K.K., responses in blue.
Sorry to appear doubtful of your report...are you positively sure that the shots did in fact cross? The hole on the left came from the right barrel and the hole on the right came from the left barrel?
Yes, I am sure.
I only ask because I'm incredulous that Armbrust loads made custom to that gun would behave in such a drastically awful way. I could accept that a wide spread resulted, even though that would be terrible in its own way.
I should have specified that the loads were made for this gun based on the proofs and that it is a 2.75" so the magnum loads seemed proper. Tom did not have the gun in hand as far as I know
Anyway, I would agree with sharps and try shooting them at longer ranges. I mean, what the hell, you've got the rounds, a few more shot through your barrels wouldn't require that much more cleaning...passing immediate judgement after just 2 shots at 25 yards and then "putting the old gal away" seems downright insulting to that beautiful old gal.
IMO, it would be insulting to put any more of these rounds through the gun. They aren't going to magically converge out at 50 or 100yds so there will be nothing learned by such an exercise. I would rather work UP a load not work down... Honestly, it felt like shooting my 450/400 Jeffery Farq in the recoil department - a bit of a surprise.
Aren't you the least bit curious to know any further facts, even if they're not favorable? You're going to have to work up a regulated load for that wonderful gun sometime, or perhaps you can find someone who does such work for a fee if you're not set up to reload. But you've got to do the honorable thing and pursue regulating that Evans.
Oh, I plan on getting it to shoot. That isn't the issue. The next step will be to contact Tom and send the leftover shells back to exchange for the lower velocity variant and see how it shoots then. Hopefully, I will be able to get a mold and load for myself. This will be more likely if it is in fact regulated for the lower velocity load.
