Surprising results

[Jim]

I was messin' around w/ my Lyman .54 Plains rifle the other day. Just for kicks and giggles, I loaded 10 grains of Triple 7 3fG under a .535 RB with a .015 patch. I stepped out the shop door expecting the rifle to basically throw up and spit the ball several yards. I took aim at the safety sticker on a 15 gallon oil barrel about 25 feet away. I hit the little colored diamond exactly where I aimed AND PUT A HOLE IN ONE SIDE OF THE BARREL! I was amazed that 10 grains would push a .535 ball that fast. I found the ball inside the barrel and it was beautifully flattened.

[StrawHat]

Small game load!

Although, after you skin an oil barrel there isn't a whole lot left is there?

[jhrosier]

I loaded a .58 ball over no powder one time.
To get it out I removed the nipple and trickled a .22 case full of powder into the breech.
When if fired the gun at a concrete block about 50 feet away, it broke the block clean in half.
The ball was flattened like a silver dollar.

I was surprised by the amount of power from ~3 grains of powder.

Jack

[Baron von Trollwhack]

If you like to shoot RB, it's a great thing to reduce charges till the ball sticks, pull it and then work back up till you get a squirrel head sized group at a short distance. m

That way you can forget deer one day, go up in the hickories, and collect young squirrels with your buffalo gun. BvT

[Jim]

No, Strawhat, there ain't much left. And it's dang hard on a skinnin' knife's edge, too!:-D

Baron, regarding your suggestion of shooting squirrels with a buffalo rifle, I was thinkin' that very thing. I can only imagine what the squirrel might think when I draw down on him with a .54 caliber plains rifle. :shock: 10 grains per shot would go a long way, wouldn't it?

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Having been there and done that, I can tell you an old squirrel won't even show because she knows what a feller with a buffalo gun stoked with 90 grains fffg under a tight patch .535" rb looks like, But, ah those midsummer litter, little, eatin' size squirrels, they are stupid.

If you sneak in quietly and wait till you see 2 or 3 in range you can get them all with a greatly reduced load, say one for 25 yards. They don't know to go to the next county, life's been tough since momma booted them out, and quiet movement reloading keeps them settled down. Don't move locations or go to pick them up till you have too. Good shooting. BvT