After a bit of searching the internet (the source of all truth and knowledge) I ordered up some ammo. This is a bit more intense a deal than with most guns. The caliber has been around since the dawn of the metal cartridge. It has progressively been used in stronger and stronger guns with hotter and hotter loads. It is entirely possible to buy factory ammunition off the shelf that will blow a good Trapdoor to smithereens. Owie-boo boo. I finally settle on loads with “Cowboy Action” lead bullets from Ultramax and 2 different weights of jacketed bullets in mellow loadings from Remington.
Off to the range. I have some GIGANTIC targets because I know the gun hasn’t fired in 50 years or so and I have no idea where it hits. I want to start at 50 yards and work my way out, but the coppers have exclusive access to the 50 range this day so they can practice shooting bad guys. I start out at 100 yards. Sure enough I can’t hit the target. With a little help from someone at the range, I discover I am shooting way high. I later learn that with the sights at the lowest setting it is designed to hit dead on at 260 yards away.
With that figured out, I can aim at the bottom of the GIGANTIC bullseye and hit near the top. Time to shoot a box or 2 of ammo and see how she does. Miserable. Both the Ultramax and the Remington ammo shoot about 8” groups. This is worse than double the size Custer’s men were doing, and they still lost.
405 grain Ultramax
300 grain Remington
I measured the holes and popped the info onto a spreadsheet. I also split the info into vertical (Y) and horizontal (X) components. My father claims the vertical component is from the gun and the horizontal component is because I sway like a drunkard standing in a canoe, or something to that effect.
The best fit line through each group can sometimes be helpful figuring out what is causing the scatter, but these groups are round enough that I don't think there's much here to learn.
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