Help Working On Load

[FishN]

I recently purchased a Leupold Freedom RDS BDC 1x red dot, as Washington State is now allowing 1x optic use, including red dots. This change has led me to revisit my entire load configuration.

I’ve always felt like I lacked some accuracy beyond 100 yards, but admittedly, my eyesight has diminished over the years with iron sights.

I’m currently shooting the Harvester Scorpion White Lightning bullet, .50 cal at 300 gr with their green sabot out of a Knight Ultra-Lite. I use 120 gr of 777 with a musket cap.

As the first step in my quest for better accuracy, I’m looking for recommendations on sabots. What do you suggest?

Feel free to make any further adjustments as you see needed!

 

[ElDiablito]

Lots of good options. What kind of groups are you shooting with your current load?

 

[FishN]

Lots of good options. What kind of groups are you shooting with your current load?

With factory sights, 2-3” groups at 100 yards and opening up to around 5” at 150 yards.

 

[ElDiablito]

That’s pretty standard with factory open sights. I’d expect that you’ll be able to tighten that up a little with the new red dot.

As for that particular bullet - I’ve never been too impressed with the tests I’ve seen on it.

Scorpion White Lightning

da new guy provided the bullet Bullet is 300 grain 44 caliber. From the bottles to the rifle is 25 yard. Powder charge is 80 grain Blackhorn Bullet blew front bottle high away. Second bottle is destroyed. Bullet went through the four remaining...

www.modernmuzzleloader.com

I think you could really improve your likely terminal performance with a proven bullet like a .45 300 gr Barnes, Hornady XTP or TC Shockwave. As an aside, generally speaking, it’s easier to get small groups out of a .45 cal bullet vs a .44 cal in a .50 rifle.

 

[AC300win]

go with Diablo’s bullet recs. I have found it very helpful to install a higher powered scope for load development and bullet testing. Takes the guesswork out of how tight you are aiming on a spot compared with a 1X.

My load testing landed on a load producing a 1.2” group at 250 yds out of my REM 700 ML with the Barnes tmz 290 and 90 gns of 777 using a 14x Leupold.

Same load and range with the Leupold rds bdc red dot and my group opens up to 3” on a good day from bench with bipod.

 

[CodeMonkey]

With factory sights, 2-3” groups at 100 yards and opening up to around 5” at 150 yards.

If I shot like that consistently, I'd stop burning any more powder and call it good.