.577-.450 Martini-Henry loads. Pached & unpatched

[mgreg71]

I’m not new to reloading, but I am very new to this site, and I have never cast my own bullets. Then I ran into the Martini Henry Rifle. I read a lot on reloading this round, maybe too much. I’m looking for opinions on data, bullets size, Powder loads and types, and sourcing the various reloading components.

-bullet diameter and weight, patched and unpatched?
-powder types and substitutes?
-Brass..Bertram, RCC, formed Magtech 24ga?
-Bullet sizing and lube. Method and equipment?
-sourcing everything?

The list goes on! Give me everything you got!

[Gunor]

Search for X-Ring Services for dies, brass, and molds

Martyn Robinson - he is on Facebook with his page. Just start with him…

[tdoor4570]

xringservices@yahoo.com try there

[Bigslug]

Pop and I reloaded many calibers quite happily for many years on a Hornady single stage Lock-N-Load press. . .

. . .until his Martini came home. Then we got a Rock Chucker and pulled the bushing out so we could run the necessarily big 1 1/4-12 dies the round takes. You can make a .416 Rigby fit in a 7/8"=14 die body, but not the .577 Snider, nor it's more famous offspring.

What paper patch mold he ended up with, I do not recall, but 480 grains comes to mind. Wrapped wet and the doused in tumble lube after dried.

[samari46]

You'll need a .468 .470 diameter bullet. British Militaria website has a bunch of info on reloading the 577/450 Martini cartridge. Frank

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I use a soft cast bullet of 0.462" dia over 78gn of Wano 2P in either Bertram cases or reformed 24ga Mactec shotshell brass. For lube I use pure Lanotec grease, bit messy but sure stops that fouling clogging up the barrel.

[toot]

can 24 gauge MAGTEC hulls still be had?

[elk hunter]

So far I've had the best luck with the Lee hollow base 405 grain bullet for the 45-70 trapdoor patched to .473 - .474 over 25 grains of Trail Boss and a standard large rifle primer. I have a mixture of Kynoch and Ballard Rifle cases. I neck size them using an RCBS 45-70 bullet seating die. I have used the Magtec 24 gauge cases for the Snider but have had poor luck with them as they split after just a couple of firings. I'm going to stick with the Kynoch cases for it.

[john.k]

Im surprised you had trouble with CBC/Magtech cases......I have 100 converted from when they changed over to boxer primers (have CBC berdans ,too)....and have never had any problem....and they have been reloaded over 100 times each .....in fact ,the only losses Ive had are people at the range with sticky fingers......So far a few have loose primer pockets ,which I can seat with finger pressure......but the primers dont fall out after firing.......I never resize the cases ,in fact I dont have dies ,and use a home made set with a shell holder of correct rim shape to suit the shotgun rims of the CBC cases.,and a neck size that barely touches the fired neck ...I use paper patched bullets ,and they are correct size to hold in fired cases.......IMHO ,the main cause of case problems is use of the Lee dies for FLS every reload.

[john.k]

In fact ,the number one rule with old rifle cases costing several dollars each is NEVER resize anything as long as the case fits the chamber and works OK.....If you use paper patch bullets ,they will hold in the neck OK without sizing.......I realize there are some foreign guns with extremely loose necks ,which are better suited to thick lathe turned cases.

[skeettx]

https://www.grafs.com/catalog/product/productId/11079

[mgreg71]

Thanks for all the feedback. I put in an order today with X ring products. Their brass for the Martini Henry and snider rifle have a price thats second to none, as far as my research goes. Reformed 24 gauge Magtech Brass for about $2.60 a casing. I also ordered a bullet mold from him for a patched Martini Henry round. Precision molds is also a site that’s worth a look. He has a huge variety of molds and can custom make almost anything.

Now, since I haven’t cast my first bullet yet, I am looking for lead pots and shopping them out. Currently looking at the Lee line, the pro 4- 20 pound pot. Any thoughts out there?

[mgreg71]

Does anyone out there have a martini Henry paper patch template available?

[Bad Ass Wallace]

My pot holds 70 lbs of alloy you can't have too many boolits.

[john.k]

So far not mentioned is the use of draught excluder.....by using the 1/2 and 5/8 sizes,reliable ignition is secured with slower burning powders,such as 4198......and IMHO ,this is the biggest advance made in Martini Henry shooting in 180 years.....and before someone says the guns must be used with the unclean black,the Kynoch round for the rifles was loaded with smokeless (cordite) for longer than it was loaded with black.

[Shanghai Jack]

So far I've had the best luck with the Lee hollow base 405 grain bullet for the 45-70 trapdoor patched to .473 - .474 over 25 grains of Trail Boss and a standard large rifle primer. I have a mixture of Kynoch and Ballard Rifle cases. I neck size them using an RCBS 45-70 bullet seating die. I have used the Magtec 24 gauge cases for the Snider but have had poor luck with them as they split after just a couple of firings. I'm going to stick with the Kynoch cases for it.

Just out of curiosity - is your snider part of the Nepali cache? Some of them look like they were chambered with a corn cob.

[Shanghai Jack]

So far not mentioned is the use of draught excluder.....by using the 1/2 and 5/8 sizes,reliable ignition is secured with slower burning powders,such as 4198......and IMHO ,this is the biggest advance made in Martini Henry shooting in 180 years.....and before someone says the guns must be used with the unclean black,the Kynoch round for the rifles was loaded with smokeless (cordite) for longer than it was loaded with black.

"draught excluder" color me clueless. Little more information please?

[Shanghai Jack]

Does anyone out there have a martini Henry paper patch template available?

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/brit...te-t19850.html

[toot]

if they split on you, try annealing them. that is what I would do. I do it to my converted 24 MAG TEC bass, and I have had no split cases . jmho.

[toot]

some with the corn still on the cob!