94 frustrations

[Nath]

I nearly gave up!
But didn't.
On Wednesday night we went lamping with my 30/30 for fox. I called the first one in, a 70yd shot in to it's bib with the new loading. Turns out I struck the fox in the head but as I was convinced the gun was zeroed thought the fox must of moved on firing!
The second fox we called stopped coming in when the light hit it but sat 200yds away. With a good black back drop behind us we approached slowly to what we thought was around 120yds to which I sat down to take the shot. With 7x I was able to disect the fox but I missed! Tia showed us which way it took off but indicated that there was no blood.
The next morning I was out on the same ground and after hunting for fox I found an ideal spot to just check zero, 6"high and 2"left I sorted that and did some dry firing using the tang safty, something was wrong, the trigger felt wrong!
When I got home I put the scales on it, it was anywhere from 2# to 2 1/2# and sometimes 3#!
After some carefull stoning I got it to between 13/4# and 2# so set of to a local farm to check zero and trigger safety. Whilst shooting it went light with next to no feel although it made shooting target alot easy but completly unsafe for the field. I wanted 2# and some feel of crispness.
When I got home the scales revieled it had dropped to 11/4#
I really needed to increase the wieght of the sear spring but could not and considered major surgury but gibbed in the end and gently stoned some angle back on the sear. After the second attempt I was getting 2-21/4# but not as crisp as I would like. It's not creeping but a little mushy. If I could of retained the light setting and increased the sear spring weight I'm sure it would of been like breaking glass!
Shooting off my knees in the wind and rain I finally got it zeroed being able to call the flyers and call the goodn's, I tell you what though, you sure have watch how you hold the trapper because it will sure throw the shot if there is any side thrust from you!
At 1" high at 100 it is on at 150 which is far enough for me nowadays.
I was pleased when I shot off hand last and was able to match the sitting positions groups.
Groups, hmm, not impressive really, all I know is if I do my bit correct it goes there and using a rest of any kind will result in a thrown shot if any side thrust is applied to the gun!
When I got home the trigger was still at 2-21/4# so I was happy.
Shooting at 50yds 100 and 150yds showed how this load is flat as a thick pan cake for which I'm happy.
I also conducted a test where I let the barrel heat up in quick fire and I honestly believe it walks the shots up and right some.
I tried some Hornady 150s too and they show promise on H4895 but just as in the H322 loads they shoot lower by a couple of inch.
I have only 30odd Speer 150 left to load so when they are gone I will switch to the Hornadys150 and when they are gone I have 300 Speer 170s to go through and do the same process again

I had some frustrating moments yesterday but I think I done good, all I need now is some confidence boosting field shooting.
The other thing I learnt is that a varying trigger weight can srew your shooting up!

Nath.

[Sixgun]

Nath,
Don't worry about he missed shots on the fox because of the mechanical problems. Just think of it as an additional oppotunity to have more fun on another night.
Leverguns have a notorious reputation for "walking" their shots after things get heated up. As the barrel bands and other items connected to the barrel heat up, it changes the vibrations. You don't concern yourself with that either--you look at it as an another opportunity to shoot more when things cool down.
Be careful with the stoning and keep an eye on the trigger pull. I'm not 100% on this, but on the old guns, if you stone more than about .005 off the top layer of steel, you get into the soft steel----therefore, your 2.5 trigger pull could quickly and unsafely go down to 1 lb, or even go off by itself.
Now, we want to see some pictures of the fox who thought they got away! ------------Sixgun

[Nath]

What I ought to do is get some spares and come up with an adjustable trigger.
I get the impression the newer ones are pretty hard.
I'll know if it goes poor and get new bits. It's pretty deep where it sits in the hammer, that depth is not altered!

Nath.

[Hobie]

If you have the tang safety you for certain have the rebounding hammer. Those are notorious for crappy pulls.

I was just talking about a Ruger Redhawk and mentioned that I'm a trigger "slut". IOW, any safe, reasonable trigger I can generally use. I am probably one of the very few that likes the two stage military bolt gun triggers.

[marlinman93]

Be sure to use a nice slick lube on those surfaces for a consistent pull too! I use Kroil on all my bearing sufaces, which often decreases the trigger pull without any further work needed.

[O.S.O.K.]

No Hobbie, you are not one of the few There are lots of us that like military 2-stage triggers

And I couldn't help but think to myself "why doesn't he work up some lighter cast bullet loads?" Nath, that would give you a bunch of renewable bullets that would be very good for fox. Little pelt damage.

Something like this:



RCBS 2-Cavity Bullet Mold 310-120-RN 310 Cadet (310 Diameter) 120 Grain Round Nose

That would be good to around 1600 fps

or go with this:



Saeco 2-Cavity Bullet Mold #302 30 Caliber (309 Diameter) 120 Grain Round Nose Gas Check

That one is good up to and even past 2000 fps - probably what you'd want.

You could get a lot of bullets for a pound of alloy and they can be very accurate.

If fox is your primary quary, then why not?

Just a thought.

[Nath]

The thing is OSOK when in the past I have used cast some of them have legged it, espeicially the R noses. If the day comes that I'm forced to then I will plump for a good flat nose like the Lyman.

Nath.