What the heck - I'll solicit ya'll's opinions, as I'm sorta stumped, otherwise. The rifle in the background is a Field's Patent Single Shot, caliber .500-450#1 blackpowder express. The action is somewhat rare, but was obviously someone's favorite hunting rifle, as it is quite worn at its balance point. At one time it had engraving show lions, tigers, and antelope, but now this artwork is barely visible.
The bore retains strong rifling, but also enough roughness that I have had trouble getting it to shoot accurately. I am pretty experienced at handloading for rifles, but not paper patching, so I keep wondering if I am missing something, or just using the wrong components.
So far the best load has been 45 grains of 4198, topped by 10 grains of dacron filler and a wonder wad. The bullet was a 300 grain .452 dia hard cast SWC actually intended for the .45 Colt - with the paper patching it was well over the .455 bore diameter, but velocities were very consistent at 1900 fps, and it shot to the point of aim on the fixed sights. It usually puts the first 3 shots from a clean barrel into 3 inches at 50 yards, then groups spread widely, I suspect as a result of the bore fouling and paper patches tearing as they go down the bore.
Is there a paper patching method that will better tolerate slightly rough bores? Or is my best bet to get some of the soft jacketed bullets from people like Hawk Bullets? Fire lapping?
I won't shoot this beast a lot, but would like to bag a deer or boar with it. It's no valuable elephant rifle, but it represents a lot of history, and a 300 grain bullet at 1900 fps is no trivial load! It's also hard to dislike a rifle that is inscribed, "R.B. Rodda & Co, #6 & #8 Dalhousie Square, Calcutta
Rodda I gather was a distributor of trade guns for a number of years, any info on them would also be appreciated.
Thanks!
The bore retains strong rifling, but also enough roughness that I have had trouble getting it to shoot accurately. I am pretty experienced at handloading for rifles, but not paper patching, so I keep wondering if I am missing something, or just using the wrong components.
So far the best load has been 45 grains of 4198, topped by 10 grains of dacron filler and a wonder wad. The bullet was a 300 grain .452 dia hard cast SWC actually intended for the .45 Colt - with the paper patching it was well over the .455 bore diameter, but velocities were very consistent at 1900 fps, and it shot to the point of aim on the fixed sights. It usually puts the first 3 shots from a clean barrel into 3 inches at 50 yards, then groups spread widely, I suspect as a result of the bore fouling and paper patches tearing as they go down the bore.
Is there a paper patching method that will better tolerate slightly rough bores? Or is my best bet to get some of the soft jacketed bullets from people like Hawk Bullets? Fire lapping?
I won't shoot this beast a lot, but would like to bag a deer or boar with it. It's no valuable elephant rifle, but it represents a lot of history, and a 300 grain bullet at 1900 fps is no trivial load! It's also hard to dislike a rifle that is inscribed, "R.B. Rodda & Co, #6 & #8 Dalhousie Square, Calcutta
Rodda I gather was a distributor of trade guns for a number of years, any info on them would also be appreciated.
Thanks!
