Round ball gallery loads ...... anyone try them

[Whit Spurzon]

I've been shootin round balls out of rifles since you could get a 1903-A3 for two months worth of paperboy wages - and if I recall correctly I got the bayonet and other accessories/ammo too... Back then it was mainly about getting reps with my (only) centerfire rifle. Didn't have to travel to a range and at that time a boy riding his bike with a rifle slung across his back was not considered a reason enough to call the police.

I continued the practice and still have the charging (powder scoop) tool made for us by our Scoutmaster through this day though I prefer light for caliber bullets (like the Lyman 311008) as they are accurate at longer ranges.



I continue to use Bullseye (no filler) and even used it in a recent silhouette match. The chickens went down with ease but the Pigs wouldn't reliably go down even with a perfect hit.



I've had better luck in rifles. Handguns tend to print well below the sights.


45 Colt at 25 yards. The three in the bottom are round ball loads.


32 H&R Single Six at 7 yards with round ball.

[gotlead]

you can count me as another RB shooter, 3 gr. RD ,11/2 buckshot (311) just plain fun for plinking in the yard.

[SSGOldfart]

440 round balls for the 45 muzzle loader fit good in a 44

I was using 44 mag case flared with tite wad and a alox-ed round ball set in the case then run up the seating die to get it just a bit past the equator , this squeezes it down just a bit but it holds it in the case nicely

in the 30 cals it is really hard not to like that little 90gr swc the 314-90swc , I only wish they made it in a 6 cavity

but they do make a six cavity have a look at 311-93-1R 6 cavity is #90308 this is a good little 93 gr. for Gallery loads

[SSGOldfart]

This works very well in the 4570 and is quite accurate to about 60 yards. It might help since its a short version of your cartridge.

4570 Round Ball/Collar Button Load

Size a 4570 case for about an inch of neck and prime with large rifle primer and expand the neck so that a .457” bullet will go into neck about the width of a normal wood pencil lead thickness. Put in 3.9 grains (Little Dandy rotor #5) of WW 231. Measure distance from case mouth to powder. Subtract from that distance 1/8”and the thickness of a foam 45 caliber wad cut from an egg carton. This gives you the distance from the case mouth to the top of the foam wad. Seat that foam wad over the powder to that distance. DO NOT PUT THE WAD ON THE POWDER FOR ANY REASON!!!!!!! The powder needs to make a slope between it and the wad and that distance is 1/8” minimum. VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!! This allows the powder to burn consistently and provide the accuracy wanted. The wad distance is from Charlie Dell’s book and it has worked fine for me for over 500 RB loads. Now that you have it charged, seat a .457” RB to a little over ½ depth and crimp. This arrangement shoots to my hunting sight zero to at least 50 yards and has killed many squirrels for me. I’m shooting it though a barrel of about 18 ½ to 20”.

yep I thought a 45-70 was a round ball load until I got to be 12 or 13 that's all dad would give us to shoot rabbits,squirrel and such, if it was early season we might get a 2.5inch 410 shotshell worked great in a 45-70 trap door old 1873 that I drug around for many many years

[SSGOldfart]

This works very well in the 4570 and is quite accurate to about 60 yards. It might help since its a short version of your cartridge.

4570 Round Ball/Collar Button Load

Size a 4570 case for about an inch of neck and prime with large rifle primer and expand the neck so that a .457” bullet will go into neck about the width of a normal wood pencil lead thickness. Put in 3.9 grains (Little Dandy rotor #5) of WW 231. Measure distance from case mouth to powder. Subtract from that distance 1/8”and the thickness of a foam 45 caliber wad cut from an egg carton. This gives you the distance from the case mouth to the top of the foam wad. Seat that foam wad over the powder to that distance. DO NOT PUT THE WAD ON THE POWDER FOR ANY REASON!!!!!!! The powder needs to make a slope between it and the wad and that distance is 1/8” minimum. VERY IMPORTANT!!!!!! This allows the powder to burn consistently and provide the accuracy wanted. The wad distance is from Charlie Dell’s book and it has worked fine for me for over 500 RB loads. Now that you have it charged, seat a .457” RB to a little over ½ depth and crimp. This arrangement shoots to my hunting sight zero to at least 50 yards and has killed many squirrels for me. I’m shooting it though a barrel of about 18 ½ to 20”.

which Charlie Dell’s books ??are you talking about the Modern Schuetzen Rifle" written with Wayne Schwartz?????

[jandbj]

http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/

Haven't tried it but this seems like a workable solution.

[SSGOldfart]

http://www3.telus.net/gamegetter/

Haven't tried it but this seems like a workable solution.

same here I haven't tried them either, We used to use a mag. Small rifle primer in 223 cases with just a 22 cal lead pellet loaded backwards with your thumb (you might have to enlarge the flash hole so be sure you don't get these cases mixed up with your full load)I always mark them green on the bottom so I know which have been enlarged, these would work the bolt on a M-16,I used it to train troops to shot so they had the same feel and sight picture.

[dlbarr]

which Charlie Dell’s books ??are you talking about the Modern Schuetzen Rifle" written with Wayne Schwartz?????

Yeah, I was wondering about that too. Would appreciate knowing about this.

Also, this afternoon I loaded up a bunch of RB loads of 45/70 - 3.2gr Trail Boss. Fired a couple in the back yard @ about 50'...pretty accurate, not too bad but just a little loud. Don't think I'll do that again until the neighbor is running his lawn mower.

[Mohillbilly]

GREENCOUNTYPETE yes Lee did make that little 90 gr. TL in a six cav. Wish I had two before it was discontinued . Round ball loads are fun. Ball loads do bounce! One New years I shot my ROA down the hill side , and heard a thwaaack ! and an other poinnng ! next I found the broken board on my dog eared fence , along side the house . Shore glade it missed me !

[mr surveyor]

same here I haven't tried them either, We used to use a mag. Small rifle primer in 223 cases with just a 22 cal lead pellet loaded backwards with your thumb (you might have to enlarge the flash hole so be sure you don't get these cases mixed up with your full load)I always mark them green on the bottom so I know which have been enlarged, these would work the bolt on a M-16,I used it to train troops to shot so they had the same feel and sight picture.

now that is good information. I don't have anything in 5.56/223, but your personal experience is worth listening to. Thank You, Sir.


jd

[45 2.1]

which Charlie Dell’s books ??are you talking about the Modern Schuetzen Rifle" written with Wayne Schwartz?????

Yes, that's the one. A note.... that 231 load does not shoot too accurately with the new 231, only the older Winchester-Western produced 231 in the round metal cans works well.