Range Trip

Ive found my powder...My gun likes both clays and BE ..but I like BE better , Better mettering and I much prefer the recoil of BE not as sharp as clays. 4.0 grs with either 200gr or 185gr LSWC shot well ...but my 14lb recoil has got to go ....while my gun shot the 185 button nose( magnus#801) well I cant get them to feed 1.160 with a .469 crimp and gun was on the edge of a 3 point jam ,I would have to push the gun into battery. My best group 1 handed was well inside the 9 ring @ 25yds slow fire target with the 200gr LSWC 4.0 BE , 1.245 , .469 crimp measured 2x1 (2 wide X 1 tall) I believe I will stay will 200gr bullets but will try 3.8gr BE and a 10-12 lb recoiol spring . The bullets I used today where berry's 200gr LSWC . I have 500 bullets comeing from Penn in the 200gr match grades ....I dont believe berry's bullets to be anything speacil..good for IDPA but there weight is kinda up and down ...I look for better accuracy from the Penn's...My 14lb recoil spring would just barely eject the spent 200gr loads and last shot would not stay open....and more than a few times the last shot spent case stayed in the ejection port .....So now I need some advice...I want to shoot 3.8-4.0grs BE with 200 0r 185 LSWC what recoil spring should I get? That will allow both bullet weights @ those approx charge's.........I would rather be a tad heavy than light and what about shock buffs....?

Avoid shock buffs (just my opinion) drop down in recoil spring until you are happy with the results, each gun will vary some there is no science to it. 10# seems to work in most guns, mine likes 9#.

You need to find a balance of spring/bullet that works well in your gun. It's all part of the fun!

On lightening the recoil spring. Is there any problem with taking turns off the spring until the action works good, IE; extracting, ejecting, chambering and locking back after the last shot. I ask because after I mounted a rail and Matchdot II on my wad gun with the factory spring it would not extract, etc... So I took (eventually) about an inch off the spring and now have stellar operation. Just wondering if it's ill advised.

There are people that do this as a practice. I do not, springs are cheap and by cutting a spring down you really have no idea what rate spring you have, so if you have problems down the road what spring do you buy? Or do you go thru your process of elimination again?

Food for thought

Springs are cheap. Cox and I both run 10# recoil springs with a similar setup to you Keith. Save your stock spring for shootin hardballs.

yep thats the plan ...I'm gonna order 10 & 11 as well as try 3.8 BE.....still need to try 185 for Timed and Rapid.....

Frank Hull wrote:On lightening the recoil spring. Is there any problem with taking turns off the spring until the action works good, IE; extracting, ejecting, chambering and locking back after the last shot. I ask because after I mounted a rail and Matchdot II on my wad gun with the factory spring it would not extract, etc... So I took (eventually) about an inch off the spring and now have stellar operation. Just wondering if it's ill advised.

Frank, back in the olden days, before different powered recoil springs were in abundance, it was common practice for bullseye smiths to clip recoil springs to get reliable functioning. As long as it works for you, don't worry about it.