uburte 1858 44 with 45LC R+D Conversion

fish camp said:

looking for suggestions for reload (safely) for to shoot a bear .

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None, actually.

Howdy

I have two 1858 Remingtons, one is an Uberti and one is an old EuroArms, equipped with the R&D six shot 45 Colt conversion cylinders.






The instructions that came with the cylinders clearly state that the cylinders should only be loaded with 'Cowboy Ammunition'. While there are no official SAAMI specifications for 'Cowboy Ammunition', you can find data for 'cowboy' loads at the web pages of the major powder manufacturers. I am not a hunter, but I would think that hunting dangerous game with 'Cowboy Loads' is a bad idea.

You can safely fire cartridges loaded with any soft lead projectile that will load over as much black powder as you can fit in.

As to shooting a bear, provided you can put a couple of 250 grain (I would want a BHN 8 Keith nosed bullet) into the lungs, presumably from a stand, and are a good tracker, the exercise is feasible, if not advisable.

Ever hear the expression, "you can't get there from here"? It applies.

Is it a Taylor's or Cimarron factory conversion or is it a Howell or Kirst converter? The converters require lead-bullet loads at under 1000fps. This is because replica percussion revolvers can split their forcing cones with higher-powered hard-cast loads or jacketed bullets. These are not the sorts of loads that it would be prudent to use on a bear.

If the gun was built in a factory as a 'purpose built' cartridge conversion like the guns from the companies mentioned above it should be OK to use any standard-pressure factory ammunition- but again these are generally not the sort of loads that it would be prudent to use on a bear.

Sorry OP, I just looked and saw it was an R&D conversion, so the first answer is correct- there aren't any safe reloads for this gun that would be suitable for hunting bear.

Michael Tinker Pearce said:

Is it a Taylor's or Cimarron factory conversion or is it a Howell or Kirst converter? The converters require lead-bullet loads at under 1000fps.

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If you look at the little brochure I posted, it specifically states the R&D Conversion cylinder recommends Cowboy Ammunition with a maximum muzzle velocity of 750-850 fps. That is what R&D recommends.

Driftwood Johnson said:

If you look at the little brochure I posted, it specifically states the R&D Conversion cylinder recommends Cowboy Ammunition with a maximum muzzle velocity of 750-850 fps. That is what R&D recommends.

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Good catch- I was basing my statement on what I read on the Kirst website.

Yep, "cowboy loads" for the R&D and 1000fps for the Kirst.

I have a Kirst on my 3rd Model Dragoon and could potentially utilize a bottom-of-the-totem-pole bear load in it consisting of a 275gr LFN at 900fps but it's a long way from ideal.

I have a stainless 1873 Uberti and reload smokeless rounds for my R&D conversion cylinder currently using Hornady 200 gr swaged SWC bullets on top Trail Boss. Mine gun shoots these very well, these are not bear rounds @ only about 800fps.