Lyman 515141 in .50 Calibre '63

Support for the 1863 shooter. Discussions of powders, loads, bullets, etc.
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Todd Birch
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Lyman 515141 in .50 Calibre '63

Post by Todd Birch »

Went to the range yesterday with some beautiful bullets cast from the Lyman 515141 mould, as cast and pan lubed. This is the way I've been shooting bullets cast from a Lee mould.

I breech seated the bullets with a short starter and inserted a combustible paper cartridge containing a measured but not weighed 55 grs of Goex cartridge powder. This is a known accuracy load with the Lee bullet.
The paper cartridge gets slight compression with the short starter to avoid any shearing and the base punctured with an awl to insure ignition.

This isn't strictly necessary with a single thickness of paper, but I have had hangfires with folded over bases.

50 yard groups were larger than what I get with the Lee bullet at 3 1/4". The Lee bullet groups at around 2".
At 100 yards, groups were only slightly larger at 3 1/4" and printed 5" higher than the Lee groups.
All groups were "boiler room of bear", my intended use of the rifle.

I also did some comparative shooting with cartridges that consisted of the Lee bullet and .54 calibre Pyrodex pellets. It produces an excellent hunting round that can withstand fairly rough handling as it is solid.

It pains me to admit this, but the Pyrodex loads have become my "control load", the standard by which I judge other loads. Before leaving the range I fired a three shot group at 50 yards, the distance I expect to shoot a bear. It measures an extreme spread of 1 1/4" with two shots overlapping!

Once I get some more Pyrodex pellets, I will fire them with the Lyman bullet.

I always give my rifle a cursory cleaning before leaving the range. While so engaged, a mule deer doe appeared at 300 yards and proceeded to graze her way towards me up to the 200 yard mark before disappearing back into the trees.
God shouldn't tempt me this way......

Todd

"We loved a great many things - birds and trees and books and all things beautiful and horses and RIFLES and children and hard work and the joy of life." Theodore Roosevelt
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
gmartin
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Location: Boise Id

Post by gmartin »

Todd,
Just saw QUIGLY..., gets you inspired! If you hear of .58 P pellets, ever, please let me know. I wish you could post the Pics of those cartridges you shoot using those, it might quiet critics. Does the fouling shot minus cartridge shoot as well? Slightly heretical there.
Gregg
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Lee Stone
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Post by Lee Stone »

I believe "Quigley Down Under" has been responsible for the sale of a lot of rifles.
Lee Stone
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Bad Ass Wallace
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Location: Australia

Post by Bad Ass Wallace »

[quote="Lee Stone"]I believe "Quigley Down Under" has been responsible for the sale of a lot of rifles.[/quote]

I bought the video, but bought a Sharps model that was light enough to shoot offhand. The movie gets a re-run about every 3 months. I like the opening sequence but don't think I would like to find out how much pain a 13lb rifle thrushed into the jewels would be like!

Selleck stars in somw other minor movies of interest. "Shootout at Sabre River" stars a Spencer repeater of interest.
Hold still Varmint, while I plugs yer!
Todd Birch
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....Sellick selling guns....

Post by Todd Birch »

G'day, Bad Ass!

So, would you say that "Life imitates art", or is it the other way around?

Just watch and see how many horses are named "Hidalgo" over the next few years....

The bad ass in "Quigley" obviously never heard of the Adams revolvers or it would have been Sellick face down in the dust.

Todd
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
gmartin
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Location: Boise Id

Post by gmartin »

Welcome Bad Ass Wallace,
Location: Austrailia, yep, I could find you there. Got to see "Shoot Out At Sabre River". Believe we even say "sabre" in proper english. You obviously shoot a '63 of some sort, someday I may need your aid concerning this classic antique and replica as per Shiloh.
Good shooting, Gregg
Todd Birch
Posts: 2133
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:01 pm
Location: Somewhere in the Cariboo ....

"Shootout at Sabre River"

Post by Todd Birch »

Good movie!

Lots of period guns - Enfields, Sharps, Spencers, Colts.

In one scene Sellick and his wife are teaching their kids which ammo is for which gun in case they have to come running with a resupply.

In some of the best scenes between Sellick and his wife, he doesn't say a word. The sag of his shoulders, the look in his eyes and his sigh of resignation said it all.....defenceless against the will of an unhappy woman.
That's about as powerless as a man can get.

I took a lady shooting today with the S&W K-22 she just bought and had tuned by a pro. Like all women I have exposed to the shooting sports, this one is gonna be a kick ass shooter!

Piss of an anti-gunner - teach a woman how to shoot!

Todd
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
gmartin
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Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2004 9:55 pm
Location: Boise Id

Post by gmartin »

Todd, B.A.W., Lee,
OK, got to see it. Is this just a rumor? I've heard of a Spencer replica, obviously not for the .56 rimfire. What of it? Ladies in my experience tend to shoot more responsibly as well. I've just about been driven to shoot soley on private land thanks to some real boneheads at a nearby desert public range.
Gregg
Todd Birch
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Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:01 pm
Location: Somewhere in the Cariboo ....

Spencer replica carbine

Post by Todd Birch »

Yep, Taylor's and others will sell you a Spencer rep in a few calibres, .45 Schofield and a .50 as well, I think.

But, they's ca'tridge guns and repeaters to boot!
A '63 shooter oughter shoot a Smith or a Maynard carbine, don'tcha think?

I once read the President Lincoln test fired the Spencer on the grounds of the White House and gave it his approval for adoption by the Union Army.

That's reason enough to own one!

Todd
"From birth to the packing house, we travel between the two eternities ....." Robert Duvall in "Broken Trail"
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