Pyrodex
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2004 1:15 am
Cheers to all,
This is my first post here - seems to be a friendly forum.
I've been on Greybeards a couple of times, but thanks to a computer melt-down, have since lost the site address - can anyone help?
Anyway, the title of the post is the problem - I live in Hawaii and you CAN'T get blackpowder here - unless you want to try to "boot-leg" it in and I'm not really looking forward to jail time to get the stuff! So, I use what I can find locally. Pyrodex.
The Shilo I have is a 45-110, that I bought used in a Bute MT pawn shop back in the early 80's for ( don't cry) $600 USD. It's got the #3 barrel (16#) and (now) a custom curley maple stock (bad idea - it requires cleaning from the muzzel only), but it sure looks pretty.
My problem stems from the fact that I've never really had the time to do the research and shooting to refine her into the accurate rifle that she is. I've always shot her with what ever round I could build with a "pac-tool" on the occasional weekend that I had time to waste.
Now, I've got 5 to 6 months per year ( after fire season, on the mainland) that are MINE and I'm trying to make-up for the lost time.
Now, for the "rest of the story" - I buy Bell brass and have found the actual length of the new brass may vary, to as much as .20" between the shortest and the longest in a box of 20. Is this the problem that I think it is as far as loading?
Is sizing that important? I cast a .458 slug, but recently have tried "sized" slugs in the .457 diameter. Honestly, I can't see the difference - but, it may be my shoddy reloading that's the problem!
Powder loads - I'm presently loading 55 grns of RS, by weight, with a greased wad over a cardboard wad. I'm thinking about upping(sp?) the load to 60 grns to insure uniform compression. With the 55 grn load, I'm right around 1200 fps through the crony. Too fast - too slow?
The old brass that came with this rifle is now failing. It's "OLD" RCBS Basic and it fails about 3/4 of an inch from the base and usually shows itself by cracking the brass, either lengthwise down the case or around the case. I talked to RCBS about it. Since I don't know how many times the previouse owner shot them, we just sort of agreed that I could shoot them till they failed. With the barrle she's got, it isn't a safety problem.
Any suggestions or advice offered will be appreciated. I've got a "fine lady" here that needs a lot of "make-up" love to let her, and me, to find out what she's really capable of.
Sorry for the long post.
Genlte winds,
Russ
This is my first post here - seems to be a friendly forum.
I've been on Greybeards a couple of times, but thanks to a computer melt-down, have since lost the site address - can anyone help?
Anyway, the title of the post is the problem - I live in Hawaii and you CAN'T get blackpowder here - unless you want to try to "boot-leg" it in and I'm not really looking forward to jail time to get the stuff! So, I use what I can find locally. Pyrodex.
The Shilo I have is a 45-110, that I bought used in a Bute MT pawn shop back in the early 80's for ( don't cry) $600 USD. It's got the #3 barrel (16#) and (now) a custom curley maple stock (bad idea - it requires cleaning from the muzzel only), but it sure looks pretty.
My problem stems from the fact that I've never really had the time to do the research and shooting to refine her into the accurate rifle that she is. I've always shot her with what ever round I could build with a "pac-tool" on the occasional weekend that I had time to waste.
Now, I've got 5 to 6 months per year ( after fire season, on the mainland) that are MINE and I'm trying to make-up for the lost time.
Now, for the "rest of the story" - I buy Bell brass and have found the actual length of the new brass may vary, to as much as .20" between the shortest and the longest in a box of 20. Is this the problem that I think it is as far as loading?
Is sizing that important? I cast a .458 slug, but recently have tried "sized" slugs in the .457 diameter. Honestly, I can't see the difference - but, it may be my shoddy reloading that's the problem!
Powder loads - I'm presently loading 55 grns of RS, by weight, with a greased wad over a cardboard wad. I'm thinking about upping(sp?) the load to 60 grns to insure uniform compression. With the 55 grn load, I'm right around 1200 fps through the crony. Too fast - too slow?
The old brass that came with this rifle is now failing. It's "OLD" RCBS Basic and it fails about 3/4 of an inch from the base and usually shows itself by cracking the brass, either lengthwise down the case or around the case. I talked to RCBS about it. Since I don't know how many times the previouse owner shot them, we just sort of agreed that I could shoot them till they failed. With the barrle she's got, it isn't a safety problem.
Any suggestions or advice offered will be appreciated. I've got a "fine lady" here that needs a lot of "make-up" love to let her, and me, to find out what she's really capable of.
Sorry for the long post.
Genlte winds,
Russ