260 gr. Winchester Platinum Tip Bullets...

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Let me know if you want any of the specs I used, I plan to find the sweet spot for accuracy then work up loads for the fall whitetail season.

Yes please. I would love to see the load data in detail and the chronograph details

[Al in Mi]

For me, the xtp's shot from muzzleloaders in the past have been very accurate but lack expansion and lead to long tracking.

That is likely due to the fact the the 240 is an XTP-MAG, which has the jacket rolled into the HP and makes them tougher than hell. Try the 250 XTP if you want expansion.

Thank you for that information, as long as I've shot them, I never knew that.

the 240gr has a thicker jacket also, and the 300gr XTP and XTP Mag have the same construction as thier lighter weight conterparts.

L-R 250gr XTP, 240gr XTP Mag, 300gr Speer Unicore, 300gr Speer Deep Curl, last one is 300gr .458 Speer Unicore

[Texas Sheepdawg]

37E08C23-FCB8-4434-9216-59A4E5CF8B68.jpeg (146.84 KiB) Viewed 3174 times

Here ya go, Al in Mi.

[Jaysin52]

Thank you Al.

[Jaysin52]

Here's some load data that I promised a year or so ago for everyone:

260 grain platinum tip
2342, SD 16 - 5 shot
2410, SD 41 - 5 shot

225 grain ftx
2412, SD 17 - 5 shot

250 grain shockwave
2239, SD 16 - 5 shot

240 grain xtp
2305, SD 71 - 3 shot
2381, SD 26 - 5 shot

Seems I'm missing some data as I did a lot more testing than this... I'll follow up again when I find it

[JM_OH]

So I had time to work with these 260gr platinum winchesters today. So can someone explain the last ladder (38.6gr) results why did the fps drop and get so consistant?
Starline brass, remington primers, lilgun powder, C.O.A.L = 2.050, CRIMPED AT .474.
SUNNY, 55DEG, 10MPH wind. All 100yards. Bergara B14, 1:24 twist, 20inch barrel.

37.9gr lilgun, had sooted cases, 3inch group.
2230
2226
2288

38.1gr lilgun, ligh soot cases, 3inch group.
2346
2250
- - - -

38.4gr lilgun, light soot cases, 1.5inch group.
2367
2354
2318

38.6gr lilgun, light soot cases, 1.5inch group.
2293
2295
2296

[Jaysin52]

I'm not that familiar with Lil'gun but I'm finding with h110 empty case space makes a huge difference in velocities. I would try seating them out to 2.10 or 2.15 and see what that does for your velocities

[coyote wacker]

So I had time to work with these 260gr platinum winchesters today. So can someone explain the last ladder (38.6gr) results why did the fps drop and get so consistant?
Starline brass, remington primers, lilgun powder, C.O.A.L = 2.050, CRIMPED AT .474.
SUNNY, 55DEG, 10MPH wind. All 100yards. Bergara B14, 1:24 twist, 20inch barrel.

37.9gr lilgun, had sooted cases, 3inch group.
2230
2226
2288

38.1gr lilgun, ligh soot cases, 3inch group.
2346
2250
- - - -

38.4gr lilgun, light soot cases, 1.5inch group.
2367
2354
2318

38.6gr lilgun, light soot cases, 1.5inch group.
2293
2295
2296

LilGun is a unique powder if you start to compress its velocities will go down.....
Years ago I was working on 50 B&M Super Short LilGun data it did the very same thing started to compress and velocities went down .....went and called a friend in South Carolina that has a shooting lab indoors and had all the came components I had....he came up with the same data as me.....it was the first time he had experienced it....we had several other shooters try and come up with the same thing....

[Texas Sheepdawg]

Why did the FPS go down? And why did you get more consistency? It could be that you’re approaching an accuracy node. I noticed that you’re still getting sooting. At 38.6 g of lIlGun, you’re not compressing the powder yet. I’ve loaded up to 44.5 grains of Lil gun without compression. Of course, that was with a different bullet, but still not much different. Maybe 30 grains. I’m wondering if you’re about to reach an accuracy node. I’m wondering if you keep stepping up until the soot disappears, and then you’ll notice an improvement of accuracy. Or, change your crimp to the Le Gendre side crimp and increase the “cook” time.

[JM_OH]

Thanks for the feedback, I do believe an accuracy node is close and will continue to work on finding. The SD (<5) was pretty amazing to me on the last string and the elevation of impact was spot on. Cook time with the Legender crimp may be a good idea seems there is no cantalure to crimp into.