And thus begins the madness...

[Owens]

Finally got a chance to take the Sharps out for a spell with some pp boolits.
Lee 500, down sized to .451 (bore), wrapped then lightly lubed with SPG and re-sized to .457, 50grn FF. (35.5 grn/wt), .030 veg wad. Pedersoli.

Shot fair. Was offhand at about 150yds. The range orientation and time of day made it a bit tough to see through the peep though.

I think I can get this a bit better (hence the thread title). Will have to get a larger size die, probably a .458.
I did find a few shards of paper after shooting and they appeared to be the tail end that is folded under the base. The rifling cut confetti that I would expect to see were not found.

The real fun was in prepping the loads and doing it the old way. Also discovered the wonder of the rifle cleaning after. Fouling wasn't too bad and a few patches of 'moose milk' took care of it. Didn't see any Pb deposits in barrel.

I LIKE this madness!

[zuke]

I too size down to .451 then paper patch with 9lb.onion skin then load them at that.
No problem's as of yet, and paper patching actually polish's the bore with every shot.

[martinibelgian]

35.5 grains of powder? Were you shooting BP or a substitute? I know 45-70 is a bit capacity-challenged, but 35.5 is ridiculously low... even 50gr is not enough...

[gerrycan]

Hi,
I have been using 5grs Red Dot +45grs 2F for about 1050fps and is v acc in my old Martini.Cheers Gerry.

[montana_charlie]

50grn FF. (35.5 grn/wt),

I'm trying to translate that bit of data, which mentions both 50 grains and 35.5 grains.

I take it that you used a '50 grain' measure to throw a charge...which weighed 35.5 grains on a scale.
If you are using FF black powder...and not some 'BP substitute'...the charge is much too light for your load.
Somewhere around 60 or 65 grains (weighed on a scale) is where you should start.

CM

[RMulhern]

Owens

To test a load....WHY would you shoot offhand!!

Are you the FIRST human vise??

A wondering mind needs to know!

[Owens]

Lets see ifn I can answer some questions here...

The powder charge (50grn FF. (35.5 grn/wt)) is I used 50gr by volume which happened to weigh 35.5 on the scale. I started at 50 because I had to start somewhere. Was fiddling with bullet seating depth trying to find the leade on the barrel and not wanting any air space in the case. Will try a heavier load next time and seat out a bit further.

As to shooting offhand, the place I wound up at isn't exactly a range (more like a caliche pit) and doesn't exactly have the facilities of a good range. That and I don't have anything handy to make up for the lack the facilities...yet.

Reading some of the responses, I ask this: Just how far into the case should the boolit fit? Just curious as that from others experiences.

I'll say this...the ideal load it was probably not. Did I have fun with it? ABSOLUTELY!

On with the madness...

[RMulhern]

Owen

Cross-sticks work pretty well!

[Owens]

Didn't have any on hand, and frankly I didn't think about those ahead of time. Next time though...

[montana_charlie]

Reading some of the responses, I ask this: Just how far into the case should the boolit fit? Just curious as that from others experiences.

Fiddle with the neck on one of your cases so that you can put a bullet in it with thumb pressure, but it will resist being moved.
With that bullet seated out far enough ot know that it is too long, chamber the round and close the breechblock.

As you push it in, the bullet will stay in contact with the lands...maybe even wedging lightly into them.

Open the breech without activating the extractor, and use a cleaning rod to lightly push on the bullet nose to get the round out so you can remove it. If you tap on the rod, the bullet will seat deeper in the case. So push on the rod...and push harder and harder, until the bullet moves.

You will be looking at a COAL that should shoot well in your rifle. It will also allow the maximum amount of powder volume with that particular bullet design.

CM

[zuke]

I did the same thing with minE but a small difference.
I REALLY oiled the chamber and barrel.Next I took 1 brass shell and degreased it.Poured some epoxy in it then thumb seated the bullet.
Chambered the shell gently and closed it up.
I put it in the safe till the next day and presto! The never moving bullet.
DON'T BE CHEAP WITH THE OIL!!

[vulture47]

I always used a spent case from that particular rifle, then seat the bullet in very shallow, use a pair of plyers to squeeze the case neck down just enough to lightly hold the slug, not very tight or it will force it into the lands hard enough to risk upsetting you bullet depth when you pull it back out. I would do this once, mark the depth on the bullet, pull it back out a ways and do it two ro three more times to make sure I was getting the same point each time, then pull the bullet and hold it along side the case neck until the case mouth and my mark on the slug line up and then mark the case at the bottom of the slug. From there it was just a matter of deciding how much if any space I wanted between the end of the slug and the lands, and how many cardborad and grease wads I needed to accomidate my chosen powder charge. I always loaded my .45-70's with FF Goex black powder and about 60-65 grns by folum. Before I sold the rifle I started putting a few grains of Unique under the black powder, don't know if it shot better but it did shoot cleaner.

[RMulhern]

Run a friggin case into the FL Size die; expand the mouth just a tat so you can get a bullet started into the case and run up into your seating die and leave it slightly overly long so when you try chambering it....it won't go! Run up into seater die a little more until the cartridge will chamber with possibly just a little thumb pressure or let the block finish shoving it into battery!

First off do this:

With your calipers measure the length of the case and length of the bullet; add those two components together. One you've got the cartridge whereby it will chamber....measure the overall length of the loaded round! Subtract that figure from the combined length of the case and the bullet and that is your overall seating depth of the bullet into the case! You can take a piece of masking tape....light it on fire and soot the bullets nose when you're finding the right overall length for chambering correctly and when the ogive touches the lands....you'll be able to see land marks when the bullet is touching!!

[Red River Rick]

A picture is worth a thousand words...................


RRR

[Owens]

Appreciate all the input folks. Good stuff there.
I'll give all this a whirl and see where it leads me.
All the boolits I had on hand were already sized down to .451 and it just happens to be the minor diameter of the barrel. It does make it a bit tough to locate the rifling with that situation. I'll be firing up the lead pot and heating a mold soon. Then maybe I'll get a OAL.
Thanks again.

[montana_charlie]

All the boolits I had on hand were already sized down to .451 and it just happens to be the minor diameter of the barrel. It does make it a bit tough to locate the rifling with that situation.

Patch the bullet before inserting it in the case.
You want to determine a good OAL with the bullet as you plan to shoot it.
CM