This is my first post, so I hope this works. I am shooting a 470NE in a Merkel 140 2.1. My load work has been at 50 yds. Solids shoot point of aim while the soft nose loads shoot 1-3 inches right of the soilds. I am shooting 86 gr of R15 with foam wads and 500gr Woodleigh SP and they were 2-3 inches right of the solids. With the same load but using 500gr Swift A Frames, they were 1-2 inches right of the solids. My 500NE and my other 470NE shoot solids and soft nose to same poa---the load may be a grain or two different for regulation. Can I change the load somehow to get them to shoot together? I am waiting on the Hornady bullets to see if they shoot together.

I have seen this in a bolt rifle, where the solids printed ofur inched left and low at 50 compared to the softs, but not a double. A change of bullets and then of powders got the solids and softs shooting perfectly horizontally, but the solid shot a bit higher, no matter what. But not enough to make a difference, at only 1" at 50 and into the same group at 100.

So, if elephant or buff are you target, I suggest playing with powder and soft bullet selection, in the hope that you can find a soft to shoot close to the good shooting solids.

I would only try different solids if there was no other option to keep variables managable.

BTW, North Fork solids have worked extremely well for me and shoot very accurately, so they are an option to kep in mind, if required.

For all of the African hunting I've done with my big bore double, I'v shot maybe a half dozen softs, but dozens of solids. So, the solid load for a big bore double is of paramount inportance to me, while the soft load is all but optional. And if you use softs for the first shot on buff, they give you plenty of room in the vitals.

I'll add that if I just couldn't find a soft load that overcame the issue, I'd have a conversation with a first rate gunsmith, like JJ Perodeaux, about recrowning the muzzles.

Good luck,

JPK

Let me get this right, and yes it's possible, just not common.

Do you Chrono data on these loads?

what solids are you using vs softs?

was this a single time to the range or over time?

BOTH barrels shoot the load a couple inchs to the right, for softs, compared to solids?

If they are shooting different point of impact, they should be also shooting different vertically as well.

Hornady designed the DGX/DGS to shoot same point of impact due to shape and weight.

my merkel shoots just about everything to the same impact point. I'd try a bit more powder. i ended up at 90 gr of rl15

I have not used a chrono on these loads, but I have had several trips to the range trying different loads of R15 powder and both Woodleigh soft nose and Swift A Frames. There is no difference in the vertical point of impact, the soft nose are printing about 1.5 inches apart at 50 yards and the woodleighs are about 1-1.5 inches farther right than the Swifts. I have not tried any different powders yet.

okay - what solids are you using, and have you used that same maker's softs right behind them?

do get a chrony, that will help alot!

The solids are also Woodleighs. I was hoping that the Hornady bullets would be out soon. I have a Cape Buffalo hunt in August. I probably need to try IMR4831 to see if the impact moves from the R15. At 100 yards the 86gr load of R15 and 500gr woodleigh solids are right together. I have not tried the soft nose beyond 50 yards.
What is a starting load for IMR4831 with 500 gr Woodleighs in the 470.

Midway should have the .475 bullets by the end of the month...

unless i am entirely working with known loads, or a known rifle, I shoot most initial loads over the chrony.

I don't want to think about reloading without one, actually

I tried 100, 101 and 102 grains of IMR4831 with 500gr Woodleigh SP's today and the left barrel was center of POA and the right barrel was 1-2 inches right(50yds). I did not try these at 100 yards but the change in powder did bring the group left of where the RL15 was going. This should be well within minute of buffalo even at 100 yards.

a $50 chrony saves that much in powder and ammo the first outing

I have used a chronograph to help determine trajectory at long range with the fast 30's like 300RUM and 30-378 weatherby loads using Oehler Research ballistic software. I'm not sure how a chronograph would tell me whether a certain powder would shoot left or right of another powder in a double rifle without putting it on paper. Now that I have experimented enough to regulate it at 100yds, I am curious as to what the actual velocity is.
A local gunsmith suggested that I change powders to see if it changed the barrel vibrations such that the point of impact changed and it did slightly with the IMR4831.