want to load for my 1884 trapdoor

[2 guns]

trading for a 1884 springfield trapdoor and need some loading input.i have a lee 340 grain .457 mould on hand,3031 and universal powder.was planning on using the bullits unsized.ok,now questions.
lead or wheel weights for bullets
what lube
seating depth
what charge for which powder
going to use it for play period and deer.need more info just ask.thanks

[curator]

The Lee .457/340 bullet is usually way undersized to shoot accurately in an 1884 Springfield rifle, no matter what the charge. The original trapdoor rifles usually have groove diameters of .462-.466" diameter. The Lee .457-340 drops from the mould at .456-.458 and has lube grooves that are too small to hold enough lube for a trip down an original Springfield's 32 inch barrel. On the other hand, Lee does make a .459-405HB mould that will usually cast a reproduction of the original Frankfort Arsenal's 405 grain bullet that will measure .462-.463 as cast from pure lead alloyed 5% with tin. It has large lube grooves and has been known to shoot very well in these rifles with either black powder or a smokeless equivalent.

[oldfart1956]

2guns scroll a little further down in this forum and Larry has started an excellent thresd on this very topic. Don't know when he's coming back to finish but so far it's a dandy!! C'mon Larry....I ain't gittin' any younger! :) Audie...the Oldfart..

[Tatume]

While the bullet you describe is indeed undersized and probably won't shoot well with smokeless powder, it might with black powder. If you get a larger diameter mold, Track of the Wolf has Lee 0.460" sizer kits that they keep on hand specifically for Trap Door rifles. Good luck with it.

[montana_charlie]

lead or wheel weights for bullets
Since you are likely to need your bullet to 'bump up' immediately to seal the bore, you should be using alloy softer than wheel weights ... or burning black powder ... or both.

what lube
Any of the soft lubes recommended for black powder will do - and they will work with smokeless, too.
Those would be SPG, DGL, NASA, and the list goes on ...

seating depth
what charge for which powder
Uhh ... don't you have a reloading manual?


CM

[smkummer]

We thought we had a shot out bore 1884 as it group size was over 2 feet at 100 yards with lyman's 385 grain bullet. Then we dropped the wheel weight bullets on a soft cloth instead of quenching in cold water and shrunk the group into about 4 inches at 100 yards. And we do not size these bullets also. The charge was about 11 grains Unique to make it shoot to the sights.

[Nobade]

Do yourself a favor and get Spence Wolf's Trapdoor book. Read it and follow the directions.

-Nobade

[Larry Gibson]

Read; http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?190999-My-Trapdoor-Loads-Technique-and-Equipment

Larry Gibson