Accuracy load with 1873 Springfield?

[MIEagle]

I have an 1873 Springfield rifle with a pitted bore and chamber. I slugged the bore but the 3 groove rifling is hard to measure. Beagling a Lyman 457125 mould and pouring soft lead, the bullets came about .460 and seemed to shoot better. I shoot BP only. Questions are: What tin/lead alloy works best? What are you doing for fouling control? I made a blow tube but would prefer to wipe. I also have the .457193 mould that I would prefer to shoot for recoil control. I shoot BPCR Silhouette so have all of the stuff for that. Thanks.

[country gent]

I have been using 20-1 in y BPCR loads for several years now with good results. I blow tube between shots for fouling control and clean between stages. What I would recommend is find a bullet that fits the bore. Use a vee block and indicator to compare your slug and bullets dia, this wont give a true dia but a comparison reading. With the vee block and indicator on a solid surface plate zero the indicator to the lug and then your bullet the indicator will show difference.
As to load I would recommend starting with a no compression charge of powder a .060 wad and 1-2 tracing paper wads then the bullet hand seated. Work up from here in 3 grn increments to desired velocity and SD extreme spread. When the best loads are found test at the mid point between them. I have been getting very good results with Olde Ensforde 1 1/2f and 2 f in 45-70 with the heavy weight bullets. In 45 caliber I'm normally shooting 500-550 grn bullets.
If you want a lighter load a card board tube fitted into the case takes up volumne. Brass tubing could be used. rolling a canneler into the case to hold it in place. This might drop the powder charge into the 50-55 grn range.

[Drydock]

http://www.4570book.info/

Understand that these are not Silhouette loads, but Milspec loads that will shoot to the sights on your rifle. No Trapdoor shooter should be without this book.

[varsity07840]

Trapdoor groove to groove dimensions are generally oversize, in the neighborhood of .463. The Lee .459 405 gr hollow base will cast
close to that. I get the best results in my TD with that bullet cast 20/1, 70gr Swiss 1 1/2 and no wad.

[rmatchell]

I have had the best luck with the lee hollow base cast in pure. Even at .462 its not a great fit but with factory cowboy loads i shot about 4 foot at 100 with the lee boolit it went down to about a foot


Not terribly accurate but they make a wonderful sound going downrange

[Grapeshot]

According to Spence & Pat Wolf's book on loading for original .45/70 Trapdoors, Using the Lyman 457125 or the SAECO M1881 500 grain RN, he cast then from30:1 Lead alloy. Spence also poured a weighed charge of 70 grains of 2Fg in Winchester cases using a 30 inch drop tube. He then compressed that powder charge approximately .600 inch before seating the bullet on the powder charge and crimping over the front driving band. Spence also wrote that he opened the flash hole with a drill bit no larger than 3/32nd inch and using a Winchester Large Magnum Rifle Primer.

Loading to those specs for my Trapdoor, I was able to keep my rounds within the 9 ring on a B27 Silhouette target. He also wrote that he used SPG BP Lubricant or any other good BP compatible lube one may have.

[Larry Gibson]

MIEagle

This thread might help you out;

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

[Tom Herman]

Even at .462 its not a great fit but with factory cowboy loads i shot about 4 foot at 100 with the lee boolit it went down to about a foot


Not terribly accurate but they make a wonderful sound going downrange

They must have changed the design... I purposely bought the Lee 405 grain HB mould as folks report that it casts .462/.463... I was bitterly disappointed when it dropped bullets at .460 or less (it's for my Danish Remington, which needs every bit of that diameter).
Running that bullet trhough the bore showed it engraved the lands OK (smallest diameter), but the grooves (largest diameter) were left without a mark, showing me that the bullet is undersized.
I'm not convinced that a current production Lee mould will deliver a large diameter (.462/.463 bullet) and help the rifle out.

[Reverend Al]

I used the Lee 405 HB bullet in my Danish Rolling Block, but I powder coated them up to .463 / .464 and then shot them without sizing them. Worked great in my rifle ...

[varsity07840]

They must have changed the design... I purposely bought the Lee 405 grain HB mould as folks report that it casts .462/.463... I was bitterly disappointed when it dropped bullets at .460 or less (it's for my Danish Remington, which needs every bit of that diameter).
Running that bullet trhough the bore showed it engraved the lands OK (smallest diameter), but the grooves (largest diameter) were left without a mark, showing me that the bullet is undersized.
I'm not convinced that a current production Lee mould will deliver a large diameter (.462/.463 bullet) and help the rifle out.

Are you casting pure lead or alloy. I get around .462 out of my Lee mould in 20/1. "Running the bullet". Was that done with a rod or were they fired bullets? If done with a rod, there's no allowance for bump up, assuming you're using black powder.

[Tom Herman]

I used essentially dead soft Lead with about 2% Tin for better mould fillout.
I put the bullet into the breech, and forced it down the bore with an about caliber wooden rod and a brass block as a hammer, so the bullet popped out of the muzzle.
The idea was to see exactly where I am at with the bullet.
Yes, I know it will bump up. I shouldn't be very far from fully filling the bore with it.
It should work fine, but I think my ultimate goal will be to buy a proper mould, like the Accurate Mold # 47-380D.
It should cast at .465, with a weight of 380 grains.