I took my .43 Spanish out today in a snow storm and cold. The target is an AR550 7/16" steel plate with a man torso silhouette painted on it.
The rifle is like new and I've owned it for 31 years.
I wanted to try, from the bench, Pyrodex, IMR 3031 and IMR 4198 as all three loads were posted as being good loads for this cartridge using a 380 grain lead bullet.
After each powder type, the bore was cleaned very well. None of the loads caused any leading of the bore ( wheel-weights )
I have three brass case types. Bertram Brass .43 Spanish, Bell Basic and Winchester .348. The latter being trimmed back and fired formed by me before this shoot.
The first powder tried was IMR 3031. Recoil was normal but the cold temp cause one dud and one hangfire ( Dacron wad used O/P )
Accuracy was poor. I did not notice the rear sight will not go down to 100 meters as it is supposed to ( see photo )
The smokeless powder loads shot 6 feet high at the 200 meter setting. My range is over 6,000 feet ASL
IMR- 4198 gave the best MV and accuracy using Kentucky-Windage and holding 3 feet under the target.
Pyrodex Rifle ( 69 grains of powder just touching the base of the bullet and very slightly compress 3/16" ) was a total joke. Accuracy was not there. Recoil mild,case dropped out of the chamber when the RB was opened.
The load caused the primers to be pierced as well as four of the Bertram Brass cases to split into two 1/2 way up the case. ( firing pin has a round nose ) This only happened using Pyrodex powder.
The same cases were used for the other two smokeless powders as well with no issues.
I loaded up 25 cartridges of each powder, all seated to the posted depth as well as a Dacron wad used in the smokeless loads.
Primers used were Winchester LR.
All bullets were slightly roll-crimped at the top grove. Bullets sized to .441
The rifle has potential to be better than Minute-Of-Man with the right load. The IMR-4198 gave me,when I did my part, a group of ten shots in 8" at 200 meters.
Once I fix the rear sight and not have to hold off I'm sure the rifle will group much better.
The rifle shoots to the left, not much can be done about that.
IMR-3031
PYRODEX
IMR-4198 ( figuring out the hold, ten shots in the left kidney ) Right hand hits, AR15 .223 by friend.
Primers
Rear sight has to be filed out a little as it hits the stop screw before the 100 meter setting.
My load data