I recently bought a box of Nosler 155g HPBT projectiles to use with my Enfield M1917. Previously, I had been using 150g Speer HotCor RN projectiles. In each case, I loaded with 49.0 grains of ADI's AR2208 powder. The rifle barrel is not the best but I have managed to shoot some tight groups with the 150g Speer bullets. As most M17 owners will realise, lateral sight correction has to be made by adjusting the foresight on the rifle. This operation is performed by grouping on the target and adjusting the sight accordingly. I found that I needed to reload more ammo for the job and the only projectiles I could buy at the time were the 155g Nosler HPBT bullets. When I got to the range, I fixed a bullseye target at 100 metres. I fired my first shot and peered through my spotting scope. The bullet had entered in the 4 circle at 1530. My intention was to fire 5 rounds in order to verify the grouping prior to adjusting the foresight. However, the second shot did not hit the target, neither did the third, forth or the fifth! Something was dreadfully wrong! I knew I wasn't that bad a shooter. When the range all clear signal was given, I brought the target to the fifty metre mark. How could I miss here? Well, you guessed it; three shots later and I could not see one extra hole on the target. There were 2 rounds left in the magazine, I took extra care aiming and fired. Again I looked through my spotting scope; nothing! But wait! what was that at the bottom of the target? It was a hole the exact profile of the bullets I had been firing. And, there was another hole, half on the target paper just to the right of the one I had noticed; again it was in the profile of a bullet. No wonder I hadn't been hitting the target! each round I had fired it seems had tumbled in flight and ended up who knows where. I gave up then and there, packed up my gear and went home. Now, I'm not sure what to do. I know it would be nice to have a new barrel but they really cost where I am . What I would like to know is whether the fact that using the 155g HPBT ammo would have had anything to do with what happened. I personally feel that it does, but what? And why was the first shot a good one but all the others apparently lost their stability. Has anyone encountered this before? I sure would like your thoughts and opinions.
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