Chiappa Sharps M1863/1868 50-70 carbine (now with pictures)

[Drydock]

Numbers are not all that important.  It's how much of your powder, will your cases hold, drop tubed, beneath the desired bullet with the desired compression.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Pretty sure this BP stuff is more Voodoo than science.  In anycase will try to get the 88 TD to shoot.  Trying 405 Grain Hollow Base in .458 and .460 and a Flatbase desparado and various Montana Bullets 460-535 grainers

[Pitspitr]

Pretty sure this BP stuff is more Voodoo than science.  In anycase will try to get the 88 TD to shoot.  Trying 405 Grain Hollow Base in .458 and .460 and a Flatbase desparado and various Montana Bullets 460-535 grainers

which sight does it have?

[Drydock]

www.wideopenspaces.com/black-powder-cartridge-reloading-made-easy-larry-potterfield-midway-usa/

[RattlesnakeJack]

In my view, the best rule of thumb for black powder loading of cartridges which were originally developed with BP as the propellant is to figure out (as Dtydock has already indicated) the amount of powder which will completely fill the case and be a bit compressed when the bullet is seated.  Cartridge casings back then were sized to fit the intended charge with a bit of compressed ...

[cpt dan blodgett]

Pitspitr
The Buffington

[Pitspitr]

If you are looking to build a load for long range that will hit point of aim with the Buffington sights you will want a 500 grain bullet (.460). SAECO and NEI make moulds for the M-1881 Govt. bullet. I don't know if Mount Baldy is still producing the bullets or not but they were very good.

For the Skirmish match I use the carbine load. 55 Gr. FF and the 405gr hollow base bullet. At those ranges it doesn't seem as important that the POI and the sights settings are the same.

[Bat 2919]

Will 55 Gr. fill the case?  Are you also using some sort of filler?

[pony express]

I think the standard method with the hollow base bullet is to simply seat it deeper. I use a 405gre flat base with a 3/8 wad unser it, but that might stick in a hollow base and cause problems.

[Pitspitr]

I do use a ox-yoke wonder wad in my 45/55 load. I have to compress pretty heavily. I started using it to try to get enough lube so as to not foul out. It doesn't seem to bother accuracy at our ranges.

[PJ Hardtack]

Get on the Shiloh forum or subscribe to the BPCN and you'll get any number of opinions on compression, drop tubing, powder settling -  the need for it or not.

Most BPCR silhouette shooters go the compression/drop tube route, the amount depending on the grade and brand of the powder.

Way back when I bought my first H&R Cavalry carbine, I simply dumped in 55 grs of FFg and seated my 'as cast' 405 gr bullets, lubed with bicycle wheel bearing grease. Who knew that wasn't supposed to work?

I recall hitting anything I wanted to. Out to 200 yds off hand, no watermelon sized rock was safe!

Long gone days of innocence .....

[Pitspitr]

And, (at least in my case) "Long gone days of" eyesight good enough to do it off hand.