vegetable fiber gasket wads under my slip fit conicals, and use bullets .001" over bore for best results. (.502" bore, .503" diameter bullets). I do pack the powder under the wad before loading the bullet, then seat bullet firmly. Haven't had any problems with ignition or accuracy.
One other option you might want to consider is the THOR, they come in 250 and 300 grain. You can get a sample pack for free by calling or e-mailing. The 4 bullets will come in .500", .501", .502", .503". You start with the .500" and then go up in size until you get one that goes down the bore with enough pressure that it stays put on your charge.
http://www.thorbullets.com/I used the 430 gr White Super Slug, the one next to the FPB in the above photo to take my last Colorado elk.
Good luck on your hunt, part of the fun is all the shooting back home to prepare for the hunt. Hope this helps a little?
I forgot to add, since bullet length is no longer a limiting factor, I would stay with the 300 gr or heavier bullets, providing of course that your rifle will shoot them. Penetration is far more important than expansion on elk. Use enough bullet to get the job done, IME and IMO stay away from the PowerBelt bullets when hunting elk, unless you can get the 444 flat point to shoot as a last resort.
