Smokeless Muzzel loader

Well I just wanted to post an update to a project I started about a year ago, and adding a post to a 1 year old thread, usually means it doesn't get read. BUT I really wanted to say thanks for the good advice (and bad!) and share what ended up working well for my fellow "metal heads" here, (see original post http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=694413):

To all those who found this article interesting and added their thought and advice, I bring news of update in this project. First off it turned out to be a huge success ..BUT I did heed alot of the advice and warnings and made 2 VERY huge game plan changes,:

1- First off I sold the 44-40 barrel and purchased a green mountain 45-70 grade 1 1/4" straight rifle barrel blank for the project (midway)- turned a taper and profile to it (full 1 1/4" at the breech for 6")

2- I decided to mount in to my stevens 180 hammer less 12 gauge shotgun receiver. Tapped it for a 1/2- 20 x 3/4" nf breech plug, bored for 209 primers (3/32 flash hole). Using reloader 7 and Lee's R.E.A.L. 260 grn bullets to proof fire it (string remote firing) I worked up to 53 grns before I quit as the primers began to deform really bad. I plan to run it at 40 grns

Next I have to drill and tap to mount the scope and then we will see how accurate she is!

I tried 2400 powder but at only 25 grns the primers started to rupture

Sighting in day results!

So I drilled and tapped the barrel installed a decent scope and went a shooting. I got her down to about a 3" group at 100 yards, but I am sure she will do better with the right mix. Now I know that a 260 grn slug is light for 45-70 style twist 1 in 22", but that's all lee had in a r.e.a.l. mold, (the real slug steps from .452 to .465 bottom groove to top- I am using bore butter for lube) So should I go more powder or less than 40 grns of reloader 7 to get better results --- thoughts?

braver or crazier?

No I just proof fire first with a long string! (while behind a concrete wall!)-- Did you know that for many years proof marks meant that the firearm was "proofed"
by firing it with a 3x powder charge? at least this is what I have been told, I think if you tried that with smokeless like bulls eye you would shred any barrel!

final update- success!

After mounting a sweet 3x9 wide angle scope, and without much fine tuning I was able to quickly zero it in and get it down to 2" groups, ---- then too it out hunting for 2013 NY muzzel loader! 2 shots, to kills , one at 70 yards!>

I plan to crown polish it and fine tune my powder charge for best accuracy, Hopefully I can get it down to 2 inches at 150 yards, well see!

I whish I knew,

On my whish list next is a chronograph! but it's very very "cracky" implying well above the speed of sound? like what a 308 sounds like so I am guessing at least 2100 fps if not more. I know that the slug offers very little resistance to the ramrod once it gets shaped by the short starter, and there's quite a bit of grease grooves and grease (bore butter), and 250 grain @ 40 grains of re-loader 7 - but a chrony 7 is soon to be ordered!

got a chrony f-1

So here is the result, at 45 grains of re-7 it consistently did 1700-1800 fps--
at 50 grains of re-7 it consistently ran around 2100 fps- pushing a 250 grn .

What do you think, go with 2100 fps? Original 45-70 load data shows 2100 fps on a 275 grn slug- I doubt my pressure is anywhere near max, as using a real bullet means the bullet is already shaped to the bore, well greased and offers very little resistance - as well as it just is starting to bulge shotgun 209 primers.

Load data 45-70

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/d...-70&Weight=All&type=Rifle&Order=Powder&Source

I should not have called it "original" - (my starting point would have been a better reference)