Shooting report: Original Peabody Sporting Rifle

[John in PA]

(cross-posted from ASSRA Forum)

I finally got around to shooting the unique octagon barrelled original Peabody Sporter chambered for .45-50 Peabody Sporting.
Here are the two types of bullet loaded in brass from BACo, formed from .348 Win, and from Bell 43 Spanish Basic, together with an original paper patched UMC cartridge.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02741_zps50392bd3.jpg
The lighter bullet is a 315gr from a fellow Peabody aficionado, the heavier is the original 405gr HB arsenal bullet for the .45-70
Smokeless loads for both bullets was 23gr SR4759, tuft of dacron, and a Fed 215 primer. light crimp. 5 blackpowder loads were prepared with 50 gr 1F Schuetzen, light compression, firm crimp.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02735_zps0a530afd.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02733_zps7d6593a3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02732_zps4bafc53a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02731_zps7c0b976a.jpg

All groups shot at 100 yards, from rest.
Results:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02737_zps59246ea3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02736_zpsda2e5c37.jpg

Blackpowder loads fired mainly to compare pressure signs, as well as to check point of impact compared to the smokeless loads
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02738_zpsdcb21142.jpg

Pressure comparison iindicates noticeably greater pressure with the 4579 loads. Notice greater metal flow and significant flattening of primer metal on the smokeless loads (left and right) compared to the blackpowder (center).While in no way too strong for the action, the unusual tab firing pin gives somewhat less support than I desire, so I'll probably back off 10-15%, or try Unique or Blue Dot on the next go-round.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v421/jwellsgnr/DSC02743_zps3075dacf.jpg

[Bullshop]

Very nice gun! Respectable shooting with the 4759 loads but why oh why so poorly with black? It should shoot black equally well or better.
You will have to work on that.

[Dan Cash]

Looks like you need some wads or at least a card wad, apropriate lube and no crimp with the BP. Trickle or drop tube your BP into the case, insert a .460-.465 card wad .030 thick and compress the wad & load enough that the bullet will seat upon the charge with no air space and still chamber. Blow tube the bore between shots. That gun should give 1 to 1.5 inch groups at 100.

[pietro]

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I'm liking that pewter work on the forend - nice rifle !

How much does the rifle weigh ?


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[John in PA]

http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1365801277

Above is a link to an ASSRA forum post with detailed pictures and description of the rifle.

Wasn't looking for optimum BP accuracy. I wanted to compare pressure signs with the chosen SR4759 load.
Curious: what happens when you use a card wad with a hollow base bullet? Can the bullet still expand into the throat well? I *think* the original Frankford Arsenal loads using that bullet had a wad, but I'd have to research to be sure. I know for certain that the Arsenal did NOT get the military accuracy (as opposed to target accuracy) they wanted without the small hollow in the base.

[BCRider]

Well, card stock isn't the strongest stuff around. I'm pretty sure that the card will form fit into the hollow base like a coat of paint during the initial ramping up of the pressure. After that the pressure will form out the skirts just like the card isn't there at all.

And I echo the comments on how beautiful a piece that is. Clearly it was well cared for in all the time it has been around.

And if that is your home in the background then I think I'm going to wander over to the corner and turn green while I sigh with deep envy..... :D Oh, I know, it's a lot of work. But when you sit down on the porch at the end of the day I bet it feels really good.... just so long as you can stop thinking about TOMORROW'S job list.... :D

[John in PA]

Thanks for the kind words. Yep, a country place is a lot of work, never quite done. But I've been forcing myself to take some time to enjoy it a bit lately. Just pan-lubed a bunch of heel bullets for the 10.4mm Italian Vetterli, a contemporary of those Peabodys. And, I'm going to try that 405 HB in this Peabody again, but with 10-11 grains Unique and a tuft of Dacron. I'll report back. I KNOW that gun can shoot better. I think I need a more solid rest too. I've been using a lightweight folding rest cause I'm too lazy to drag out the heavy one. Gotta fix that!

[leadman]

Beautiful rifle in a beautiful setting. I use alot of 4759 and think you are correct in wanting to reduce the load. If it was my gun I would probably start around 18grs. and work up.
Any idea of the velocity of those loads?

[bbqncigars]

OMFG, what a sweetheart of a rifle! That would be one of my 'special' guns if it were mine.

[outsidebear]

John in PA, friend in Anchorage came across this posting and sent it to me today. Good to see the 315 gr cast bullets sent you are doing reasonably well - different powder n' loads might improve the grouping. Tom Ballard (Montana, he no longer cuts molds/retired again!) cut the mold for the 315 gr bullet in 2009, we were striving at getting the grease groove positioned properly for the short neck of the .45-50. Tom did a fine job cutting the mold.
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In 2009 I'd contacted Accurate Arms Powder in Miles City, Montana for a recommended starting load using 5744, and after providing all of the criteria to their lab tech at the time, 20.0 grs of 5744 was the suggested starting load. The 20.0 gr 5744 load worked well, so have left it as the load I use with this fine old Peabody Sporting Rifle. Not sure of the velocity, most likely in the +-1200 fps range? I was able to get 2-2 1/2" groups off a portable card table in an Arizona gravel pit out in the desert, winter of 2009/2010. That's "minute-of-moose" for me!

[outsidebear]

Brass for the .45-50 was obtained from Buffalo Arms. They use a reformed .348 Winchester case and bump the rim to thicken the rim thickness. I stopped by their shop in northern Idaho fall of 2009, and we did a chamber cast of the rifle, to compare their brass shape with the chamber - everything checked out as it should be. Great folks to visit n' work with they are.

[gpidaho]

Very nice rifle. Looks like a lot of fun. GP

[outsidebear]

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Peabody rifles/carbines are rather uncommon, compared to others from the late 1800's, as most folks will already know. They are floating around out there and good shooters can be found. Probably most will find .43 Spanish chambered rifles, which is close to a .44/77 cartridge, and easy to get into reloading for, so don't let one being in .43 Spanish stop anyone from buying and reloading for one.

The carbine shown here is one of 350 carbines shipped to South Carolina in 1877. A gunsmith had converted it from rimfire to centerfire, then opened up the chamber to .50 1 3/4" (.50-70). With a 420 gr cast bullet over 25.0 grs of 5744, it does yeoman duty once again in the field.

.50 rimfire carbines are found now n' then, but don't let them being a rimfire stop you, k'. There are a few ways to put them back into shooting again. 1. remove the rimfire block and install a centerfire block - say from a .43 Spanish rifle. 2. convert the rimfire block to centerfire. Providence Tool Company in Wisconsin does conversion work, rimfire to centerfire, contact them. Once you have a centerfire block installed, then use Starline .56-50 brass for your cases. It's a bit shorter than the original .50 rimfire Peabody cartridge but works. You may also shorten .50-70 brass to the correct length of the .50 rimfire Peabody case. From somewhere in the 1870's and well into the 1890's Canada had .50 rimfire Peabody rifles in their inventory. As they also used Spencer .56-50 carbines, they merely used the .56-50 Spencer round in their .50 rimfire Peabody rifles. Simplified logistics with ammo for them! What this may lead to is the .50 rimfire Peabody chamber may have some lead accumulation from the shorter .56-50 Spencer round being used in the longer chamber? All of this is what makes tinkering with the older rifles/carbines fun and interesting. So: the .50 rimfire Peabody rifles/carbines can be made to shoot. Keep that in mind should you stumble across a .50 rimfire Peabody rifle or carbine in your travels.