Some more “STUFF”

All shooting with the Direct Ignition System (DIS)

Just a word about the duplex loads I am shooting. If you recall, in Kentucky this past spring Scat (Jerry) tested a duplex load of mine: 300 gr. bullet with a 5/66----CLAYS/H-4198 load which exhibited 113,000 PSI and bulged Jerry’s barrel. This was subsequently attributed to the Clays being a very fast booster along with the fact Jerry was using a .125” hole in his module screw…….which I also believe was ¾” long vs. the module Hank supplies which is ½” long and has a .080” hole. Also, the fact that the duplex loads I have been playing with are using 4759 as a booster, which is a very bulky, much slower booster which can almost not get down the .080” hole. Whereas in Scat’s case the Clays probably filled up his .125 screw hole, hence the violent effect. I have also been working up very slowly with the amounts of 4759 I am using and so far there are no adverse signs. I plan on using some N-110 as a booster in the future…….again, starting low and working up at the range using my little digital scale.

That same load when shot with the HIS in my rifle, was a perfectly safe combination.

BTW, I have been shooting this DIS now for the past couple of months or so and only using 10 modules……….so many, many re-primes on them and they are still as tight in the pocket as when new.



The first group was with the 300 gr. non-bonded Fury and the 10/60 duplex. The velocity was bit on the low side but ES was pretty good. The group not great but it was sort of rounded. Note: I am using the red dots as the aiming point and the groups are hitting three to four inches low (I don’t care to mess with the scope when shooting various loads and bullets so I let them print wherever they go).



#2 was the same load but using the bonded 300 Fury. After the first shot from a cold barrel, the next four shots averaged 2733 fps with a 18 fps ES which I consider pretty good but the group was not good?



#3 I switched to the 300 gr. XTP and shot three with the 10/60 duplex Group 3A and then upped it to 13/60 group 3B. Both groups went under one inch. Not super but then only a XTP?



#4 The same XTP with a 5/62.5 ---4759/4198 duplex produced a .590” three shot group.



#5 Upped the 4759 by three grains and got another decent group and a low 5.6 ES.



#6 The same XTP with 10/62.5 duplex (why the “.5?”) (My Harrell’s measure will throw a maximum of 62.5 gr. of 4198 at its most wide open setting----and I wanted to go a little more than 60! I can go more but have to throw it in two “pulls!” This combination did not work as well as the ES was high and group stunk!



#7 300 XTP with 71 gr. of N-120 gave an average velocity of 2826 fps……….the ES was just “so-so” at 25 and the group came in at .645”



Next I wanted to shoot the 300 AccuMax at 300 yards with 71 gr. of N-120 so a sighter was shot at 100 with a scope adjustment.

The last group (did not put #8 on my sheet ) was the 300 AccuMax with the 71 gr. of N-120 with 3 ½ MOA dialed in and a resulting 1.610 three shot group about 3” low. The average velocity was 2857 fps with a nice 16 fps ES. The AccuMax bullet generally have an increase in velocity over an identical weight XTP……….probably due to the fact there is less bearing surface along with a thinner jacket (better sealing).



The N-120 appears to be a very good powder but…………it is very expensive? I just picked up another 1 lb. can for $39.00!!!! So, if I can get a $27/can powder to shoot just as well, even if duplexing is necessary, I will lean towards the less expensive alternative. Now, if your just going to use it for your hunting load and do minimal preseason shooting, then the $39 might not be a big deal? Some people have “deeper pockets” than others also? Plus, I just flat out, like to experiment!