finally.... Lee REAL .50/320gr accuracy

bamaranger · December 29, 2022, 02:14 AM

With the cost of commercial T/C Maxiballs skyrocketing, I bought an affordable Lee .50/320 gr REAL mold and figured I would cast my own conicals.

Neither my Renegade (1:48) or White Mtn carbine (1:20 , not a typo) would shoot the things worth a hoot. I varied charge weights 70-85 grains, lube types (2) and both 2F and 3F powder. The Renegade showed some promise, but still not near the equal of the Maxiball 370's gr I normally shoot. Volleyball size groups at 50 yds were the norm, and you'd be lucky to keep them all on a basket ball at 100....pitiful. Then I watched a video where a guy used an over powder card wad. I fashioned some caliber size wads from Christmas box cardboard and headed to the range with the tight twisted White Mtn carbine and peep sight.

Success

. With 80 grains of 2F and my improvised cardwads, fifty yd groups shrunk to baseball size with clusters touching, 100 yd groups the size of a softball, outstanding. My REALS are a little hard, my alloy is scrap lead, and I have to start the dang things with a mallet, but, now they shoot.

Try a cardwad with your conicals, it worked for me!

**4V50 Gary** · December 29, 2022, 10:59 AM

Good afteraction report.

Pahoo · December 29, 2022, 12:00 PM

Quote:

With the cost of commercial T/C Maxiballs skyrocketing, I bought an affordable Lee .50/320 gr REAL mold and figured I would cast my own conicals.

You are taking me back, a number of years when I went through this process, even with the same sidelocks and then some .....

Are you trying to work up a target or hunting shot-string? I ran both R.E.A.L. Conicals and I guess you could say that I got burned out on them and switched over to Sabots; 50/45 and My hunting shot string life got better. ...

Be Safe !!!

bamaranger · January 1, 2023, 01:25 AM

The two T/C rifles, Renegade and White Mtn carbine, are hunting rifles, for whitetails. Alabama runs a muzzleloader season a week or so ahead of the regular gun season, the ML season falling about Nov-12-17. Once the regular gun season comes in, one can hunt with front stuffers as well, and of course our season is very long and liberal.

I bowhunt a lot, primarily because the state land near my home has a limited number of gun hunts , but archery comes in and stays in from Oct to mid Feb and I often have a LOT of acres to myself. Not many guys are willing to carry a bow when they can hunt private land with a rifle. But.....

When it gets cold enough for me to have to bundle up to stay warm, it drastically effects my archery accuracy and I don't consider myself a particularly good bow shot to anyhow. In range is under 25 yds, hopefully much under!

In that weather, , I sometimes carry one of my sidehammer BP rifles on pvt property. I'm primarily a treestand and cover hunter, my shots are close, and I can still manage iron sights if the barrel is long enough, and the peep on the carbine helps too.

The inline rifles with sabots are all the rage here. Neighboring MS passed a liberal regulation allowing BP cartridge rifles (there's more to it than that but I don't want to digress) and the sidehammer guns have no following with anybody much under the age of 55. I enjoy the challenge of the BP rifles and the bow (albeit a compound) and the satisfaction of a kill with something different.

I have a CVA .32 Squirrel rifle which I shoot with a pal for target and plinking. The little rifle is cheap on powder and lead, I shoot home cast maxi's with it too, of which I have written about previously.

Thanks for your interest Pahoo

December 29, 2022, 02:14 AM	#1
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,044	finally.... Lee REAL .50/320gr accuracy With the cost of commercial T/C Maxiballs skyrocketing, I bought an affordable Lee .50/320 gr REAL mold and figured I would cast my own conicals. Neither my Renegade (1:48) or White Mtn carbine (1:20 , not a typo) would shoot the things worth a hoot. I varied charge weights 70-85 grains, lube types (2) and both 2F and 3F powder. The Renegade showed some promise, but still not near the equal of the Maxiball 370's gr I normally shoot. Volleyball size groups at 50 yds were the norm, and you'd be lucky to keep them all on a basket ball at 100....pitiful. Then I watched a video where a guy used an over powder card wad. I fashioned some caliber size wads from Christmas box cardboard and headed to the range with the tight twisted White Mtn carbine and peep sight. Success. With 80 grains of 2F and my improvised cardwads, fifty yd groups shrunk to baseball size with clusters touching, 100 yd groups the size of a softball, outstanding. My REALS are a little hard, my alloy is scrap lead, and I have to start the dang things with a mallet, but, now they shoot. Try a cardwad with your conicals, it worked for me!

December 29, 2022, 10:59 AM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,743	Good afteraction report. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

January 1, 2023, 01:25 AM	#4
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,044	hunting loads The two T/C rifles, Renegade and White Mtn carbine, are hunting rifles, for whitetails. Alabama runs a muzzleloader season a week or so ahead of the regular gun season, the ML season falling about Nov-12-17. Once the regular gun season comes in, one can hunt with front stuffers as well, and of course our season is very long and liberal. I bowhunt a lot, primarily because the state land near my home has a limited number of gun hunts , but archery comes in and stays in from Oct to mid Feb and I often have a LOT of acres to myself. Not many guys are willing to carry a bow when they can hunt private land with a rifle. But..... When it gets cold enough for me to have to bundle up to stay warm, it drastically effects my archery accuracy and I don't consider myself a particularly good bow shot to anyhow. In range is under 25 yds, hopefully much under! In that weather, , I sometimes carry one of my sidehammer BP rifles on pvt property. I'm primarily a treestand and cover hunter, my shots are close, and I can still manage iron sights if the barrel is long enough, and the peep on the carbine helps too. The inline rifles with sabots are all the rage here. Neighboring MS passed a liberal regulation allowing BP cartridge rifles (there's more to it than that but I don't want to digress) and the sidehammer guns have no following with anybody much under the age of 55. I enjoy the challenge of the BP rifles and the bow (albeit a compound) and the satisfaction of a kill with something different. I have a CVA .32 Squirrel rifle which I shoot with a pal for target and plinking. The little rifle is cheap on powder and lead, I shoot home cast maxi's with it too, of which I have written about previously. Thanks for your interest Pahoo

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