Pedersoli .40-65 Winchester

[billsr]

My cousin and I have Pedersoli Model 1874 Sharps rifles in .40-65 Winchester. The barrel's groove diameter is .408" and we sized our cast boolits to .410", but leading was a real problem. A good friend of ours checked the throat diameter and found it to be around .416", so we started casting boolits that were dropping at about .417" to .418". Shooting those reduced the lead fouling to almost nothing and accuracy seemed to improve too. I had Brooks Moulds made me a custom mould that casts boolits out of 1-30 alloy at about 425 grains and .418" diameter. I size them to .417" and I now shoot the steel silhouette matches much more accurately. The chickens at 235 yards still give me a problem, but I'm enjoying myself a lot more now.

I shoot smokeless, and my "normal" load is 20 grains of IMR 4759 with a W-W L.R. primer.
I am experimenting with IMR 4895 and have some loads made up, but the weather is keeping me from getting to the range to try them out. My other handicap is my 67 year old eyes also, but the last few matches I have used my Unertl 1 1/2 inch target scope, which helps a lot.

[NickSS]

Sounds like you found the problem on your rifle. I bought a new pedersoli sharps from Cabella's a few weeks ago and it shot fairly well with cast but would foul out fast shooting black powder. So I ran 50 rounds of jacketed through it cleaning after every round for the first 10 then after every 10 rounds for the rest ot the box of ammo. The rifle shot the J-word bullets supurbly with 27 gr of AA 5744 but the groups got tighter as shooting progressed, and so did drag on my cleaning rod. A complete cleaning and removal of a little copper fouling followed. Now the rifle shoots cast with BP as well as I can shoot so I am happy with it to say the least.

[badgeredd]

"but leading was a real problem."

Just curious here, but what kind of a boolit lube are you using?

Obviously you have found at least a major deterrent to accuracy as well as a major contributor to leading in the large throat.

Edd

[billsr]

"but leading was a real problem."

Just curious here, but what kind of a boolit lube are you using?

Obviously you have found at least a major deterrent to accuracy as well as a major contributor to leading in the large throat.

Edd

I'm using SPG lube.

[leadman]

I have a Ped RB in 40-65. I used SPG with 5744 and it did lead some, switch to LBT blue Soft and Carnuba Red. No leading now.
I also water drop the boolits now, using the Lyman Snover 400gr.