40-82 hiker
08-26-2013, 12:51 AM
Been a member here a number of months now, and want to share where I am with my "get well" project.
Can't work due to body problems, so very early this year I stepped up my shooting hobby a number of notches to give me something to concentrate on, but it has certainly taken more time than I had anticipated, largely due to health issues. I started molding again after 40 years or so, as I had been buying my lead bullets up until now. Given that, I was not shooting much, due to expense.
Anyway, here is where I am with my project.
Molding and loading .45-70-405, .40-65-400, and just got my Accurate 240 gr. mold for .40-82 '86 Win. The .40-65 RB not along far enough yet with my boolits, and the '86 Win. is still using bought boolits. I will post the latter two when I am using my boolits and they are worked out.
The 1884 .45-70 Trapdoor has really surprised me! I had been purchasing and shooting the 500 grain Gov't. style boolit, but I had the Lyman 457124 mold from the 60s, so I am now using that mold to make my own, with great results. Had the rifle since the mid-60s.
Here is my load:
Lyman 457124 sized to .459
alloy: 20:1
24 grs. AA5744 (I have used 5744 for some time now, and am very comfortable with it)
Lyman moly lube (came with the 4500, didn't have anything else)
Fed. LRP
Boolit seated short of engraving (don't remember the math, but I've got the OAL recorded)
Targets are fired from sitting position on ground. Not bench rest. Starting in NM days, I prefer position shooting. I can tell what my load development is doing well enough. Really do not like bench shooting the .45-70 anyway. Just MHO...
Boolit
80264
50 yard target on day I settled on this load. Three shot group is .40 inches C to C Target is 25 yard slow-fire pistol target.
80267
60 yard target, same day. 25 yard slow-fire pistol target. Top four shots 1 inch C to C. Fifth shot: oh well - five shot groups are murder!
80268
100 yard target fired more recently (sitting position also) 100 yard small bore target. My goal is to pretty much hold the 10 ring, but... Yeah, I know. I'll try anyway.
80269
I cannot say how much I have enjoyed castboolits while working on this project. Now, two more guns to go. I'm really getting a lot of pleasure, and help, shooting my Trapdoor now that I've got the right boolit and load for it.
Thanks,
Bob
Can't work due to body problems, so very early this year I stepped up my shooting hobby a number of notches to give me something to concentrate on, but it has certainly taken more time than I had anticipated, largely due to health issues. I started molding again after 40 years or so, as I had been buying my lead bullets up until now. Given that, I was not shooting much, due to expense.
Anyway, here is where I am with my project.
Molding and loading .45-70-405, .40-65-400, and just got my Accurate 240 gr. mold for .40-82 '86 Win. The .40-65 RB not along far enough yet with my boolits, and the '86 Win. is still using bought boolits. I will post the latter two when I am using my boolits and they are worked out.
The 1884 .45-70 Trapdoor has really surprised me! I had been purchasing and shooting the 500 grain Gov't. style boolit, but I had the Lyman 457124 mold from the 60s, so I am now using that mold to make my own, with great results. Had the rifle since the mid-60s.
Here is my load:
Lyman 457124 sized to .459
alloy: 20:1
24 grs. AA5744 (I have used 5744 for some time now, and am very comfortable with it)
Lyman moly lube (came with the 4500, didn't have anything else)
Fed. LRP
Boolit seated short of engraving (don't remember the math, but I've got the OAL recorded)
Targets are fired from sitting position on ground. Not bench rest. Starting in NM days, I prefer position shooting. I can tell what my load development is doing well enough. Really do not like bench shooting the .45-70 anyway. Just MHO...
Boolit
80264
50 yard target on day I settled on this load. Three shot group is .40 inches C to C Target is 25 yard slow-fire pistol target.
80267
60 yard target, same day. 25 yard slow-fire pistol target. Top four shots 1 inch C to C. Fifth shot: oh well - five shot groups are murder!
80268
100 yard target fired more recently (sitting position also) 100 yard small bore target. My goal is to pretty much hold the 10 ring, but... Yeah, I know. I'll try anyway.
80269
I cannot say how much I have enjoyed castboolits while working on this project. Now, two more guns to go. I'm really getting a lot of pleasure, and help, shooting my Trapdoor now that I've got the right boolit and load for it.
Thanks,
Bob