40-50

[Boz330]

Does anybody shoot one of these. I read an article about this caliber sometime back and it sounded really interesting. For some reason this sounds good as a deer hunting and Silhouette round. It could be loaded with BP or smokeless depending on my mood or plinking demands.
I've recently thinned the safe some and looking for something pretty and fun. I have looked at a Shiloh sporter. My practical side says get a LR gun but I have a Pedersoli that I use for that and it shoots as good as I can shoot, it but a 45-100 would probably make more sense. On the other hand LR matches within easy driving of here are almost non-existent. We use to have some matches up the road at Camp Atterbury but nothing is even scheduled this year as far as I know and not sure when or if those will be scheduled.
We have mid range matches that the 40-50 would be nice to use in and silhouette plus mild recoil. I have a 300yd range on my farm where I can shoot anytime and it would be easy on powder and lead.
OK the crux of the matter is I'm looking for a good excuse to buy another BPCR that sounds neat. Probably no enablers here.

Bob

[Don McDowell]

Powderburner has spent a good bit of time with the 40-50. There was also a young fella a few years ago that was rocking the east coast silhouette crowd with the 40-50.

[Chill Wills]

Hello Bob,
I have very little experience in this one, but here goes.
Friends that have the 40-50 sharps BN like it Okay, but say it can be a chore to find a load for. Once found, it is a fun round.
I shoot the 40-60 a lot! The 40-50 SS is 1-7/8" I think. My memory may be wrong. The 40-60 Maynard (same case) is 2.2"

I love the 40-60 and it has no bad habits. My guess is that the 40-50 SS would be more of the same. And, maybe even better. Small, straight BP cases in a correct chamber are often very well behaved.

Just my two pennies worth.....

[.22-10-45]

I have an original Remington rolling block pistol grip sporting rifle in .40-50 B.N. I haven't yet tried black in it yet, but with a 260gr. NEI bullet & Accurate 5744, it will shoot in 1" at 100yds.

[Boz330]

[QUOTE=Chill Wills;4047839]Hello Bob,
I have very little experience in this one, but here goes.
Friends that have the 40-50 sharps BN like it Okay, but say it can be a chore to find a load for. Once found, it is a fun round.
I shoot the 40-60 a lot! The 40-50 SS is 1-7/8" I think. My memory may be wrong. The 40-60 Maynard (same case) is 2.2"

I love the 40-60 and it has no bad habits. My guess is that the 40-50 SS would be more of the same. And, maybe even better. Small, straight BP cases in a correct chamber are often very well behaved.

Just my two pennies worth.....[/QUOTE

It seems that the BN BP cases are much more difficult to get to shoot well. My only experience with those is the 577-450 and I guess that I was pretty luck since I found a load pretty quick. 1 7/8 is correct for case length. I like well behaved, sometimes my time is at a premium.
Right now I'm trying to get ready for an FAA inspection day after tomorrow. There are things that I would rather be doing.

Bob

[scb]

I love mine now, but I don't think it's in the same ballpark as what you're asking about.
I read Glen E. Fryxell's article about doing this and thought I'd give it a try. So I sent a 10mm barrel to John Taylor and he re-chambered it for me. Did a fine job too. I got it back in time to work up loads for fall 2015 deer season. By the time I got done I had injured my right wrist and forearm so I couldn't hold a handgun to shoot it and could barely use a rifle. So the barrel sat in the safe for a year. I decided I wanted to shoot it but wasn't interested in hurting myself again - hence the muzzle break. I was a little skeptical about how well it would work but it sure dose. It now has the recoil of a .357 mag. out of a 10" Contender. I know it's ugly but it works. I think it's a great single shot cartridge. I'd really like to chamber a rifle for it. Some day an acceptable candidate will come along.

[Howie405]

Bob, I have a 40-50 BN in a relined Remington Hepburn that shoots 4198 well.I have never tried black in it but as small as the case is I don't think it should be as big of a problem with black as the larger
BN cases. It is a small case so it is limited to 250-350 gr. bullets if you want to get decent velocity.I shoot the 300 gr. rcbs bullet in mine.
Howie

[Boz330]

Bob, I have a 40-50 BN in a relined Remington Hepburn that shoots 4198 well.I have never tried black in it but as small as the case is I don't think it should be as big of a problem with black as the larger
BN cases. It is a small case so it is limited to 250-350 gr. bullets if you want to get decent velocity.I shoot the 300 gr. rcbs bullet in mine.
Howie

I have the RCBS 350gr mold but was thinking of something lighter and maybe with some reduced diameter front driving bands to increase case capacity although with smokeless that wouldn't be a problem. For some reason I just think this would be a fun round.

Bob

[jcunruh]

Hello,
i have a Martini that has been redone in 40-50SS. I have only had a for about 2 months. I am using R-P 30-40 Krag and 303 British brass. For bullets I am using a 350gr. Tapered SP And breach seating. The rifle came with a mold, seating tool 60 odd pieces of brass and about 70 bullets cast of 20:1, Accuracy is good at 100yds so far using 14.5 of IMR 4227. Recoil is mild. The guy I got it from was breach seating the 350's paper patches and loading a case full of 2f.

I have been been looking around for a set of dies, as the martini action is not an ideal design for breach seating. the off the shelf 40-50 dies are $$$. I have considered using either 40-70SS dies from BACO and lathering the bottom off or taking a 40-70SS chamber reamer to a extra set of Lee 303 British dies that I have laying around and just "short chambering" the die. Any ideas

[Chill Wills]

Ideas. .....?

OK, Maybe just get a Lyman neck sizing die.

Depending, if you cannot hand seat bullets, get a Vickerman seater.

Buffalo Arms has expander/flair die insert for any diameter you want.

There. You now have a custom die set and it will be exactly what you need.

[jcunruh]

Chill Wills,
I am not familiar with the vickerman seater but will do some digital research, I have a couple of bushing style necksizing dies, I can get the appropriate size busing and it's off to the races. Great idea! Thank you

[Hiwall55]

I have a vickerman seater die in 45 and 40 caliber for sale at $80.oo shipped.

[Chill Wills]

80 for both? I'm your man.

[scb]

Before I got my 40-50 SS dies I loaded a few with my 10mm dies(of course neck size only) and a universal decapping die. For me it got real old real quick. But some don't mind tedious.

[mazo kid]

There is a guy on the ASSRA forum (Deadeye Bly) who shoots a 40-50SS very well. Maybe PM him for some info. I have a 40-50SBN, but only plink with it, never really worked up a load.

[Boz330]

There is a guy on the ASSRA forum (Deadeye Bly) who shoots a 40-50SS very well. Maybe PM him for some info. I have a 40-50SBN, but only plink with it, never really worked up a load.

Thanks Mazo I'll check it out.

Bob

[38-72]

I shoot a 40-50SBN in a re-barreled Winchester Model 71. I put a heavy octagon Badger 1/16 twist barrel on the rifle. I load the round with 4198 (light -40-65 loads and I have tried several different powders, but the best so far is 4198) and Buffalo Arms Money bullets (400 +/- grans) loaded one at a time.

The rifle shoots very well out to 500 yards. It may shoot fine at longer ranges, but I have never shot it pass 500. It shoots well enough that I have won several lever action gong matches with the rifle.

It also does well with 3f Swiss Black Powder. Because of the bullets shape, I cast the Money bullet using a hard alloy to avoid nose slump.

[Boz330]

Well I bit the Boolit, so to speak, and ordered a 40-50 Shiloh yesterday from Bill Goodman. Figured if it doesn't meet my expectations I can always run it out to 40-70. But it is just too cute to not have fun with. It should be a fine deer rifle, mid range and silly wets.

Bob