T/C Guns

ABOVE IS A (NEW) SSK 14" 45 COLT CONTENDER BARREL ON A GEN 2 FRAME. BOUGHT IT SLIGHTLY USED OFF OF EBAY. GOT AN SSK MUZZLE BRAKE FOR IT BUT THE RECOIL HAS NOT DRIVEN ME TO IT YET.

MY GOAL IS TO USE ONE OF MY MANY 45 COLT LOADS THAT I KEEP ON HAND FOR DIFFERENT GUNS, DIFFERENT TASKS, RATHER THAN WORK UP ANOTHER 45 COLT LOAD. OVER A MONTH AGO I DID SOME INITIAL SHOOTING OFF A CRUMMY REST IN HIGH WINDS OUT AT MY Lenaderos DEER LEASE USING MY "OUTDOORSMAN" RUGER BISLEY LOAD, AND DESPITE THE POOR SHOOTING CONDITIONS I FELT LIKE I HAD A WINNER.

THEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS BACK I TOOK THE 14 INCHER OUT TO MY RANGE ON THE RIO GRANDE. VERY, VERY WINDY AND I FORGOT MY PROPER REST FOR THE CONTENDER, BUT MY GARMIN XERO- C1 SHOWED, WITH THE "OUTDOORSMAN" LOAD, A 3 SHOT AVERAGE OF

1,580fps IN 77 DEGREE TEMPS, WITH AN EXTREME SPREAD OF 27fps. WOW THAT IS PRETTY GOOD MV WITH A 250gr PC'ed RNFP CAST BULLET.

THIS MORNING (3/26/24) I WENT BACK TO MY RANGE ON THE RIO GRANDE. TEMPS IN THE MID 60's, FIRST 3 SHOTS OUT OF MY 5.5" BOWEN PERFECTED BISLEY USING THE "OUTDOORSMAN" LOAD AND 1,271fps AVERAGE AND 19fps EXTREME SPREAD. THEN SAME AMMO, 5 SHOTS, IN THE 14" CONTENDER AND THE XERO-C1 SHOWED: 1,570, 1,531, 1,529, 1568 & 1,603, AVERAGE OF 1,560fps BUT A 73fps EXTREME SPREAD. WENT AND CHECKED THE TARGET AT 104 yds AND 2 SHOTS WERE HIGH AND 3 CLUSTERED INTO 1.25" CENTER TO CENTER. WILL TRY TO RETURN TO THE RANGE ON THURSDAY MORNING WITH SOME "OUTDOORSMAN" LOADS THAT I HAVE PUT AN XTRA CRIMP ON WITH A REDDING PROFILE CRIMP DIE TO SEE IF THAT GIVES ME MORE UNIFORM RESULTS.

THEN I SHOT A 250 SPEER GOLD DOT LOAD USING A HEAVY DOSE OF WINCHESTER 296. THIS IS MY LOAD FOR A 7.5" RUGER BISLEY HUNTER WHICH I CHRONO'ed YEARS BACK AT 1,330fps. THE XERO-C1 SHOWED: 1,696, 1,706 & 1,701, AVERAGE OF 1,701fps AND AN EXTEME SPREAD OF 7fps😀 😍 EVEN BETTER, WHEN I WENT AND CHECKED THE TARGET I HAD A 1.5", CENTER TO CENTER, GROUP AT 104 YARDS, SEE BELOW.

I ONLY SHOT 3 ROUNDS AS I WANTED TO BE SURE IT WAS NOT "TOO HOT" OF A LOAD FOR THE CONTENDER. THE ACTION OPENED EASY AND THE CASE FELL OUT OF THE CONTENDER CHAMBER. THEN I WENT HOME AND RESIZED THE BRASS (OFT LOADED STAR LINE) AND IT FIT IN A VERY TIGHT CUSTOM CHAMBERED CYLINDER ON THE PERFECTED BISLEY. SO WHEN I GO BACK TO THE RANGE I WILL SHOOT SOME MORE OF THIS LOAD.

MY BIG QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS IS: IS 1,700fps TOO FAST FOR THE SPEER 250gr DEEPCURL HP (No. 4484) BULLET? WILL IT BE TOO EXPLOSIVE OR WHAT?