You know, I was always told that as a "3rd-generation locksmith", I knew my way around locks and keys and all, but I never expected to have this much luck with keyholes!
The picture below will say more than my words can add, but I will give you the lowdown on the load that produced those keyholes:
* Marlin .38-55 Cowboy, with Ballard rifling (clean barrel)
* Once-fired Starline (long) brass
* WLR primer
* IMR3031, 32 grains
* Hornady 220 grain, .375", Flat Point bullets
I'm thinking those bullets aren't a very good match for the bore...
![Image](http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Cowboy_-_Keyholes.jpg)
That group of 10 shots was fired at 50 yards, and none of the guys at the range had ever seen keyholing bullets group so well before! Me neither! (I guess that's where all the locksmith training kicks in...) Then a big discussion about the "velocity deviations" over a Chrony (which we didn't have) and the "terminal performance" of that load on deer followed, which was half in jest and just a little serious, until one of the guys said: "Well then, let's see what happens out at 100 yards..."
There was a 4" white rock just to the left of my frame/shooting lane on the backstop down range, so I took the 3 shots I had left, fired offhand at that rock. Well, no one had any calipers, but a couple of guys were observing the impact with spotting scopes, and they swear I missed the rock with all 3 shots -- yup, we expected that -- but they said all 3 rounds impacted in an area the size of a softball -- at 100 yards. Not too bad of a group for tumbling bullets, eh?
The only good out of all this is: (a) Now I know what bullet not to use, as the 375's are a little undersize, and (b) Now I get to play more and go develop another load.
Tight groups! (With no keyholes...)
Old No7