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Rice barrel virgin range report

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I was able to get my new Rice .45 cal 1:18 twist barrel out today for a couple hours just to get an idea what it likes. I still have more work to do but the barrel shows promise. I want to find its pet load before I stretch the range out to 100+ yards.
 

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Maybe this will help. I enlarged the photo and font. Bottom group is 1.25" not .75". .451" seems to be a good size. I can thumb start the bullet and not too much pressure on the ramrod to get it down. Got to move rear sight a tad to the right.
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It looks great! It should pack a pretty good wallop for anything you might want to hunt and hopefully accurate out to pretty long range. I have several molds from Accurate and they are excellent. So is the only Rice barrel I have. Good choices I think.
 
Here you go Crisco. Rice Match Grade .45 cal, 1:18 twist, 32" length. Just finished blueing last night.
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i've got 2 of em,, one hawken one, renegade,,, & one thing for sure i know,, it's not gonna like loads 80 grains & up (i've gone up over 100gr with bullets of 400, 460, 500, & 540 grains).. none of have impressed me unless softball size groups are good, (not to me).. dropped to 70 & group was smaller, i think 60 is gonna be even better.. these barrels are too tight for hotter loads (.449 bullet as opposed to .457 bullet in most 45 cal rifles).. i'm on verge of thinking 18 is too fast of twist... (Any group shooter that has won will know that the slowest twist to stabililze a given bullet provides best accuracy,, this is the way it is in benchrest centerfire competition) Right now my 50 cal green mtn LRH renegade (flintlock) outgroups em easily & its 24 twist.
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Here you go Crisco. Rice Match Grade .45 cal, 1:18 twist, 32" length. Just finished blueing last night.
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i've finally got some grouping that i can live with!! I'm using 500 grain swaged paper patch bullets from buffalo arms & 70 grains 2f swiss... These have been best so far,, & dropping down to 70 grains from 80 cut the group in half or more!! Finally,, this was getting worrisome,, now i need some more so i can try em in the renegade barrel.. Hope this helps you,,, i've been testing since march! shot nearly 2lbs of powder & i don't know how many bullets. Good luck with yours.. (the holes look big because thats the 3rd target on top of 2 other damp paper targets this morning.. (70 yds). & going to the flou green target made it much easier to see with the shaver globe sight.. i still wish it were better!
 

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I have two Rice barrels, .32 & .50, and that Rice quality and accuracy is clearly present. But I'm exclusively a prb shooter and no experience with conical bullets. They both are radius groove rifled as is my astonishing .45 Bobby Hoyt barrel.
 
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