Bad day at the range - More Walker shooting

[kh54]

Saturday was my first chance to take my Walker back to the range since I reported this:
Successful shoot with reproduction Walker. It was a disaster.

I print my homemade targets on 11x17 paper. I went back to the same indoor range and setup my target at 50 yards where I shot well last time out. I started with 50 grains of powder and 12 rounds and landed only three fliers on the whole dang target. Surprised that 50 grains would make such a (bad) difference I tried six rounds with 40 then another 12 with 30. I never even hit the paper again.

As I was putting things away and in a puzzled and @*%!-off mood, I remembered that the week before I shot a couple of long guns with my sons and I left the 3F in my flask. Damn.

So now I know: powder type can make quite a difference! Oh, and it fouled so much that toward the end I had to spray down the arbor with Ballistol and forcibly hand turn the cylinder just to shoot the last few rounds.

File under: Lessons Learned.

 

[Oldeyes]

Well Walkers are always a challenge aren't they. The most frustrating revolver I have and yet the most fun.

Personally I've never had much luck with big charges and round ball in a Walker they just seem to shoot really high. Now when shooting big loads I use conical bullets, which I find give much better results. That said the best accuracy I get from my Walker at 25/50yrds is with 25 grains of Swiss number 2, 20 grains of filler a lubed wad and .457 round ball.

 

[jdw276]

Wow, an indoor range let you shoot a walker with all that smoke? What is their name and location please.

I do not recall your powder the last time. 2f? Trip7? I presume all else is the same. Roundball, caps, ofhhand, grease cookie or grease over ball?

 

[TreeMan]

Have you found the best grouping load for your walker at 25 yards prior to trying at 50 yards? 50 yards is a long way to attempt load development. I have a couple Ruger old army’s and a Pietta Colt navy 36. In the past I’ve owned numerous replica colts, Remingtons and a 2nd gen colt dragoon. 3F has always shot cleaner and better in all of them compared to 2F. All of them shot best groups with charges less than 25 grains of 3F. Anything over 25 grains and accuracy went all to pieces. All of the replica guns I had excluding the Pietta 36 navy have been sold because they just didn’t shoot worth a hoot compared to the rugers. The 2nd gen colt dragoon was the worse shooting pistol I’ve ever owned. I burned a lot of powder, caps and lead trying to get it to shoot. It was so bad I sold it on gunbroker because I would have felt ashamed to sell it to a member here. Try to stick with the 3F, lower your charge to about 20 grains and use some cream of wheat or something as a filler to bring the ball close the the mouth of the cylinder. Back your target up to 25 yards and get a good group before you try further distances. Even my rugers won’t shoot for spit with heavy powder charges. All of my experimenting is done off of a pistol rest to alleviate shooter error. My range is in my front yard so I shoot a LOT. After all my rambling I’m gonna say that I’ve never gotten great or even acceptable accuracy from an out of the box Italian replica compared to a Ruger. Even with the Rugers the best accuracy is achieved with 15-25 grains of 3F and a filler (cream of wheat is what i use). My little Pietta 36 actually goes against the theory I suggest as it shoots best with 25 grains of 3F and an over powder wonder wad. 25 grains in a 36 is what I would consider a heavy powder charge. This Pietta 36 shoots as well as my rugers if I give myself a little personal handicap because of the crappy Colt sights.

 

[45D]

Have to say I agree mostly with TreeMan.
I got to shoot 3 of my 4 ROA's a couple of months ago and it was the first time I'd ever shot a ROA! (even though I've owned 2 of them for 5 years!!!) All 3 proved to be surprisingly accurate which goes with what most folks report! Along for the range trip I had my 1st Dragoon and my Whitneyville Dragoon and both shot the tightest groups (Whitney being a "one hole shooter"!!). Needless to say, the Dragoons have had "extensive work" done to them but I feel like the next range trip they all may be even closer in the accuracy Dept!! (Now that I know what to expect!!!)

Mike

 

[TreeMan]

Have to say I agree mostly with TreeMan.
I got to shoot 3 of my 4 ROA's a couple of months ago and it was the first time I'd ever shot a ROA! (even though I've owned 2 of them for 5 years!!!) All 3 proved to be surprisingly accurate which goes with what most folks report! Along for the range trip I had my 1st Dragoon and my Whitneyville Dragoon and both shot the tightest groups (Whitney being a "one hole shooter"!!). Needless to say, the Dragoons have had "extensive work" done to them but I feel like the next range trip they all may be even closer in the accuracy Dept!! (Now that I know what to expect!!!)

Mike

My target at 25 yards with my stainless old army. The ones in the circle is with 20 grain of 3F+ filler and the ones outside the circle are with 40
Grains of 3F. I’m still working with this gun to tighten the groups. I just got it a month ago. Lower powder charge for the win so far.

 

[45D]

Nice!!

Mike

 

[Dude]

Did you measure the nipple orifices? The few of mine I've checked have mostly been oversize and even varied .010", smallest to largest, on the same cylinder.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Why get a Walker to load it down to 1851 loads? The 51 is lighter and cheaper to buy.

 

[kh54]

Thank you all for your comments. I love the support and information one gets from this great group of folks! I have to correct a statement I made in the OP:

As I was putting things away and in a puzzled and @*%!-off mood, I remembered that the week before I shot a couple of long guns with my sons and I left the 3F in my flask.

I had left 2F, not 3F in my range flask, so I was shooting my Walker with powder meant for larger projectiles. I had been shooting a .58 musket and a .50 plains rifle the week before and forgot to empty the flask to avoid confusion.

Wow, an indoor range let you shoot a walker with all that smoke? What is their name and location please.

Yup - I'm blessed to belong to a club with indoor rifle and pistol ranges and that allows black powder. Gotta come to Kalispell Montana. The rifle range consists of three six-foot diameter tubes: one 50-yard tube and two 100-yard tubes. The exhaust fans are great at removing the smoke so it's no worse than shooting smokeless. It's great to be able to go shoot when it's -20, snowing, and dark outside. PM if you're serious about wanting to know more.

I do not recall your powder the last time. 2f? Trip7? I presume all else is the same. Roundball, caps, ofhhand, grease cookie or grease over ball?

Have you found the best grouping load for your walker at 25 yards prior to trying at 50 yards? 50 yards is a long way to attempt load development.

On my previous trip to the range with the Walker I did indeed first spend time to develop the loads at 25 yards then when I was comfortable with the results I moved to 50 yards and reported those results: 30 grains 2F Goex, .415 round ball, no wad, bore butter over the ball, RWS 1075 caps. So the only difference this last trip was using the wrong powder, 3F instead of 2F. And for load development I'm shooting from a bench with a rest.

Did you measure the nipple orifices? The few of mine I've checked have mostly been oversize and even varied .010", smallest to largest, on the same cylinder.

I have never measured the nipple orifices on any of my revolvers. For now I'm just using the stock nipples on this gun. That may be something to check later.

I have the 1st, 2nd and 3rd models of the Colt Dragoon. The 1st and 3rd are Ubertis, the 2nd is a Colt 2nd generation. I have only fired the 3rd model Uberti, proof dated 2004. Both it and the Walker, also an Uberti (I can't read the proof date mark, but I think it's 2015) are nearly perfect. Smooth, light actions, perfect timing, and beautiful to boot. But I think I just prefer shooting the Dragoon, and that's the gun I'll work on next. Stay tuned for results.

 

[Stantheman86]

I use 2f in both my Walkers and had good results, I guess it depends on the individual revolver

 

[Mad L]

Yup - I'm blessed to belong to a club with indoor rifle and pistol ranges and that allows black powder. Gotta come to Kalispell Montana. The rifle range consists of three six-foot diameter tubes: one 50-yard tube and two 100-yard tubes. The exhaust fans are great at removing the smoke so it's no worse than shooting smokeless. It's great to be able to go shoot when it's -20, snowing, and dark outside. PM if you're serious about wanting to know more.

Ahhhhhh, Kalispell!!!
Beautiful country, great people and Naked Skydiving!
...sorry I digress, great memories...back to BP