TD accuracy ???

[older than dirt]

Do any of you TD shooters ever shoot for groups at a 100-200 yds? If so, what kind of groups do you get & what position do you use. In other words do you shoot from a bench while resting rifle on a rest of some sort, or do you use a mechanical rest?

[p246]

Mine runs pretty consistant four inch groups at 100 yards. I'm shooting a powder puff load so the sight is on at 100 yds. My load is Remington Brass (primer hole punched out) with 45 grains pyrodex, magnum primer, 505 grain flat base soft lead bullet (.460). I shot it at a military shoot at 200 yards a while back. I had to hold a foot high with these loads at 200 yards. I hit two bullseyes and the rest of the group when low in the 4 to 8 ring. The group was probably 10 inches but I could not measure it. The next 200 yard shoot I do I'm going to load them hotter so the sight is on at 200. I am using pyrodex right now because I ran out of black. Finally got some more. The gun shoots marginally tighter groups with black than with pyrodex.

For 100 yard shooting I generally shoot off a bench on a pile of bags. At the 200 yard shoot I shot prone off a bag. This gun is in excellant shape with a pristine bore.

[Major Tom]

I've never hit my targets at 100 yards. I load 405gr. lead over 60gr. BP.

[older than dirt]

I've never hit my targets at 100 yards. I load 405gr. lead over 60gr. BP.

So what are you implying?

[Dick Hosmer]

I've never hit my targets at 100 yards. I load 405gr. lead over 60gr. BP.

Something is not right here.

With a good bore, good eyesight, and a proper load, the TD can be a 2-3 MOA rifle. Not all guns will do this, and not all people can put it all together, but excellent accuracy is possible.

Before I stopped shooting my H&R Officer's Model, due to the breechblock problem, it would shoot ragged "almost-one-hole" groups well under an inch at 50 yds, from bench (shouldered, with forearm rest). Of course that was with a tang peep, but I used out of the box factory jacketed ammo. Many shooters do almost as well with originals, after careful experimentation.

[Stephan]

My old 1873 rifle is one that might not visually inspire confidence in it's accuracy...has some pitting in the bore. the wood on the forearm has warped until it's sort-of spiraled around the barrel. Looks like some armorer or other 'whopped' the front sight base with a hammer and punch to shift the sight over(probably to compensate for the warped wood).

For all it's age and issues..the old long rifle shoots perfect. I was really worried it wouldn't shoot well 'cause I bought it with a furry bore..like somebody had fired a few rounds of BP ammo and hadn't bothered to clean it afterwards. I didn't expect much...however the old rifle showed me what for..shoots perfect with 405gr 'cowboy' ammo and my own loads with a 405gr hollow-base bullet loaded to more or less cowboy spec...

[11mm]

With a .460 soft cast bullet (Saeco style or Lee style nominal 500 grains) staying in the black within 2 or 3 inches at 100 meters is no problem. I use the Buffington Sight with a higher front sight, but that is to accommodate my eyes. I have a single small bag on the bench. I use 22.5 grains of SR4759 and a wad of dacron fiber fill to keep it against the primer. This works in an 1873 rifle and a rod bayonet model. Both have very good bores, but neither is pristine.

[Mark Daiute]

My ugliest rifle shot the best 200 yard group I eve got: four shots in the black that my fist could cover. Load was 405 grain Lee hollow based bullet over 22.5 grains of 4759 sized .459 and lubed with White Label BAC lube.

[wstrayer]

I get 3-4" at 100 yards with 1886 Carbine and 1879 rifle. For many years I shot 25.0 grains of SR4759 under a Lee 405 HB .462" cast 20-1. Recently I went to 26.5 grains and it tightened groups with less fliers. This is a top end load and you will need to start lower but I like a heavier reload.
Currently I am waiting on the return of an 1880 Carbine that is having the barrel relined. I am anxious to see that that shoots compared to the originals. It had a real big and deep pitted area that collected a lot of lead when I shot it. On it I had it set up for three grooves with original twist but a .458 bore. Thought it would be nice to have a deer carbine that I can use jacketed bullets

[Mark Daiute]

I've never hit my targets at 100 yards. I load 405gr. lead over 60gr. BP.

Shooting one foot high perhaps??

[DRAGONFLYDF]

I can hit a head sized target at 200yrds with my rifle. I use triple 7 under a 405 gr hand cast bullet.

[Fred]

I read somewhere that Mr. Buffington, who designed the Buffington sight, would occasionally take a newly assembled rifle from out of a rack and shooting at a wooden post or tree trunk 1000 yards distance, would routinely be able to hit it on average three times out of five from a standing position shooting off hand.

[Major Tom]

Shooting one foot high perhaps??

That's it! I put another target 12 inches above the sighter target.......bingo. Thanks