I've Said Good BYE to my PRS Big Lube Bullets Today

[Noz]

I made a CVA kit a few years back. Short barrel 50 cal that I really wanted to shoot with patched balls. 1/48 so it was supposed to be the happy medium. Tried Pyrodex, Goex FFg FFFg, buckskin,pillow ticking, mattress ticking, linen, spit lube, bore butter, olive oil, lard, lanolin and a gamut of powder charges from 35 grs to 120 grs in 5 grain jumps. Could not keep it on an 8x10 sheet of paper off the bench at 35 yards.  I even bought some saboted jacketed bullets.
I gave up on it as a waste of time, money and effort.
Walking through WalMart, I happened to see a display of TC conicals. I decide to try them and then junk the gun.
I took them back to the bench with a single sheet of paper with a 2" circle blacked in.  Fired 3 shots at 35 yards with no hope and no visible impact on the target. I gave up, put the gun away,and went down range to get the trash.
The reason I couldn't see any impact on the target was that all three shots were touching in the dead center of the 2" circle.
The point of the story is that some times you've got to really work at getting the right combination and it may well not be the one you would like to have or it may be a pleasant surprise.

Voodoo? How about a friend that uses garage sale junk used candles mixed with Lee Liquid Alox as a lube in all of his black powder guns with perfect lube performance?  My effort to duplicate his efforts using MavDutchman bullets and his recipe resulted in gross accuracy in my 44-40 and about 3 hours of scrubbing with everything I could find to get the hard caked fouling out of the barrel.

[Dick Dastardly]

Why do you say that Rooster?  The bullet drops large enough from the mold that it easily lube sizes to .458.  Also, I've gotten exceptional groups with my 45 Cal Thompson Center Seneca muzzle loading rifle.  The main use for it in the 45-70 is for a camp meat getter and Plainsman class SASS match shooting.  For long range competition I've been pleased with the big DD 45-70 500 grain semi spitzer bullets.

In the 45-70 I do use some filler under the DD/PUK Flat nose bullets.  I've found that 40 grains of Swiss 1½ Fg is plenty even though the big 45-70 case will hold 70 grains under this shorter bullet.

Statements based on assumptions without any testing don't amount to much.  The proof is on the paper.  So, I'll shoot some again, soon as the weather warms up a mite, and post the results based on those real tests here.  Yes, I've shot this test before but I'd like to post new findings for your consideration.

DD-MDA

[Roosterman]

Why do you say that Rooster?  The bullet drops large enough from the mold that it easily lube sizes to .458.  Also, I've gotten exceptional groups with my 45 Cal Thompson Center Seneca muzzle loading rifle.  The main use for it in the 45-70 is for a camp meat getter and Plainsman class SASS match shooting.  For long range competition I've been pleased with the big DD 45-70 500 grain semi spitzer bullets.

In the 45-70 I do use some filler under the DD/PUK Flat nose bullets.  I've found that 40 grains of Swiss 1½ Fg is plenty even though the big 45-70 case will hold 70 grains under this shorter bullet.

Statements based on assumptions without any testing don't amount to much.  The proof is on the paper.  So, I'll shoot some again, soon as the weather warms up a mite, and post the results based on those real tests here.  Yes, I've shot this test before but I'd like to post new findings for your consideration.

DD-MDA

well Dick, rate of twist has alot to do with bullet choice. I don't doubt  a bullet like that would work well in a TC as they are a 1-48 twist which works well with short bullets. I have no doubt your roller shoots exceptionally well with a 500 grain bullet, that would be my choice of bullet for that gun.
I have done some extensive shooting with a Shiloh sharps in 45-70 and a Lone Star roller in 45-90. Neither would shoot well untill I used a 500 gr or larger bullet. I have also done alot of shooting with a Uberti '76 in 45-60. Couldn't get it to shoot with a 300gr bullet no matter what I did, others have had success with bullets in the 300 to 350gr. range. Switched to a 400 gr bullet and got the results I was looking for using any commercially available 400g lead bullet. The '76 still won't shoot  any of the 400g bullets I have on hand with black powder due too lube starvation. I have a new Lyman mold that should fix that, #457643. If I recall, this '76 has a 1-22 twist, but it has been some time since I measured it. (maybe it was 1-24?)
So, my statements are backed with testing and do prove existing theories concerning ballistics. If you're happy with your short bullet accuracy that's great, but I suspect you have other motives for your claims of success with this short bullet.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Rooster,

Let's see how it shakes out.  I'll shoot the tests and report back.  I appreciate your overview and will remember it at the range.

DD-MDA

[Roosterman]

Ho Rooster,

Let's see how it shakes out.  I'll shoot the tests and report back.  I appreciate your overview and will remember it at the range.

DD-MDA

Well, don't go out and freeze your bullets off!