BP rifles

[gunnut14]

I know this is like sending a red flag up to some but I need some information.
I do not have nor intend on buying a Sharpes or Rolling block.
I guess I am a diferent kind of cat.
I have and intend to shoot with BP (as it was designed to be used) a 71/84 Mauser , complete with magazine for mutiple shots.
My question concerns the boolit to be used.
I have read all the books I can find and to tell the truth I think I am more confused than when I started.
Any way here are the particulars and then my question

The rifle has been sluged
.434 land
.449 Groove
barrel shows some use but still has crisp rifling, If I was grading it would get a good/excellent.

Now the question.
1 ) One book says to patch to bore another patch to groove. I'm confused
If the P/P acts as a jacket should not the boolit be patched to .449 or if you wanted a little clearance to .446
2 ) Lymans cast boolit book ( the new one calls for 85 grains of FFG )
The cartridge of the world book calls for 75 Grains.
I have tried to get my boolit a card wad a grease cookie and a second card wad in and even using a 36 inch drop tube can get only 65 grains in the Bertram case without compression.

I have the Lyman446110 mold to use for grease groove boolits and the Lyman 439186 mold to use for P/P.
I have read as many post as possible but still can not find what I am looking for ( maybe I don't know what it is ) so am looking for as much help as possible

Thanks for any help and info you wish to share.



gunnut14

[Don McDowell]

I'ld start with a bullet around .430 diameter and patch it with 9# onionskin.
Don't compress the powder in those bottlenecks, and don't let the wads/bullet base get below the base of the neck.
I think Buffalo Arms sells bullets the right size for those rifles.
Those cartridges were originally loaded with a 1 or 1.5 f powder, that'ld be a good place to start.

[gunnut14]

Thank you for your reply sir.
I have made some .434 p/p boolets and will give them a try.
I have measured several cases that I fired with smokeless and get an ID of .442-3.
Will try the .434 boolets and also make up several in the .442 range and give them a try.



gunnut14

[1874Sharps]

Gunnut14,

That rifle you cite is on my bucket list of guns to own someday. As crazy as it may sound, you may have success with PP boolits at either bore or groove diameter. The bore diameter boolits, if cast of soft alloy or pure lead, will "slug up" when shot. You may find you will be somewhat constrained to boolits of lesser weight (compared to a Sharps or the like) due to the fact you will be feeding through a magazine and, as Don correctly states, the base of the wad/grease/boolit must not extend below the neck. Compression is not recommended since there is no way to properly and consistently compress a bottleneck powder column.

In my Dutch Beaumont, which shoots a similar cartridge, I found the first ten inches ahead of the chamber tended to foul up a bit more compared to a rifle that shoots a straight wall cartridge. Having a nose-pour mold that has movable base was a real plus, as it allowed me to try several different weights of boolits. As long as you use a drop tube or vibrator to settle the powder and fill to the base of the boolit and use a boolit that will fit the requisite overall length, I do not see any problem.

[StrawHat]

A link to a thread on this rifle and some reloading recipes.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=5007

A link to the Seyfried article on the 71 and 71/84.

http://www.riflemagazine.com/magazine/article.cfm?tocid=750&magid=56

Enjoy the reading!

[gunnut14]

Thanks strawhat.
Believe it or not I tried to search that info.
I am completely computer illiterate so no wonder.
How do you link to this article so I can return to it from time to time?
One question tho, if I may.
Doesnot the Paper Patch work as a jacket?
If so and you use a .430-.434 boolit will it not rip the patch apart long before reaching the breech?
That is one of my main concerns


gunnut14

[StrawHat]

Thanks strawhat.
Believe it or not I tried to search that info.
I am completely computer illiterate so no wonder.
[QUOTE=gunnut14;1329143]How do you link to this article so I can return to it from time to time?

In the medium blue tool bar is a place marked "User CP", (left upper corner). Click on that and it should open any thread you have posted in that have additional postings. If no additional posting, click on "View all Subscribed Threads" and you should find it there.


Doesnot the Paper Patch work as a jacket?
If so and you use a .430-.434 boolit will it not rip the patch apart long before reaching the breech?
That is one of my main concerns
gunnut14

I niether own one of the rifles not have I loaded for it but if RS says it works, I'd take his word for it.