awp101
.401 Bobcat
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Post by awp101 on Nov 21, 2017 9:05:23 GMT -5
I've never fiddled with any of the BPCR calibers besides .45-70 and .45-120. Based on the price per round I've seen, rolling my own would be a must.
Is this an easy one for the novice to learn to load or is it something for the advanced loader?
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 21, 2017 9:39:06 GMT -5
pretty easy... just a tapered 45-70 case... I have a Navy Arms 40-65 Rolling Block, that I use for CAS long range buffalo shoots... I use smokeless loads with excellent results...
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awp101
.401 Bobcat
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Post by awp101 on Nov 21, 2017 15:51:38 GMT -5
Thanks mwm! Much pondering to do...
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 21, 2017 16:25:05 GMT -5
note the 4 different bullet weights I started with... all shoot reasonably well... but this gun prefers the 2nd to the heaviest of those pictured with smokeless... been a long time since I loaded for this rifle... common 45-70 powders were my 1st choices...
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dhd
.327 Meteor
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Post by dhd on Nov 21, 2017 17:17:02 GMT -5
Yes, a Dave Crossno Remington Hepburn. Mine has never been fired with anything but black and my own cast bullets and will only be fired that way. A 45/70 is an easier cartridge to get to shoot easily (308 Winchester compared to a 243 Winchester kinda analogy), but both share a similar accuracy potential I believe. Since you already do the 45/70 thing, you should have little trouble stepping into the 40/65. My examples and experience with both calibers is black powder and cast bullets, so I have nothing when white powder is considered. I use both GG bullets and PP bullets with a preference in accuracy using PP and an overall ease of use with GG. All of my molds are in the 395 - 410 grain weights. What do you plan?
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ericp
.327 Meteor
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Post by ericp on Nov 21, 2017 18:09:27 GMT -5
Yes, but only in an old 86 Winchester. Very different beast than what the singleshot guys are doing with it. No particular hassles with it and case forming is a breeze if you don't want to pony up for properly headstamped brass.
Eric
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awp101
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Post by awp101 on Nov 21, 2017 22:36:56 GMT -5
Great looking rifles mwm and dhd, thanks! Nothing specific yet, just looking around with the thought of eventually replacing the Pedersoli .45-120 I used to have. Even though my preference is for an 1874 model Sharps in .45-70, I'm having fun looking at other calibers as well as Ruger No1's in .30-06 and .45-70 since those have been on my want list for a while. Did some reading on the .50-70 this weekend and even found a converted 1863 Sharps close enough to my work for a lunch time visit but that's more money and caliber than I want to deal with right now. I like "dash" calibers. I wouldn't be opposed to a single shot .32-40 eventually, but it's all looking and saving right now.
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 22, 2017 7:00:10 GMT -5
dhd... I've always wanted a Hepburn, & yours looks like a beauty... my 1st Remington #1 Rolling block was converted from custom 219 Zipper which was too much pressure for the #1 rifle it was made out of, so I like to think I saved it, when I purchased it, & converted it to 32-40 ( actually set up as 8mm-40 for the faster twist barrel for heavy bullets )... also I have a 50-70 custom Martini as well... both of those are also very interesting to shoot my 50-70 Martini comes with an interesting story... it was found on the shore of a creek, just outside Northfield Minnesota, along an old trail, along with a cache of old revolvers & assorted rifles, in the early 1960's ... by the age & types of guns, it was suspected they could have been placed there by the James Gang, before their foiled robbery, as back up guns, & then long forgotten, they were under water, & most were un-salvageable, with pitting, rusted springs, & rotted grips & stocks ... but the receiver of this Martini while obviously not in pristine condition, was strong enough, that it was cleaned up some, & fitted with replacement parts & rebarreled in 50-70 because of it's low chamber pressure... she is a little loose for a Martini, & ugly like a bulldog, but loved... I always think cowboys & robbers, when ever I take it out to shoot, & it always puts a big smile on my face Bottom rifle in this picture is the 50-70 Northfield gun... top one is my custom Martini "Safari", with a light weight octagon barrel from a 458 Win Mag originally, & 3 leaf sights, it's now chambered in 45-70, & is more than capable of shooting "hot" 45-70 loads
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awp101
.401 Bobcat
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Posts: 2,641
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Post by awp101 on Nov 22, 2017 8:27:15 GMT -5
Doing some reading, it looks like .40-65 uses .406" bullets so I'm guessing .40/10mm won't work as cheap plinking bullets?
mwm I'm a sucker for Martinis, large frame or small. Which Mark is that one?
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 22, 2017 8:40:38 GMT -5
Everything I have ( 4 ) are all large frames... the 2 pictured are "tropical" long levers... I'd love to have a Cadet in a smaller caliber... one just hasn't found it's way home with me... all of mine are marked as Enfields... one from "down under" hasn't found it's way here either... but like all things, one must be careful... The last one I bought was a #4 Enfield Carbine, at a gun show, that had an authentication certificate with it, that wasn't worth the paper it was printed on... it turned out to be a Kyber pass gun ( very evident by obviously hand made parts inside )... which required a lot more work to fit factory internal components, & then proofing... we decided that one should be a "30-30" we marked it with it's metric designation & stamped the receiver in a prominent place "not Enfield" it shoots great, & is safe for factory 30-30 ammo, but I prefer to handload for my single shots ( Contenders too ) & use pointed bullets, since pretty much all factory ammo is made for the tube magazine repeaters
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 22, 2017 8:41:47 GMT -5
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dhd
.327 Meteor
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Post by dhd on Nov 22, 2017 9:39:10 GMT -5
Doing some reading, it looks like .40-65 uses .406" bullets so I'm guessing .40/10mm won't work as cheap plinking bullets? mwm I'm a sucker for Martinis, large frame or small. Which Mark is that one? You are correct. It's not a 10mm. To confuse matters more, some barrel makers can use a larger groove, Douglas for instance at .410" while Krieger uses .408". The bore for both are .400". This creates interesting issues with bullet fit and that is one of the more important aspects of accuracy (bullet just gotta fit don't it?). Black Powder "bumps up" a bullet assuming you use the proper alloy. A hard alloy back in the day might have been 10 - 1 lead tin. I use a harder alloy for PP than I do for GG bullets and you have to consider bullet nose slump too so dead soft is a no no for the long target bullets used in competition and long range target work. A Winchester 86 was mentioned earlier in the thread and they are a different cat than what I'm talking/typing about with .406" groove. So you kinda asked if it was an easy caliber to play with? As long as know what you are dealing with it isn't too hard. A 45/70 is easy cause it is .450" and .458" and they like smokeless and true gunpowder, hard and softer alloys (and I'm having trouble even typing this, but a jacketed bullet, for shame), long barrels and short, etc etc etc. Maybe i used the wrong analogy and should have used a 44 Magnum and a 44/40. Anyway, I know what I know and that might not be what is........ I picked a 40/65 because I had my 45/70 BPCR figured out and needed another project. I knew what I was getting into and dealt specifically with that rifle and it's bore/groove and intended purpose.
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awp101
.401 Bobcat
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Posts: 2,641
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Post by awp101 on Nov 24, 2017 10:34:57 GMT -5
Thanks dhd, that does help. If I go for one, it would be a cast only rifle primarily running BP but I have seen some smokeless loads offered that might be fun every once in a while.
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awp101
.401 Bobcat
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Posts: 2,641
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Post by awp101 on Nov 24, 2017 18:06:31 GMT -5
Sooooo, what is .40 x 2 1/4? Is it .40-70? Straight wall or a bottleneck round? Mr Google isn't giving me very clear answers...
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Post by magnumwheelman on Nov 25, 2017 9:40:21 GMT -5
Not familiar... but if it is a traditional... it's likely a tapered case...
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