Target load advice for PPC revo with Apex barrel....

[MrBorland]

About a month ago, I picked up a beautiful Davis-built PPC gun (built on a M14), was pretty surprised to find I could barely keep the rounds on a big B-16 target at 20 yards with my standard target rounds (2.9gr bullseye over Speer swaged 148gr HBWC; chronos at 725-ish fps). On top of that, they printed 4-6" low. With the same ammo, I can shoot 2" or better using my my 4" 686 or my 6" K-38. Bumping the powder a hair (to 2.9gr) didn't seem to help. Maybe I was the problem, so I asked another wheelgunner to try it, and he wasn't able to do any better. Do these heavy-barreled PPC revos require special loads?

Maybe I need to use less, not more powder? The gun's got a heavy Apex barrel on it, which I believe uses a 1:14 twist, rather than the 1:18.75 S&W uses. I've read the S&W twist is a little less than ideal for HBWCs, but with a 1:14 twist, is it possible the bullet's spinning too fast? Is it possible, then, that the sights are calibrated for lesser MV, and that the low POI is due to the bullet hitting relatively early, before it hits the apex of it's arc of travel?

FWIW, I bought it from the original owner. It's still looks to be in great condition, and locks up like a bank vault. No leading, timing's dead on, all the chambers align with the barrel, etc.

Any thoughts?

Tom

[DougCarden]

Uh...try some hardcast 148s a little slower? This is a good question...

DougC

[R112mercer]

Try different powders, I have a couple PPC guns and they all like different loads. Some even like some 148's better than others. Try 2.4 gr. of Clays and 3.0 of W231, these are the old standby loads for bullseye competition. Good luck.

[DougCarden]

...and 2.9 VV 310 as well...

[AzShooter]

Try some Federal Factory 148 grain wadcutters. If it won't shoot those real well start looking at the throat and crown for problemms.

[Toolguy]

I wonder if maybe the rifling is worn out? We had a couple of people that liked to take good care of their guns, including cleaning them after every session. They used JB Bore Paste to get the barrel real clean. In 2 or 3 months of this the rifling was rounded off and worn down to the point of requiring a new barrel. A lot of 1 in 14 barrels shoot fine, though I prefer a 1 in 10. No, you are not running too hot, I can shoot .357 Magnum in my 1 in 10 and get 2" groups at 100 yds. You might try cast bullets, sometimes swaged ones don't work too well.

Edited October 23, 2011 by Toolguy

[Bill Sahlberg]

Darn hard to shoot out a PPC bbl, however, you may want to have a gunsmith "recrown" the bbl. The forcing cone and throat can be very used but it is the last .005" that steers the bullet in flight when it leaves the bbl. I have had great luck (since 1975) with 3.2 gr Bullseye under a 148gr HBWC. Unsure of speed but have shot a 596/600 several times "back in the day".

[Greg in VA]

Speer bullets are BIG try a different brand.

[okshootist]

Federal Standard Primers, 2.9 WW231 or HP 38, Remington or Precision Delta 148 hbwc. This load is tolerant of both 1-10 and 1-14 twists. I've had pretty good results with 2.9 Bullseye but never with speer bullets.

[MrBorland]

Thanks for the input, folks. It's good to know it ought to take relatively standard loads (but may have a preference). I'll experiment a bit and report back.

Tom

[RePete]

I used

148gr HBWC from BDX

2.8gr/Bullseye

Bullet seated flush with the case mouth and a slight roll crimp.

From a rest, and if I did my part, it would hold the X-ring at 50 meters from any PPC gun.

Some of my friends used 3.0gr/Win 231.

[Intel6]

I also own a Davis built PPC revolver on a mod 14, nice old 4 screw. I used to shoot at the range where Bill Davis had his shop and I asked him about it and he said that it was a gun he built on a customers frame because he never built them on adj sight guns because it ruined a perfectly good adjustable sighted revolver.

The apex barrel has lots of small lands a grooves, looks like a Marlin micro groove barrel. It was optimised for use with HBWC's. I have shot lots of 148 HBWC's with the classic load of 2.7 grs. of BE. I also have shot different types of regular .358" cast bullets and have never had any issues with accuracy. I have some Ransom rest groups out of mine shooting multiple cylinders full and the groups are amazing. Definitly something wrong if yours doesn't shoot? If you got it from the original owner, what did he shoot in it?

Neal in AZ

[cyberiad]

Tom, if you want to try HP-38/W231 and don't have any I have an unopened jug of HP-38.

Joe

Edited October 25, 2011 by cyberiad