Range Report 4/10/21--Remington New Model Army Revolver

I fired my Pietta Remington New Model Army revolver at the range this weekend.  I shot four Tables of Fire for actual score (not counting some casual plinking) using historically accurate .44-caliber paper cartridges with hand-cast Kerr bullets I made using a mold from Eras Gone bullets.  The cartridges contained 25 grains of Pyrodex "P" (3F equivalent).  To see how I made the cartridges, read this.

I measured the accuracy of my shooting using the historically accurate String Test Measurement that they used during the Civil War.  This system compares the group of shots to the intended mean point of impact to give a result which is much more valuable and informative than merely looking at the size of the group as many shooters do today.  The String Test is described and explained here.

I got some mixed results, with some groups being about average for my shooting, but with two extraordinary scores that far exceed what I have been achieving lately.  I am at a loss to explain the differences--they may just come down to an old man getting sloppy some of the time, then buckling down to focus.

All tables were fired offhand using a full sight and a 6:00 hold at 15 yards.  The bullseyes in the picture above are 3" in diameter.

Table One:
6 rounds, 18" string:  3.0 in./rd.

Table Two:
6 rounds, 11.75" string:  1.95 in./rd.

Table Three:
6 rounds, 10.25" string:  1.7 in./rd.
(This is the target at the top of the page in the picture above.)

Table Four:
6 rounds, 18.75" string:  3.13 in./rd.
(This is the target at the bottom of the page in the picture above.)

Heretofore I have been averaging about 3.2-3.6 inches/round, but Table Three above represents by far my best shooting to date, and even Table Two significantly exceeds my all-time best of 2.2 inches/round previously.  I hope I can continue this trend.  I recently acquired some Swiss 3F powder, and I look forward to seeing how this vastly superior product affects my scores--I have to use up the remaining hundred or so paper cartridges I already made first, however!

I have to say that I absolutely adore the Kerr bullets.  They fit my revolver beautifully, they shoot extremely well, and my inner history geek loves having such a historically authentic bullet available.  I am very thankful to Mark Hubbs of Eras Gone Bullet Molds for making the molds for these available.