*** Photos Added *** Load info for my original 56/56

[wolflobo76]

I have done some first time test loading and firing to see if there is any difference between the .546 Rapine and the .545 Owsiak bullets. I cut and trimmed 50/90 brass to 1.062 for both bullets. I used Remington magnum LR primers and loaded each case with a compressed load of 40grns of Pyrodex select for each. {this load data is for  use in my carbine only and not suggested for use in anybody elses]  The OAL for the Rapine was 1.65 and for the Owsiak 1.60 since it will seat deeper in the case. All  loaded cartidges cycle thru very well will no problem. The one thing that I have found with the 50/90 brass is that the case walls are thicker than if I had used 50/70 brass. This presented no problem for the Rapine bullet but made for a real snug fit for the Owsiak bullet. I didn't have to put much of a crimp on the loaded Owsiak rounds but did so on the Rapine to keep them in the case since they seat shallower. With both loads I was shooting at 50 yds and aiming a little more than a foot below the targets and was hitting high and right.  I will admit that I need more shooting practise. Haven't had much time lately. I have sent the pics for this post to Two Flints to add on here after I had started this post as he suggested. Any questions  just ask.

 Yes I do have ring around the bullet.  Will fix that with some Epoxy.

 I ran both the Rapine bullets[on the left] an the Owsiak bullets{on the right} thru a .545 lube/sizer die using SPG

   This is the group with the Owsiak bullet    I did run a bore snake thru the barrel between groups.

  My point of aim was at 6 o"clock below the target on the black line made with a marker.

 This is a three round group with the Rapine bullet.

[img width=750 height=711]http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e29/SSSMod/target4.jpg[  Owsiak load

[Herbert]

And who was it that stated that the 56-56 is not capable of good acuracy

[5judge]

Well, it was me who wrote my .56-56 shoots like a girl tossing stones (or something like that). I hope to get my 1863-manufactured Spencer carbine back from a Robert Hoyt barrel reline in May. Will share the results...would be delighted to shoot perhaps a third as good as the feller who asserts he gets 2" groups at 100 yards. With a carbine, forsooth.

[Herbert]

With the 56-56 Spencer rifle I can genraly get a group of between 3 to 4 inches if I do not count the first fouling shot on a good day,with the original 56-50 it is between 2 and 3 inches,booth of these rifles have very good bores,I find the carbine much harder to shoot well with,all so a 56-50 with a very good bore ,if I get a 3 inch group I am very pleased jenrally closer to 5 inches.I found the most important part in getting these rifles to shoot well was a good amout of lube,a compresion die(Very important ,I seat the bullet by hand so as not to deform the bullet,then crimp slitly)the flash hole size is allso important, if it is over sized acuracy goes to hell,I use LPP with a under primer wad this all so seems to improve acuracy