Factory Ammo

[Lash Batson]

Thanks JH and Otter for the great info. Very excited to get out of the range and make some smoke.

I'll report back when I get things under way.

— Lash Batson

[Deadeye Don]

Lash,   Are you going with factory ammo OR are you going to reload?

[Lash Batson]

Lash,   Are you going with factory ammo OR are you going to reload?

Hey Don,

Factory for now, I want to start shooting before I dive into all that other stuff. I just can't wait. As luck would have it the only cowboy friendly 45-70 I could lay my hands on locally was Black Hills 405Gr smokeless. Yes, I know, smokeless is evil. But its all I could find locally and am heading to the range on Sunday and I'm DIEING to try out my new Sharps.

So I swallowed hard and bought four boxes. I figure now I'll have some brass to play with too, as the inevitable lurch toward reloading progresses.

— Lash Batson

[Advertising]

[Ransom Gaer]

Lash,

You aren't the only one who has gone the smokeyless route to get some brass.  When I got my 1874 Sharps I bought two boxes of 20 rounds of Remington .45-70 with their 405 grain jacketed soft point.  It is what I could get at the time.  At my favorite toy store I couldn't get .45-70 brass at the time. About a month later I was able to.  I bought the Remington ammo specifically to reload it with BP loads.  But the rounds were full of powder and bullets.  What to do? I find the best way to create empty brass out of loaded rounds is to shoot them.   Lots more fun than pulling the bullets and emptying them of powder.

Good luck at the range on Sunday.  It should be fun.

Ransom Gaer

[Delmonico]

A couple thoughts here, if you buy any factory ammo with jacketed bullets or load any and shoot them in any of these guns, you need to clean the copper out, completely or you will have troubles.  Copper fouling likes to grab on to lead.  Just for anyone who don't really know how to clean this heathen stuff out, get a bronze brush and a good copper solvent, I like Sweets 7.62, but there are some other good ones.  Wet and brush and run clean dry patches through it till they come out with out any blue or greenish gunk on them.  Then run a wet on through and let it it for an hour or so, then run a dry one through. 

Most likely you'll have that gunk again.  Keep at it with the brush and soaking till you get not the slightest trace.  There that will teach you not to do that again.

Also to really get good results you need to get a scale that will weigh your bullets, unless things have changed, the lee one won't do it.  How ruthless to get is up to you, but remember a #8 shot weighs right at a grain, so any under your standard will have a void(s) the size of a #8 shot.  Myself I won't shoot anything that has a void that big I can see, so I also won't shoot one with a void that big I can't see.

[Lash Batson]

A couple thoughts here, if you buy any factory ammo with jacketed bullets or load any and shoot them in any of these guns, you need to clean the copper out, completely or you will have troubles.  Copper fouling likes to grab on to lead.  Just for anyone who don't really know how to clean this heathen stuff out, get a bronze brush and a good copper solvent, I like Sweets 7.62, but there are some other good ones.  Wet and brush and run clean dry patches through it till they come out with out any blue or greenish gunk on them.  Then run a wet on through and let it it for an hour or so, then run a dry one through. 

Most likely you'll have that gunk again.  Keep at it with the brush and soaking till you get not the slightest trace.  There that will teach you not to do that again.

Also to really get good results you need to get a scale that will weigh your bullets, unless things have changed, the lee one won't do it.  How ruthless to get is up to you, but remember a #8 shot weighs right at a grain, so any under your standard will have a void(s) the size of a #8 shot.  Myself I won't shoot anything that has a void that big I can see, so I also won't shoot one with a void that big I can't see.

Thanks Delmonico for the info. I hadn't planned on puttin anything other than lead though my new baby, but its good to know theres a solid reason to do just that.

— Lash Batson

[Deadeye Don]

Delmonico,   Interesting thoughts on jacketed bullets.  When I received my C-Sharps,  instructions came with it as to how to break in the barrel of the gun.  They suggested putting a number of JACKETED rounds down range,  cleaning the bore,  and firing more Jacketed rounds up to I believe about 100 rounds.   The Jacket actually seasons the barrel better, by getting rid of minute particles  of steel from what I understand.  They said you can do the same thing with lead bullets, but it simply takes longer.  I have yet to do this as I havent even fired my C-Sharps yet for lack of opportunity. 

[Delmonico]

It will break in the barrel faster, but you want to remove all the copper fpuling after.  I think Pedersoli uses jacketed for proof loads because mine had a tiny bit of copper in it when I cleaned it before I shot it the first time.

I hate cleaning copper fouling so I never shot any in it.  I get enough of that when I shoot Barnes X bullets in the 243.  Of course it is a tiny bit rough after about 6000 rounds since 82, still shoots to good to rebarrel.

[Digger]

The "BPCR Primer Handbook"! (I'd consider this a "must read" to get started)

Hi Y'all,

Do you have an author, or better yet ISBN on that?  I bought The Complete Blackpowder Handbook, by Sam Fadala, the other day and I wondered if it's the same one.

Thanks,
Digger

[Grogan]

Hi Y'all,

Do you have an author, or better yet ISBN on that?  I bought The Complete Blackpowder Handbook, by Sam Fadala, the other day and I wondered if it's the same one.

Thanks,
Digger

I don't have the ISBN because I'm not where I have the book right now, but...

The author/s are Steve Garbe & Mike Venturino.

If you go here you'll see it (this IS the Source )

http://www.blackpowderspg.com/mlvbooks.html

[Lash Batson]

Okay folks, as promised here are the results of todays outing.

Shooting Black Hills factory smokeless 405 grain ammo at 100 yards off sandbags...

The stock Pedersoli tang sight was right on the money for elevation, and was shooting right. It does not appear the sight has windage adjustment other than unscrewing the peep and scooting it over. If there is a scientific way of doing this please clue me in.

My second target yielded a three inch group, again a bit off to the right. The third target I tried to speed things up a bit and the group spread out to about 4.5 inches, still off to the right. Then the rain moved in and cut things short.

Recoil from the Black Hills ammo was stout but not uncomfortable.

Overall it was a blast to shoot. The guys at the club had just finished up a .22 precision benchrest match so my big boomer was a hit with the guys.

I'm sure the gun is more accurate than I am.

— Lash Batson

[Grogan]

The stock Pedersoli tang sight was right on the money for elevation, and was shooting right. It does not appear the sight has windage adjustment other than unscrewing the peep and scooting it over. If there is a scientific way of doing this please clue me in.

I'm sure the gun is more accurate than I am.

— Lash Batson

I'd do it by taking a fine pencil and putting a mark on both you FRONT Sight's Base as well as on the Barrel touching (a "witness mark", where you started).

Then taking a "drift" (small flat endedl Brass bar or rod) and small Hammer and tapping your Front Sight slightly to the RIGHT (which will move you point of impact to the Left)...shoot a few shots and adjust as necessary. 

[Digger]

I don't have the ISBN because I'm not where I have the book right now, but...

The author/s are Steve Garbe & Mike Venturino.

If you go here you'll see it (this IS the Source )

http://www.blackpowderspg.com/mlvbooks.html

Hi Y'all,

Thanks for the site.  I've bookmarked it and put the Primer on my to-get list.

Digger