Quigley and Trapdoor Boolits

[WhitworthNewby]

Hello All: I have a Quigley and 1873 Trapdoor Springfield(Officers Model) Both in 45/70. Anybody have any suggestions as to the hardness of the Boolits and loads necessary for these rifles.
Thanks
Whitworth Newby

[Targa]

I use close to a Lyman #2 alloy in my Trapdoor (BHN 15), it’s probably harder than I need but it is accurate and I have no leading issues. Since you could shoot higher pressure loads out of the Quigley, I think a Lyman #2 type of alloy would work well.

[Randy Bohannon]

RotoMetals 16:1 and don’t need any other for BPCR.

[WhitworthNewby]

Bpcr?

[Minerat]

Black Powder Cartridge Rifle

Threw me for a loop the first time too :grin:

[mehavey]

If the OP is shooting BP-level (trapdoor) loads -- 30:1 is just fine.

[Wayne Smith]

History - Sharps loaded 16-1 and Remington loaded 20-1 boolits that wiped out the bison. They were adequate.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Assuming you are shooting black powder?

I use 35:1 lead to tin. 40:1 works too. Softness is key if it’s a hollow base mould, like the Lee copy of the 1800s military 405gr.

[warren5421]

I use a 20-1 Lee 125 postal mold dropping at 535gr in both my Sharps and two trapdoor rifles.

[GregLaROCHE]

History - Sharps loaded 16-1 and Remington loaded 20-1 boolits that wiped out the bison. They were adequate.

Were the boolits used on Buffalo alloys? I’d bet a lot were mostly pure lead back then.

[mehavey]

Were the boolits used on Buffalo alloys? I’d
bet a lot were mostly pure lead back then.
See https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=55681.0

[foesgth]

With BP loads I find 20:1 is the ticket.

[GregLaROCHE]

I was thinking about the Buffalo hunters who were melting and casting by the fire at night. Not manufactured rounds.

[Bigslug]

The British-produced hexagonal Whitworth bullets were 10-1 lead-tin and about as hard as it got for the period at 12 BHN. That's effectively wheelweights for the modern, added antimony era. There are cheaper ways to get there. . .

16-1 is BHN of 11 and was one of Elmer Keith's favorite for his toastier handgun loads - probably pretty close in intensity to the "working rifle ammo" of yesteryear. You can also get there by diluting Lyman #2 (90% lead/5% antimony / 5% tin) with an equal amount of pure lead to get 95/2.5/2.5, also known in our forum alloy calculator as "isotope lead". Somewhat less dilution of Lyman#2 will easily let you replicate the slightly harder wheelweight-with-extra-added-tin mixes in the 12-14 BHN range

20-1 is 10 BHN and a pretty good approximation of what you'll get with smelting down random range scrap. In my limited experience, the accuracy seems to deteriorate much above 1300 fps, but for a lot of the low intensity recipes that get loaded for those "period" rifles, it might be just the stuff - and it expands beautifully. If you're shooting powder puff "cowboy" loads, there's probably no reason to go harder.

Straight up Lyman #2 at 15BHN will probably never be a mistake at your intensity levels, but definitely at the top end of what is strictly necessary for your needs.

[WhitworthNewby]

Back again. Got a question. Should I use Large pistol or large rifle primers. I also would like know about Wadding. I have punch dies to make wads. The wad material I have is very similar to Beer coaster material.

[Wayne Smith]

I was thinking about the Buffalo hunters who were melting and casting by the fire at night. Not manufactured rounds.

They carried ingots of lead with them, alloyed to what they wanted. They certainly weren't mining lead on the plains!

[Larry Gibson]

If I recall correctly, Clark of "Lewis and Clark Expedition" had containers made of just enough lead to cast enough RBs for the amount of BP the container held based on the charge amount used in their rifles.

[dondiego]

If I recall correctly, Clark of "Lewis and Clark Expedition" had containers made of just enough lead to cast enough RBs for the amount of BP the container held based on the charge amount used in their rifles.

I always thought that was so very smart of them too! I wonder if the buffalo hunters did the same?

[eastbank]

off topic but, L&C allso took airs rifles with them. i think they may have saved their lifes when shooting them in front (no noise) the indians who thought they were big medicne.

[StrawHat]

If I recall correctly, Clark of "Lewis and Clark Expedition" had containers made of just enough lead to cast enough RBs for the amount of BP the container held based on the charge amount used in their rifles.

Your memory is correct. But, weren’t you there?

Kevin

[Larry Gibson]

Would that I were.....

[dondiego]

Your memory is correct. But, weren’t you there?

Kevin

He was very young at the time.