silk purse and cows ear

[AbitNutz]

I'm an Ruger Old Army lover and my all time favorite mold is a Dick Dastardly 210. I'm pretty sure that the mold is made by Lee. I mean no insult by the "silk purse and sows ear" reference. The mold works really well. I think Dick has some input on quality control beyond the normal production run.

I had an urge and I asked Erik from Hollow Point mold convert the first 3 cavities converted to Hollow Points using his inset bar HP method. Which also works great. I can't tell you the quality of his work.

Next, I really want to get a couple of steel sprue plates from Jim...

I also want to get a couple of steel cam levers from Red River as well as one of his handles.

I guess that's enough....I have switched almost entirely to shooting black powder and this is my bullet of choice. Maybe I'm doing too much but it's part of the fun I have with this.

[crabo]

How can you be doing too much when you are having fun?

[Von Gruff]

When someone says to me that you cant make a silk purse from a sows ear, I usually respond with, "But you can make a damm good pigskin wallet". I know which one is more servicable. If the mould is good then all else is gain.

Von Gruff.

[Catshooter]

Short of installing a Kawasaki three cylinder two stroke 750 cc motor on the mould I think you're good. That's where I draw the line.


Cat

[cajun shooter]

The things you need to make good bullets for any gun including one for BP is that the bullets fit. After fit is taken care of then you have to be sure that the bullet holds enough of the correct lube so that the gun works with out having any bind. The next is to work out a load that shoots accurate and is easy to clean. You are now ready for fun.

[AbitNutz]

Short of installing a Kawasaki three cylinder two stroke 750 cc motor on the mould I think you're good. That's where I draw the line.


Cat

As former owner of a Kawasaki Mach 111 I can concur that it was barely a ridable motorcycle, let alone have another use. I remember the wonder power band. ON or off. Not much in between. Also the rubber frame that seemed to have a hinge in the middle.
I believe guns are safer than one of those bikes...even when being shot at.

[rollmyown]

Here in Australia they were called a widowmaker

[MikeS]

Dick has 2 different 210 boolits listed on his website, one specific to the ROA (or really specific to muzzle loading revolvers), and one that has a crimp groove on it. Am I correct that you're talking about the ROA boolit? Also, I believe that he's now gone away from having Lee make his moulds, and is either making them himself, or has another mould maker making them for him. (although he might still have some of the Lee made ones in stock)

I really want to get one of each of his 210 boolits, but I'm going to have to wait, as I'm already in too many group buys, I didn't expect them to all end at about the same time, so the money is getting pretty tight!

[stubshaft]

As former owner of a Kawasaki Mach 111 I can concur that it was barely a ridable motorcycle, let alone have another use. I remember the wonder power band. ON or off. Not much in between. Also the rubber frame that seemed to have a hinge in the middle.
I believe guns are safer than one of those bikes...even when being shot at.

Man I remember racing one of those back in the 70's. Peaky wasn't even close to describing what happens when it came on pipe...or fell off of it.

[AbitNutz]

I have the one specifically for the ROA. The DD/PUK/ROA-II Big Lube®LLC 210 grain.




Dick has 2 different 210 boolits listed on his website, one specific to the ROA (or really specific to muzzle loading revolvers), and one that has a crimp groove on it. Am I correct that you're talking about the ROA boolit? Also, I believe that he's now gone away from having Lee make his moulds, and is either making them himself, or has another mould maker making them for him. (although he might still have some of the Lee made ones in stock)

I really want to get one of each of his 210 boolits, but I'm going to have to wait, as I'm already in too many group buys, I didn't expect them to all end at about the same time, so the money is getting pretty tight!

[AbitNutz]

I also cleverly fitted my Mach 111 with a set of Bassani expansion chambers. They made great power and made the power band even worse. When I was riding I always had the impression it was a lit fuse...just waiting to go off.



Man I remember racing one of those back in the 70's. Peaky wasn't even close to describing what happens when it came on pipe...or fell off of it.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Dick has 2 different 210 boolits listed on his website, one specific to the ROA (or really specific to muzzle loading revolvers), and one that has a crimp groove on it. Am I correct that you're talking about the ROA boolit? Also, I believe that he's now gone away from having Lee make his moulds, and is either making them himself, or has another mould maker making them for him. (although he might still have some of the Lee made ones in stock)

I really want to get one of each of his 210 boolits, but I'm going to have to wait, as I'm already in too many group buys, I didn't expect them to all end at about the same time, so the money is getting pretty tight!

He's getting there. The last I read, he had made a trip to the new manufacturer in ILLINOIS (of all places - my very unfriendly state...), and they had done some casting with several sample moulds in order to finalize dimensions, so the boolits would come out right from the new manufacturer... The way he made it sound, the new company is fantastic on their QC and tight tolerances.

I have one of the original MAVDutchman 210gr Big Lubes that Mark ran on the SASS Wire, at least 10, maybe 15 years ago. It's a great bullet, and I love it, but I'm hesitant to buy a DD Big Lube, because the lube groove is even bigger, which wasn't needed for what I'm doing... I'll just keep babying this original MAV along (it's a Lee also). It's only made about 5000 boolits, so it's got plenty of life left, but I need to do some of the upgrades - especially installing the steel bearing for the sprue-cutter cam.

I strongly recommend DD's Big Lube moulds to all my black-powder shooting friends.

[Dale53]

I had to grin while reading about everyone's experience with a Mach III. I live in a small city of about 70,000 people and I believe that my Mach III was the only one that didn't suffer from "road rash". I rode it seriously fast but a lot of the time I had my "heart in my mouth"...

I only saw one man that really could ride that beast in a road race. I was riding in a 24 hour race at Steel City International Raceway in Northern, Ohio. I was riding a "tuned" 230 cc Spanish bike (an OSSA) and there was an English rider (with World Class Credentials - can't remember the gentleman's name) who was clearly the best rider on the course. I just remembered the sponsor of the race - Cycle World magazine. However, in a 24 hour race, even mileage is important. He had to stop and refuel every thirty minutes. This was enough to cost him the race. I had two co-riders (we were three buddies racing on a shoestring budget) and John only had one and John did 90% of the riding (for 24 hours!) I can remember photos of me leading him and string of open class riders through a chicane (before they blasted by me on the straight:mrgreen:). Ah-h-h, those were the days! We finished second in class and fourth overall with that little Ossa against the winning bike, a Cycle World professional team riding a Triumph Triple. John came in second. Somewhere, I still have the trophy...

P.S. "John" later stayed in the States and became a successful gun dealer. He attended a number of gun shows I went to with a LARGE set up with LOTS of guns at good prices. I bought a number of handguns from him including my S&W Model 686 CS-1 (4").

Back on topic...

I have shot a goodly number of black powder cartridge matches with my Ruger Bisley Vaquero in .45 Colt. I used the Lyman 452664 cast of 30/1 lead/tin and lubed with Emmert's Home Mix. I could shoot 70-75 times without needing to be cleaned. It shot extremely well with black powder, I thought. Something on the order of 2" at 25 yards without cleaning.

I borrowed one of the Big Lube bullets and cast 20# of bullets, sized and lubed them but have yet to shoot them. Other projects seem to get in the way. I need to do that just for experience's sake.

Dale53

[MikeS]

I got one of Dick's Sample packs, and in it I got the 210 ROA boolit, the other 210 boolit (I forget it's name, as well as the 255gr boolit that uses the same settings on the seating die as the 210 boolit. Unfortunately whoever cast them cast the ROA boolit out of a very hard alloy, not really good for shooting in a BP revolver, so I loaded them in 45ACP cases after filling that huge lube groove with 50/50 NRA lube. I plan on shooting those thru my Thompson semi auto carbine. I've been reluctant to shoot cast boolits thru it, as most boolit designs have fairly small lube grooves, and I'm concerned about there being enough lube to go thru the 18" (or is it only 16", I don't remember off hand). With the big lube boolit I'm sure there's enough!

[MakeMineA10mm]

I got one of Dick's Sample packs, and in it I got the 210 ROA boolit, the other 210 boolit (I forget it's name, as well as the 255gr boolit that uses the same settings on the seating die as the 210 boolit. Unfortunately whoever cast them cast the ROA boolit out of a very hard alloy, not really good for shooting in a BP revolver, so I loaded them in 45ACP cases after filling that huge lube groove with 50/50 NRA lube. I plan on shooting those thru my Thompson semi auto carbine. I've been reluctant to shoot cast boolits thru it, as most boolit designs have fairly small lube grooves, and I'm concerned about there being enough lube to go thru the 18" (or is it only 16", I don't remember off hand). With the big lube boolit I'm sure there's enough!

I have no doubt there will be. I did the same thing with my 44-cal 210 MAVDutchman (DD sells an even-bigger lube-groove version of mine), and I was getting a lube star on the muzzle of my Marlin 1894 w/ 20" barrel. I think you're right about most 45 bullets having a small lube groove, though... Never really thought about the Thompson when looking at 45 bullet designs... I have a Lyman 452374 and my "Govt. Profile" group buy moulds that I plan on shooting in the Thompson some day. Will have to watch for leading, as the Cutts will keep me from seeing any lube star (or lack thereof).