New Buffalo Arms Molds

[MLR]

Have any of y'all tried out the new paper patched bullet molds from Buffalo Arms?
It looks very interesting. I have only used bullets with the rather blunt creedmoore type nose.
These have a much longer nose section. They have two sizes for the .45 cal bullets. A .440 and a .441.
I ordered one today and I hope it gets here before my rifle comes in this month.
Been waiting almost two years on my Shiloh 45-90 to be built and I just realized I had forgot to order my mold.

Michael

[PatMarlin]

Luck dog on the sharps.. :roll: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Hey- any pics on the mold?, Price?, Link? ....:drinks:

[MLR]

Here is a link to the Buffalo Arms mold.
http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/4,6869.htm

This next one is the link to Brooks molds.
http://www.brooksmoulds.com/bullets.html

I am ordering one of each for my .45. The Buffalo arms mold is going to be an experiment for me as I dont know what to expect. I already have a Brooks mold for my 40-65 so I pretty much know its a good one.
I hope the Buffalo arms bullet will work with my 30-1 alloy. With that long nose im afraid it might slump a bit.
If it does I suppose I will need a harder alloy.

Michael

[powderburnerr]

Michael ,I dont think you need to worry too much about slump . I shoot one of simalar design.out of a 110 and have no problems , and my alloy is 50-1 down to pure lead.I been lookin at that mould cause I need a new one ,,, Ya always seem to need another ...........Dean

[Buckshot]

............Micheal, your link shows a .441" slug. Wrapped with 2 wraps of 9# paper will only get you a .448+" slug. These are intended for the Whitworth, Rigby and Gibbs type long range MLing match rifles. I have a swage setup from Richard Corbin (RCE Enterprizes) for swaging similar (but cup based) slugs for patching.

http://www.fototime.com/4C9F502AC298773/standard.jpg

Swaged 580gr cup based slugs.

http://www.fototime.com/F5B2831828DBFE3/standard.jpg

Swaged and patched 530gr HP's.

These swage at .443" and a double wrap of 9# airmail paper nets a .450" slug for my Whitworth and Rigby ML'er. You'd probably do better with a .450" to .452" slug. That is unless you're wanting a bore sized slug amd wanting it to slug up to fill the groove?

...............Buckshot

[PatMarlin]

Those are some pretty boolits Rick.. :drinks:

I suppose a guy could take a plain base boolit and grind out a cup like that with some sort of jig, drill press, or die grinding bit.

I'm gonna enter the PP world with a loverin style 30 cal boolit, and my 300 Win mag.

[MLR]

Buckshot:

I am hoping to patch these to bore size. I have been doing that in my 40-65
with pretty good results so far. Someday I may try some bullets such as you are using.
The Brooks mold for my .40 cal drops them out at exactly .392. After patching they measure .401. I was hoping they would be .400 after patching.
I think that these bullets are bumping up well. I see no evidence of burning or leading. The patches I find on the ground show no sign of blowby that I can see.
Im still a beginner, but im having a blast.

Michael

[powderburnerr]

MLR what paper are you using.......Dean

[MLR]

I'm using 25% 9 lb airmail paper that I purchased online from the Paper Mill.
I think that im not wraping it tight enough. I also have a couple of other papers that I plan on trying.

Michael

[MLR]

Just wanted to add this on my 40-65. I am shooting at a target thats either 250 or 270 yards away. I cant get a straight answer on its actual distance. All the range members agree that its one of the two.
Anyways, the target im shooting at is a 12" steel plate. I can normally keep about 40 out of 44 shots on target. Im using my paper patched bullets and im not really sure what to expect from them.
I am making progress i believe. When I first started loading them I couldnt keep em on the target at 100 yards.
Shooting against the wind has made me notice that I shoot with my mouth open. I keep getting small strips of paper in my mouth when I shoot. :roll:

Michael

[MLR]

I got lucky today and found some of the spent PP bullets in the sand bank behind the targets today. Looks like they are bumping up perfect. The grooves from the rifling are just as deep on these as they are on the greased bullets.
Now if I could just figure out a nice little contraption to put the patches on with. I dont allways get em on straight.

Michael

[Dale53]

MLR;
Paul A. Mathews little book, "The Paper Jacket" is the modern "handbook" of paper patched bullets. If you do not have it, it is highly recommended>

I believe he has a picture of a simple "jig" to help you to control the paper patch as it is going on the bullet.

Using black powder, you should be able to get 2-3 minute of angle (ten shot groups) clear to 500 yards with a good rifle (from the bench). That is of course, if you are experienced in doping the wind.

Paul Mathews was a VERY accomplished Black Powder Silhouette shooter (set the NRA Record on Pigs at something like 57 straight (if my memory serves me correctly). He also truly loved hunting and his favor hunting rifles were Ruger #1's and Marlin Lever Actions in, guess what, the 45/70 using paper patch bullets. Paper patch has several interesting properties and one of them is it allows you to use almost pure lead without leading problems with both black powder and smokeless powder with tremendous expansion. Remember the buffalo?:mrgreen:

Dale53

[PatMarlin]

I've got the book and I like the photo in the back of he and his wife.

Did he pass away?

[Dale53]

>>>Did he pass away?<<<

I hadn't heard that. I just used the past tense as I assumed he had probably retired from active shooting due to his advanced age (he's got to be close to eighty, I figure). I've never met him but I have enjoyed his books and articles, even if his experience differed from mine, at times.

Dale53

[MLR]

Over on the Shiloh forums there is a guy that has tested these bullets from BA.
He has fired some sub 2 inch groups at 200 yards.
I hope to do as well when I get my rifle in.
Well I hope to come close hahaha.

Michael

[powderburnerr]

My mould arrived today it is a 441 dia and with the blue paper it comes in at 448 , I have some loaded for tomorrow and if they shoot as well as they cast , It should be a good bullet . ,I have 200 cast up and the spread on the weights is .7 tenths and the bullet is 547gns in my alloy ,,,, this is with a new mould and getting the rythem down with it and such ,,, it sure do make a nice bullet.................Dean

[Jon K]

My mould arrived today it is a 441 dia and with the blue paper it comes in at 448 , I have some loaded for tomorrow and if they shoot as well as they cast , It should be a good bullet . ,I have 200 cast up and the spread on the weights is .7 tenths and the bullet is 547gns in my alloy ,,,, this is with a new mould and getting the rythem down with it and such ,,, it sure do make a nice bullet.................Dean

Dean, is the "blue paper" the 100% 9 lb from BA?

Like to hear how it works out.

Jon

[PatMarlin]

Me too.. :drinks:

[powderburnerr]

John , yes it is and I'll let you know what happens today I will shoot it at 200 and off sticks cause I dont use a bench but it will work well I am betting.....Dean

[powderburnerr]

Well here is a short report on the Baco bullets ... they are good ...


I shot 45 of them with different charges ,100 gns of 1F, 108 gns 1F ,100 swiss, 100 express ,
Best group off a juryrigged bench... left my sticks home , was 4 inches wide and 2,5 high at 247 yds , Seems somebody has chosen to build a house directly behind my range and in line with it although they are most of a mile away , I do not want to risk a richochet. so i wound up shooting off a sidehill and my tool bag and my blanket and all kinds of stuff to get my old bod to where i could see the sights and target at the same time.
could be called a bad day shooting ...but i wasnt workin, so it was good.I think the bullet will shoot better next time as I will make sure I have everything with me before I leave........Dean

[Woodtroll]

I'm curious if BA is making these moulds themselves, or is another mould maker cutting them? I'm also curious about the sprue plate design, etc.- is anyone able to, or have the time to, post a picture of the mould itself? (Again, just curious!)

Thanks, Regan

[powderburnerr]

Regan , they bought a new CNC mill and are making them themselves and are using saeco mould blocksas far as I know.They are identical to a single cavity saeco complete with the spru plate screw in the middle of the block.......Dean

[Jon K]

O.K., I've been drooling over PP boolits, for a while now, and been concerned about swaging, and its cost. Lot of good input here and on the Shiloh forum. Moulds- Straight,Tapered, Plug, Concave or Flat Base. Patch to bore, or to groove size?
Well after all the reading, measuring, etc. I took the jump in to get my feet wet paper patching, and the BA mould is not so expensive, that if I don't like this, it's not like losing a fortune.
So I ordered the BA .441 mould & 100% 9 lb blue paper, to be used in 45-2.4. I guess I'll try it all from 20:1 - 50:1 and maybe pure lead.

Dean,
What pour temp works good for the BA mould?

Now, to learn how to wrap, sometimes I'm all thumbs, and sometimes I take to things like it's just natural. Brown truck should be here by Friday or Monday. I called and they said the order is being shipped today.

Jon

[powderburnerr]

Jon ,
My wagge pots are both set on 775 and anything i cast works with that . I been using a 5 count to tip from horizontal to verticle then 15 seconds for the spru to set ,cut and repeat . If you leave the ladle in contact with the spru for more than a sec or two after arriving at verticle It gives rounded bases , with this method I been running at .3 tenths for about 80% of the bullets cast. . it is a very good mould.........Dean

[Vashtgn]

I am a former Employee of Buffalo Arms. I started working in the machine shop for them when it was still just a small operation. All of the Products that BA releases are tested by the world champion long range shooter, and owner Dave Gullo. He puts alot of time and effort into his business. I have seen first hand how the moulds are made by the shop foreman and only the shop foreman. Every mould is well worth every penny.

The best way to learn anything about the mould or the products they sell would be to give them a call. 208-263-6953

[PatMarlin]

Welcome to cast boolit heaven Vashtgn ...:drinks:

[zampilot]

I posted pics of a SB .40 GG mould along with a BACO .441 PP here:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=484856#post484856

[montana_charlie]

Now if I could just figure out a nice little contraption to put the patches on with. I dont allways get em on straight.
Some depend on a 'patching board' for that. Here's a picture of one...
CM

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=88&pictureid=441

[Lead pot]

I have four BASCO PP moulds, Jim does a fantastic job making then.
They dont take the back seat to any of the mould makers.