Choose your bullet

[Steamboat Jack Maybe]

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I went to my favorite bullet factory today, Western Nevada in Carson City, NV, and found that they had closed!   

Not to worry, it was sold back to the original owner, Jim House and his daughter Angela.  They are completely refurbishing the place and expect to be in full production come June.  The new name is Silver State Bullets llc.

However……

They are getting all new machinery so they are still looking at what to make.  Jim asked what kind of bullets I wanted.  He is going to make hard cast (7½ % Antimony, 2½% Tin, BHN 24-26) and soft cast cowboy bullets (3% Antimony, 1½% Tin BHN 15-16).  What I shoot is pretty straight forward and they are already on their proposed list.  Except for a 45 cal. 200 grain RNFP for my Schofields.  But I said that I’d ask about what kind of bullets you guys wanted.

Well, now’s your chance.  What kind of bullet do you want?  Either email me or call Angela at 775-246-9971.

Regards,

Steamboat Jack Maybe

[Two Flints]

Hi Steamboat,

I've got my S & W Schofields sighted in using 200 grain RNFP bullets, and they also work just fine in my Taylor Spencer (.45 Schofield caliber).  So I guess that's the bullet I would like to have made.  The 56-50 is another bullet caliber to consider, also for the Taylor Spencer, along with the .44 Russian caliber for the  members of SSS who shoot those rounds.

Two Flints

[Arizona Trooper]

If they will be making 50 cal, my favorite for Spencer, Smith and 50 US carbine is a Lyman 515141 cut back to two grooves. It weighs 375 grains and shoots great.

[Glenn]

I'm using the Rapine in my 56-50 but I really want to try NEI's Lakota Spencer #378C.  (they also have #379C a .525 396 grain)  The Lakota has a huge grease groove, a dished base and looks like it would squeak out a little more space in that case.  It's a .514 at 325 grains.  Has anybody else tried it?

[Hell-Er High Water]

For those of you that cast your own and have a lathe (or a friend with a lathe) here is the inexpensive approach that I took.  I modified a Lee, 500 grain, 50 caliber mould for my 56-50.  It has a nice large flat nose and I didn't want too pointed a bullet in a tubular magazine right next to my face.  I shortened it by two grooves and two bands and ended up with a bullet that casts at about 340 grains from 20:1 alloy.  This bullet has been shooting into about 2", 5 shot groups at 50 yards over 23.5 grains of IMR 4227, in Starline brass.  The Lee moulds are inexpensive and are great for experminatation with a minimal outlay.  If you screw it up, you haven't lost a lot.  This bullet seems to work OK with black powder and SPG lube also but I just haven't had the time to work up a good BP load yet.

Another approach that I am going to try is a mould from mountainmoulds.com in Idaho.  You can go to their web site, noted above, and design your own bullet on line.  This way you can custom tailor a mould to fit your individual rifle at no additional charge above and beyond their regular prices.  You can then either order it on line or by mail.  I have one mould from them and it is great.