40/65 and Swiss 1 1/2 fg

[Ramslammer]

G'Day
Hopefully soon my high wall will be here and I was wondering if anyone had a good starting load ? I have some swiss 11/2 fg and to source any other blackpowder in my location is difficult (understatement). I already have a RCBS 400 grn bps mold. Any advise would be appreciated thanks.
Juddy

[Dale53]

I shot BPCR Silhouette for fifteen years. My caliber of choice was 40/65 (my favorite rifle was the Browning 1885 BPCR).

I also shot a Sharps extensively before the Browning.

Swiss 1½ is a FINE powder for your uses. The way to find the correct load of powder is to start with a full case where the base of the bullet just touches the full load of powder without compression (NO air space, but no compression). Use a bench rest for best results. I did most of my testing at 100 yards but then finalized at the longest range available for me.

I loaded 10 rounds (minimum) of "no compression". Then, the next ten I would add TWO grains of powder with the same seating depth. Then another ten with ANOTHER two grains of powder. Swiss normally does not require much compression (as little as .035" to as much as .085" worked well for me). The normal progression is as the compression goes up the groups tighten until you get to the sweet spot. Then more compression will open up the groups. That's when you stop and go up and down by one grain. Black powder will not respond to smaller changes.

It sounds complicated, but it's not. You can do the tests in a couple of hours. Then just duplicate the "best" load until the powder runs out. I believe in running the tests on each new lot of powder (I buy by the case).

I use a .060" LDPE wad over the powder charge and compress using a compression die. My alloy is 30/1 lead/tin. My lubricant is Emmert's Home Mix (50% pure natural beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Canola oil. In later years I discovered that replacing the Canola oil with Anhydrous Lanolin made a longer lived lube. All measurements on lube were made with melted volume.

For testing purposes, I used a 20 power scope, then removed the scope and used good quality Soule sights like most everyone else for competition.

Use the primer that works best for you and your gun. Only test ONE thing at a time and KEEP RECORDS.

Dale53

[Ramslammer]

G'Day Dale
Thanks for the info. Also the Mihec 44 mold is going well.
Juddy

[Boz330]

I have several 40-65s and the 2F has worked better for me. I would guess that with that boolit your starting load will be in the vicinity of 55gr and then work it up like Dale said. I actually get my best groups with .250 compression so don't rule that out. The Swiss seems to be pretty stable from lot to lot. You might have to adjust slightly but not as much as some other powders.

Bob

[41wyom]

My C.Sharps had a .40-65 barrel (1:16) on it and I shot it that way for 2-years. Over this past winter I sent it back and had it re-barreled in .40-70 SS. The "best load" I found in .40-65 was with a Brooks Creedmore (front two bands .405"/402") about 412-grains in 20:1, 0.060" poly wad, 59.0 of Swiss 1 1/2. Not sure on depth of compression. Never tried Swiss 2 FFg but a friend gave me 4-pounds of it recently, so the .40-70 SS will be experimented with that grade when time permits.

Tom

[texasmac]

Ramslammer,

What kind of High Wall are you getting ?

Wayne

[Ramslammer]

G'Day Wayne
I bought a Cimmeron Arms. I know you sell Brownings but as I'm only starting out and there where a few of us we went that way. Here in Australia we haven't as yet held a Nationals Championship but we have it lined up for 2013.
Juddy

[Black Prince]

Great to hear you Auzzies are getting up a championship shoot. As you already know, it's a hellofalotta fun. I also shoot a 40-65 with Swiss 1.5 and have found it as others here have described it: it does not take much, if any, compression to make it shoot. The Dale 53 method ( I stole it from him) is the same one I use to find the correct compresion with each different bullet I use. It works! I often shoot in non NRA matches where duplex loads are allowed and I use 7% (of the total load) 4227 under the Swiss 1.5 to make loads that shoot 100 rounds and the barrel looks as clean as when I started shooting. But the straight BP loads shoot as well, I just have to blow tube and clean every 10 rounds. You are on the right track with your loads.

To each his own, but after trying a half dozen different bullets, I settled on a Hoch nose pour bullet that weighs 430 grains and is a bore riding design. After recovering several, it is evident my 30 to one lead/tin alloy is bumping up nicely and the recovered bullets have cean cut land marks all the way out to the nose of the bullet. A good bullet with a clean, square base goes a long way towards contributing to accuracy, and as far as I am personally concerned, is of more importance than the load behind it. You may find it different, but that is what makes this BP shooting so much fun. Each rifle is an individual and likes different things to make it shoot.

Good to hear from you mate, and all the best.

[semtav]

Don't know what kind of chamber you have, but I was using 70 gr of 1 1/2 behind a money bullet with real good accuracy in the Browning 40-65. Just start at zero compression and start working up.

[kokomokid]

Semtav: Which money bullet were you useing? Grease grove size, weight, and alloy? Been wanting to try one but want all my ducks in a row before I order one. I have several moulds but the snover still shoots best when developing loads which I do under IDEAL CONDITIONS.Only problem comes when you shoot a match under hot dry conditions. Things fall apart with a hot bbl about shot #6 to #8.

[semtav]

I had mine specially made. Basically a slightly shortened version of this:

(it really shoots well with 80 gr of Swiss 1 1/2 in my 40-82)









It was designed for the Browning chamber and may not fare as well in others.

I had real good luck with the Snover to, but only when shooting it a very slow speeds with 56 gr of Goex FFG