How Slow Can You Go?

C

Chuck Bogardus

Guest
While carrying Tonzo Stuff out to the trailer (still in process of moving), I thunk a thought...

I don't have a rimfire rifle (we'll, I've got .22s, but I don't have a "rimfire" rifle...), and after the last two matches I shot, it became highly apparent that I -really- need to work on paying attention to the flags.

So, I've got some varmint bullets, and I've got a few old barrels that are -sort- of okay... And I've got a whole buncha different powders (which was what I was carrying when I thunk the thought...).

How slow can you go with the PPC? I've got a buttload of surplus 4895, and even some slower powders...
 
Bigger, better, faster, more...

A well known shooter once told me that "(waaay) back in the day" they tuned the 6PPC in the 3050 fps neighborhood. When I started in '95, I worked in the 3275 area..........now we, um, well, I guess you know what we are looking for these days............................

-Dave-:)
 
Hey Possum Charlie, I'm reading a bunch of old PS magazines that Norman Jones loaned me. Reading Geza Negy and several other old BR guys who wrote for PS, the most common loads of the day (197?-1990) was 27.5 grains of GI322/H322/T32/T322 and 62-68 grain bullets and the average velocity ranged from 3050-3150. And yes, they shot small aggs with those loads.

A case full of 4895, either H4895 or IMR4895, will work great in the 6PPC and net you about 3300-3350 fps.
 
Bogie,
Being from the "frugal" side of the tracks, I have tried what you now suggest.The only thing you are going to learn by shooting up your trash is that you are shooting up your trash! Varmint bullets were designed to get ooo's and aah's out of your woodchuck spotting buddy (the old hornady SX's were particularly theatrical) ooh-hoo-hoo-hoooo !
Compared to custom BR bullets though,(even not so great BR bullets) they don't even compare in the accuracy dept. You can get a lot of different powders to work OK, but mass produced varmint bullets are better left to "rodent control" situations.
In a more BR interesting footnote" how slow can you go" I tried loading down-----way down, my ppc the other day at one point the verticle entered the equation and wouldn't go away,down,down,down;verticle,verticle,verticle. The only thing I could surmise is that things were going so slow that the bullet was still in the barrel through much of recoil( kinda like a muzzleloader or pistol). I dunno, any thoughts ?
joel
 
Back in the day

The 1st 6 ppc I owned I used a full case of scotish H-4895 and Metzgers 68 gr 7 OG bullets. This was in 1982
I shot 14 0s and a record with that load.
Bob Dodd
 
I think yu'zall are missing the point, he wants to go SLOW to more closely mimic a .22LR round so's he can work on his flag technique. Bogie's lookin' to practice and hone his wind reading skills.... right Bogie?

al
 
Purt near.

Since I be most terminally stupid at this point, I figure if I can enlarge the error factor, I can see it easier.

What's the lowest tuning node you found?
 
3000-3050 but it ain't nowhere NEAR as goofy as shooting a .22........ in fact it ain't really no different than 3450 except in my mind.


al
 
Slow 6

If you dig out a Lyman Reloading handbook and look at the cast bullet loads for similar cartridges it will give you a start. I had a good customer that hunted squirrels with his custom 6PPC with 60g. jacketed bullets with 7.5g of Unique. His work up was to tip the barrel up then level gun and fire at target, tip barrel down and fire at target and at that charge the poi was the same (remember squirrel hunter). No idea what the velocity was but the bullets didn't vaporize the game.
Good luck and you didn't get that recipe from me!
BV
 
When powders are burned at to low a pressure, incomplete combustion is the result. Its effect can be seen looking thru a bbl. It will look like
sand in the lower half. Slow powders will likely do it , so its best to stay on the fast side. Dupont 4198 or maybe Re-7 would be a better choice. They
will burn at low loading density and still burn completely.
 
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