Originally Posted by
broncobirnbaum
I have a BSA cadet in 310. All original, good condition. Victoria stamps from 1911. I slugged the bore and rolled the five groove bullet in my digital caliber multiple times. At the smallest it measures 318 and it goes as high as 322. I presume that range is due to my poor method of measurement. I am a black powder shooter, so that kind of loading is easy for me. I have some original 310 shells cases that I got off eBay and some cut and head trimmed 32-20 cases. I use lead tips that I bought from GAD. They measure 326 just above the grease ring. I decap the old primers with a hand made and hand held decapper and a hammer. I have no dies for 310 and no shell holder. I dont resize. I fill the cases with black until the powder will be compressed about 1/8 inch when I seat the bullet. I seat the bullet with my thumb and if it is too hard to push in then I push the bullet into the shell by pressing it into a hole that I carved into the side of my reloading table. The hole does not deform the bullet tip shape. Since the tip is a healed bullet, it naturally stops at the right place and since this is a single shot gun, I dont need a crimp. When I shoot these bullets, I dip the loaded tips into a cup of BP lube and then chamber them into the Aussie Cadet. Accuracy is outstanding and many of my SASS club members enjoy shooting this rifle with me.
I kind of wish that this gun had a bit more oomphf to it when fired. I am a long range Black Powder SASS shooter. I have seen some Cadets rechambered for 32 Special, but that does not excite me since it is a smokeless round. I have just recently heard of a few cadets rechambered for 32-40. Now that is a BP round I can have fun with out to 400 yards on steel plates. Does anyone have experiences with 32-40 Cadets?
Bronco Birnbaum