The load you never wanted

[Caster]

Anyone ever have this problem - I like all handloaders have been looking for the most accurate load for my pistol. It's Ruger Bisley. I have had pretty nice results across the board but nothing to really brag about. I've used everything from 230g - 350g in both jacketed and cast. So I've been been toying with a 200g bullet that I cast for 45acp. Using 7g of Nitro 100 under the little 200g cast bullet makes for a pretty light load by comparison to what its capable of. ......and yet today, amid a nice little snow flurry at CHMR I shot the best group I've ever fired with the pistol. 6 shots, all touching one another.

This is a bit aggrevating as its not exactly a load capable of doing what I value the pistol for.I've always liked the idea of it being a heavy hitter, its ironic that the load that it likes the best is no more than the 45acps I load.

[Lumber_Jack]

Have you worked that load up any stronger more than 7 grains? How much accuracy are you willing to sacrifice for velocity?

[Caster]

I could push it a little more, but not to the point of getting any real gain. The bullet itself just isn't up to doing a whole lot more at velocities I can safely get in this pistol. I could pick up a couple hundred feet per second, but what good is it? I'd take the accuracy over the speed there.

Bear in mind some of the last loads I worked up was a 300g RNFP cast w/ gas check running 1,300FPS. I've been playing around with some of John Linebaugh's load data for the last year or two. Miles of difference.

I've run this 200g bullet over 1000FPS with Unique but accuracy was nowhere near as good and I was getting faint hints of leading. I shot 50 of these [Nitro100] loads today and there's not even a trace of lead in the bore.

This load is for sure etched in my data book. I'm going to load a few hundred of them and put them away. I just thought it was particularly strange how getting what you're looking for is often found on the other side of where you've been searching. I found it equally strange how this load shot point of aim, dead on. The sights were adjusted for a much heavier load. It's no wonder so many old men who have been reloading for longer than I have been alive are so mental. You learn so much, you find so many things and still, for all the hard data and science, there's still unpredictable things that pop up. I'm happy though. It's for sure cheap to load. The primer costs more than the bullet, lube and powder so it's cheap as heck to shoot. About 7 cents each, you can shoot till you're sick of them.

Now if I could only find a higher pressure load that shot so well.......I think I'm going to try some Hornady's leverevolution bullets next. They make a 200g flex tip that I can push a lot faster.

[chances R]

Caster, you were just 'on' today...too bad you didn't try some of your bear loads, you may have had the same results.

[Caster]

Caster, you were just 'on' today...too bad you didn't try some of your bear loads, you may have had the same results.

I did and I wasn't. I always bring a previous load when trying a new load. I use previously tried loads for control. It wasn't me anyway, these were fired from a rest.