loads for thunderbolt

[dlamping]

I just got a taurus thunderbolt. Would like some info on loads to shoot in it (both smokeless and black powder), type of powder, bullet weight, overall length, and case length. I'm shooting a blackpowder load in my ruger vaquaro right now. It is a flat nose bullet that is 255 grains and 30 grains of triple f powder. It shoots nice in my pistol, Is this a good load for the taurus thunderbolt.
Any info would be welcomed.
Dan

[Dalton Masterson]

I dont know about the Thunderbolt, but my Pedersoli Lightning likes 200 or 250 gr RNFP and a full case of black or APP. Works good, but be sure to disassemble and clean as there is a lot of blowback into the action-- On mine anyway.
It seems to run better for me with a stout load, that kind of lets the recoil action help the slide action. Maybe its just me tho. Good luck. DM

[litl rooster]

I just got a taurus thunderbolt. Would like some info on loads to shoot in it (both smokeless and black powder), type of powder, bullet weight, overall length, and case length. I'm shooting a blackpowder load in my ruger vaquaro right now. It is a flat nose bullet that is 255 grains and 30 grains of triple f powder. It shoots nice in my pistol, Is this a good load for the taurus thunderbolt.
Any info would be welcomed.
Dan

Try the same one, put a good crimp on them, use the big lube bullet, and some moosemilk to clean with, after cleaning a little Gunbutter and you should be fine.  Might watch your OAL, if you have a factory load, that cycles good use that as a start for measurement. The only other problem I have had is the hammer falls lighter than my other guns and some times the primers don't fire.

[Sod Buster]

My brother-in -law has the best results with Truncated Cone bullets.  They seem to feed better than the RNFP.

[Cincinnati Slim]

Try the same one, put a good crimp on them, use the big lube bullet, and some moosemilk to clean with, after cleaning a little Gunbutter and you should be fine.  Might watch your OAL, if you have a factory load, that cycles good use that as a start for measurement. The only other problem I have had is the hammer falls lighter than my other guns and some times the primers don't fire.

Yep, I'll second that opinion on T-bolt loads.

I used 250 Gr. RNFP .452 generic "crayon lubed" slugs, CCi or Winchester LPP, 28-30 grains by volume Triple-Seven, .060 over-poweder card wad
and a nice tight factory roll crimp die on Winchester .45 Colt brass. Worked really good, not too dirty, no blowback problem and really good accuracy. Bore clean-up was super easy. Factory petroleum based lube was hosed out with brake cleaner and action was cleaned/lubed with Ballistol/moosemilk. I also had a problem with light primer hits and misfires. This is a common problem on T-bolts solution is easy...

(1) Add a mainspring strain screw like the one on a Remington revolver. Drill/tap small hole and install set screw to bear against hammer spring to increase pressure or even easier...

(2) add wedge or shim under hammer spring where it screws to frame. I used a little bit of nylon/plastic scrap wedged into point where leaf spring meets the frame. Stiffened up the hammer spring tension enough to make the t-bolt reliable !

Here's an easy low-tech test of hammer fall power...

take a regular pencil and drop it down the barrel so the rubber eraser rests on bolt face. cock and pull trigger. If the pencil comes flying out of the barrel and hit the ceiling you have plenty of hammer spring power. If the pencil barely shoots out of the barrel you can expect misfires. It is sort of a crude test but it seems to work for me on both pistols and rifles.

Cheers,

Slim

[litl rooster]

CS, you now have my wife mad at me for sticking pencils in the ceiling.

My solution was to change primers