Shooting the Green Mountain .54

[ChrisHarris]

I think I got her sighted in.  

This is a GM .54 barrel on my TC Hawken stock.  1:70 roundball twist.  Stock TC triggers and lock.  Lyman tang peep sight.  Williams rear sight.  Lyman globe sight on the front.

I shot it at 25yds the last time I went out.  Got it shooting about 3/4" -- 1" high at 25yds without the peep sight and went home.  Today I shot 50yds.  50gr Goex 2F powder with .530 ball over walmart pillow ticking.  Napa water soluble cutting oil mixed with water.  (10% oil and 90% water)

This target is printed on a standard piece of 8.5 x 11 paper.  The black part in the center is 4 and 1/4 inches wide.

Here's the first 5 shots:
I know it only looks like 4 holes, but there's a double hole in between the 8 and 9.




Next I tried 60gr 2F Goex.  Not as good.




Backed down to 50gr 2F Goex again.  Let off a flyer on the first pull.  This is only 4 shots on this target.

[Red Badger]

I'd say she likes the 50 gr.  I'd use that for target shooting at rondies and such.... I would also try 75 -80 and see how she shoots at 100 yards for a hunting load.... I hesitate to go up to 100 gr but if the barrel is proofed for it It just might be you hunting load....

My 54 likes 50 gr of 3f for target rounds and with 100 gr of 3f I can hit the bull at 100 yards and push the ball out the back of a 4X4 post so I think I get good penitration 

[ChrisHarris]

Thanks Badger.

I'm satisfied at 25yds and 50yds.  Now just need to move out to 100yds as you suggested.  I'll definietly shoot some hotter loads.   GM says the barrel is good for up to 120gr 2F powder.  I've shot 100gr 2F out of it a couple times.  The barrel doesn't mind - but my shoulder puts up a lot of whining and crying after those shots.

[Blackfeet]

I have a couple of these barrels and have found them to be extremely accurate with 80 grain loads as Red Badger mentioned. I used 60 grains at 50 yds.

[singletree45]

My rifle has a Sharon barrel 33 in. long. It has a 1 in 66 twist. It seems to shoot the best with 90 gn. of powder and 535 Dia ball.

[CampbellClan]

I have a 34 inch GM 54 caliber barrel. My most accurate load thus far is a .018 patch, 80 grains of 3f Goex and a 530 RB. I have a  1:66 or a 1:70 twist as well. The barrel has been deburred...so I forget which rate of twist it is..It's one of em!

[flintboomer]

My rifle has a Sharon barrel 33 in. long. It has a 1 in 66 twist. It seems to shoot the best with 90 gn. of powder and 535 Dia ball.

So somebody else is still shooting a Sharon barrel on a TC! Mine likes 85 gr 2f but my shoulder does not like 85 gr and a crescent butplate.
I believe you will have a 1 in 70 twist like mine.

[singletree45]

 thmbsupI really dont know for sure what twist is, but I was told that it was 1 in 66" when I bought it back in the 70's. I have put several thousand rounds through it since then and it will still split the cards just fine. I built the rifle with the best parts I could find at the time. It still shoots plum center as long as I do my part

[flintboomer]

To determine twist if it matters to you put a really tight cleaning patch on your cleaning/loading rod and mark the side of the rodby sticking a piece of masking tape to the side or just put a mark on the rod itself and line it up with the sights or a corner of the barrel or something else you won't lose track of and push it in until it has made 1/2 turn. Be sure the jag has not unscrewed itself by  lightly twisting the rod clockwise and if it has just back it out until it is at the half turn mark and place a piece of tape there. Measure the distance and double it.
If your twist is 1 in 66 you should measure 33 inches for 1/2 turn.
Twist rate is a measure of how long your barrel would be if it was exactly the length for the rifleing to turn once.