Shooting original 56-50 pointed bullets in a center fire spencer

[Ibgreen]

Hornandy has their leaverevolution rounds that allow for spitzer ammo with soft tips in tubular magazines.  I noticed they offer the soft tip for 50 cal muzzleloader bullets.  I wonder if a custom mold based on the original spencer round incorporating a recessed hollow point cavity would allow for a flex tip to be added.  ( I am not going to hold my breath for them to comercially produce a .518 version). 

[Shenandoah]

I'm not sure what you're asking. Original bullets weren't pointed, they were nore elongated and rounded. Why would you want spritzer types of bullets since they weren't even close to originals?

Maybe I'm just misreading what you're asking?

[Ibgreen]

I suppose the word spitzer point was a poor description on my part.  I noticed some original 56-56  rounds were more pointed than others.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=324478844

I think I need to take a few steps back and just concentrate on basic reloading for my gun.

[Shenandoah]

I cast the round nosed, flat point bullets for my replica. They shoot about 18 inches high at 50 yards (the farthest I have shot the carbine so far), but they cycle well.

I don't forsee much ballistic increase with round nosed, flat pointed rounds vs the more elongated original rounds.

[DJ]

I'm not clear on why you'd want to, but it should be possible to create a separate, plastic nose for a Spencer bullet that more closely resembles the original profile than the flat pointed bullets most shooters used today.  I, too, don't believe you would obtain any significant ballistic improvement over flat-pointed bullets, at least not at Spencer velocities.  You should also bear in mind that Spencer bullets that feed through the repeating mechanism are subjected to lateral shearing forces that differ from what most cartridges go through, so the material and construction of the soft tip might take some work before the design is perfected.

[Arizona Trooper]

I also doubt that you would see much ballistic improvement with original style bullets. Keep in mind that magazine explosions were not unknown, even with rimfire ammo. No need to temp fate!

18 inches high is about right. Civil War (and Indian Wars) carbines were sighted for maximum point blank range using a "low hold". Aim low was taught in what little marksmanship training there was in the Army. The idea was that you would be shooting at a mounted trooper and a hit anywhere was good. There was a lot of rise built into the sights. Even though they are marked for 100 yards, with the leaf down they are more battle sights.

[Shenandoah]

I'm assuming they are sighted for 200 yards?

Anyone have real life experiences with the 350 grn bullets at 200 yards?

[Arizona Trooper]

It will be a little low at 200 (a foot or so). They seem to zero in at about 140 with 350 grain bullets.

[Trailrider]

I realize that Hornady has perfected such bullets for tubular magazine, but if something were to go wrong in an under-the-barrel tubular magazine all I'd lose would be fingers or a hand!    That magazine in the buttstock was known to occasionally produce explosions with the original rimfire ammo (probably due to bad distribution of the priming compound in a cartridge). A mag explosion in a Spencer could ruin your whole day!  Ballistically there is no advantage to a pointed bullet in the transonic velocity range. As was said, the sights were "regulated" for the maximum "danger space" from a mounted horseman to a standing target on the ground. The originals will shoot fifteen to eighteen inches high at 100 yds for most of the U.S. military rifles and carbines until the Krag was introduced in 1895. That includes Spencers, .50-70, .45-55 and .45-70.