A day at the loading bench, then a day at the range.

[Mossyrock]

Howdy Gents,

Last Saturday I spent the better part of four hours at the loading bench, putting together three different "flavors" of BP loads for my 56-50 Taylor Spencer.  This is the same rifle that I recently installed a Shiloh Sharps full buckhorn rear sight on.  My three load variations are listed below, along with the muzzle velocity, extreme spread and group size, fired from the bench at 25 yards.  Here you go:

Starline 56-50 centerfire cases
Winchester Large Rifle Magnum Primer
45gr (by weight) ffg Goex, 30" drop-tube into case
Widow Maker 310gr bullet, sized .512", lubed with homemade lube (Beeswax/Mutton tallow/Paraffin)

1,050fps Average Velocity, Extreme Spread 36
5.25" Group
********************************************
Starline 56-50 centerfire cases
Winchester Large Rifle Magnum Primer
43gr (by weight) ffg Goex, 30" drop-tube into case
.030" over-powder vegetable wad   
Widow Maker 310gr bullet, sized .512", lubed with homemade lube (Beeswax/Mutton tallow/Paraffin)

1,024fps Average Velocity, Extreme Spread 37
2.5" Group (Four shots in 3/4")
********************************************
Starline 56-50 centerfire cases
Winchester Large Rifle Magnum Primer
42gr (by weight) ffg Goex, 30" drop-tube into case
.060" lube cookie with waxed paper disk between powder and lube cookie, and between lube cookie and bullet base
Widow Maker 310gr bullet, sized .512", lubed with homemade lube (Beeswax/Mutton tallow/Paraffin)

834fps Average Velocity, Extreme Spread 52
3.5" Group
*******************************************

This range session brought a few things to light.  First off, of the three loads tested, the second one shows the most promise.  I suspect that next time I sit down at the reloading bench that I will try to refine that load further.  Second, while the Sharps sight improves the sight picture a great deal, it is too tall for the existing front sight....all of my groups were 6-8" above point of aim at 25 yards.  It would appear that some surgery is in order.

Now I will admit that I am new to the whole Spencer thing, but I have been shooting BPCR for quite a while in two different custom Rolling Blocks in both 45-70 and 50-70.  With those rifles, I am used to groups of one ragged hole at 25 yards from the bench.  If you look at the groups I am getting with this Spencer, they are pretty big.  What is considered acceptable or good accuracy?  At what point do I say, "Yup, that's about as good as I am going to get"?  Hopefully 3.5" at 25 yards ain't it!  I can routinely do better than that with virtually any handgun I own.  So, what kind of accuracy SHOULD I be looking for?

EDITED TO ADD:  Lyman dies.  Couldn't tell you overall length...I shot up all of my ammo!      It was crimped into the groove on Widowmaker's bullet.  Bullets were cast from #2 Lyman alloy.  My next batch will be with the Rapine 350gr bullet lubed with SPG.

[Harve Curry]

 

[Two Flints]

Mossy Rock and Harve Curry, and all SSS Posse Members,

When giving loading information, it would be interesting to know the loading dies used in making the final cartridge and the OAL obtained   for us (me) inexperienced in reloading

Two Flints

[Appalachian Ed]

My Romano shoots well under 1 inch at 50 and 2.0 inch at 100. cut down 50-70 case, 19-1 linotype to lead Romano bullet, SPG lube, 42 gr. Goex 3F, Federal primer.

[major]

Harve
From all I have been told it is not a good idea to use modern powder in an original Spencer.  It was never designed to handle the higher pressures.  You might want to stick with real black powder or one of the substitutes.
Major

[Travis Morgan]

......unless you're TRYING to stretch the receiver!

[Mossyrock]

Ed,

Do you have any problems with the mechanism of the repeating action beating up your bullets with that soft of an alloy?   Fffg, huh?  Hmmm....

[ryder747]

Mossyrock,
   Ed shoots a very hard bullet, probably at the recommendations of Larry Romano.

[Mossyrock]

Mossyrock,
   Ed shoots a very hard bullet, probably at the recommendations of Larry Romano.

I misread his alloy ratio.  I thought it was lead to tin...not LINOTYPE to lead!  That WOULD be very hard bullet!!  Hmmm...  I might have to try water-quenched wheel weights.

[Dakota Widowmaker]

My eyes suck so I can't comment on how good or bad your shooting compared to mine.

I use a 20:1 alloy or 92-6-2. The 20:1 works well for most things and doesn't fuss with leading the bore as much with lighter loads.

With 92-6-2 (25lbs of magnum shot and 1 lb of 50:50 bar solder) I am getting a lighter bullet from the Widowmaker molds.

My "old" style had more of bevel on it, but, after talking to some folks and experimenting, all this did was make it harder to drop bullets and made the bullets heavier than they needed to be.

My current mold design is dropping at right at 325gr with 20:1 and just a bit less with 92-6-2. Both fill out quite well.

I also found that use of a card was not needed... I didn't get better/worse groups with mine. (that I could tell, anyhow)

I pan lube all my bullets these days. (except smokeless)

My cases, I ream out the flash hole to 3/32" and use a Winchester Large Magnum Rifle primer instead of the Federal. Its been "hotter" than the Fed for me. I also use GOEX Express FFg in my BPCR guns. Adds another 80-100fps from what I have seen in my spencer.

[the change to the flash hole and the primer is what upped my velocity to where I got best results and velocity]

The sights on the spencer suck... that is all I will say. But, I have managed to get good 3" groups at 50 yards which is good enough to down a tree rat. (aka Minnesota deer)