45/70 Billy Dixon

[Rayolamp]

I've loaded plinking loads without wads in my 45-70. All shots were less than a 100 yards. Did not seem to affected the accuracy any. But the range was minimal. Never tried them at 500+ yards to see what they'd do.

Shoot my win 92 in 44wcf without wads and it does well under 200 yards. I have used wads (poly) when I first started loading for the 44wcf but got lazy and eliminated the wads for quicker reloads. The rifle did not seem to mind any!

[Lead pot]

John yes you can shoot a bullet with out a wad. A GG you would get by better to a point then a PP. A PP patched to bore you have to balance the allot hardness so it upsets quick to fill the grooves to hold the gas back so it don't cut. I primarily looked into this for a hunting bullet for my .44-77 to get a heavier powder load in the case for a flatter trajectory.
The far left bullet had no wad, set right on the powder and the rest I used cork and felt to see how much the change was using cushioning wads. You can see the change on how far the land cuts went up on the shank and how deep. But I did not see gas cuts.
The bullets below are PP patched two thousands under bore.
Attachment 204751Attachment 204752[attach=config]204751[/attach

[SgtDog0311]

Thanks Ray.
Kurt, that's interesting. More bump up the full length without the wad then? The right bullet doesn't look like there are any land imprints - is that just the way it's rotated?

I know you have recovered a lot of bullets. Any observations in your 'recovery' travels which would lead to conclusions about the "base" of the bullet. We go to a lot of trouble in casting to make good looking bases. I reckon in my mind I connected wads to the preservation of those bases.

[SgtDog0311]

I guess if that far left "base" image (is it marked #2) corresponds with the order in the photo below then that would answer the question. I was looking at numbers and mapping those but occurs to me your numbers are not the match here. Though the edge around the circumference on the one marked #1 looks like it's been abused some too.

[Lead pot]

John the numbers on the base are just a reference so when the snow melts I know what the alloy/load and wads were used.
The far left is #7 and the wads are from left to right #7 is no wad used,#3 milk carton wad, #1 cork and #41 felt. The flat bullets are in the same order and #41 does have light land cuts but the bullet must have rolled a little and the light sort of wiped them out, but they are very shallow and only part way up on the shank. This mould is a reproduction of a old mould that has a slight rounded healed base.

[SgtDog0311]

So Kurt... I'd be right in concluding from the pictures of the bases that the one without a wad had it's base abused more than the other three, correct? Sorry - just want to be certain you'd agree with that conclusion.

[Lead pot]

Yes John

[SgtDog0311]

thnx Kurt!

[Chill Wills]

Yes John

Boy! That is what I call brevity.


By the way Kurt, Great pictures (as always) to make a point.

[Lead pot]

Michael I always been a conservative sort of feller and that goes with economy of language also