Hildo...
- Thread starter Afy
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hildo
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Blackpowder BFR
Pas de problem, Afy.
My latest 'adventure' is buying my first smokeless gun. We can only own 5 licenced guns in Holland, so I must be very carefull what to choose.
I like big guns, so it is something like my favourite, the Walker, just bigger. 47 cm overall length and it weighs in at 2120 grams (unloaded) which makes it just a bit heavier than the 2052 grams (unloaded) Walker. In fact it seemes to be the biggest production single action revolver in the world. Just perfect!
It's a BFR from Magnum Research, ofcoarse in 45-70 with the longest available 10 inch barrel. If you pull it out on the range, everybody that sees it for the first time just has to laugh. The sheer size of the revolver is humor in a cartoon like way.
I must say the fit and finish of this stainless gun is above my expectations. It is very well made and would recommend it. Just need to get rid of them plastic/rubber grips and get, or make, some nice rosewood ones and it's perfect. I can post some close-up photograps of this revolver, if anyone is interested.
It's not really a blackpowder thing, but that don't mean you can't shoot BP in it. It actually does quite well on BP as far as I have seen now. The Walker is quite a sight te behold, but the BFR is nothing less in 45-70 caliber! Massive Flames and a great kabooom with quite a bit of recoil because of the much heavier bullets. On accuracy I don't know much yet. Since it is a smokeless designed barrel, it might get dirty quicker, the grooves are shallow in comparison to a BP barrel. Will find out soon enough though.
62 grains of FFFG and a 340 grain cast bullet really make it come alive, so did the 58 grains behind a 405 grain cast bullet. A very manageble load though.
My own reloads, upto fullhouse 57 grain N133 VihtaVuori smokeless behind a 340 grain bullet was not manageable at all!
Here a smokeless shot with two hands, don't make much difference. You just have this feeling 'I don't want to pull that trigger'. From the lightest to the heaviest, all smokeless loads with N133 were very hard and it is impossible to keep the barrel down. Got of some 15 rounds and my shooting hand stopped hurting after 3 days.
Man, I'm too old for this.
Blackpowder was, and is, even in a BFR, the way to go!
Pas de problem, Afy.
My latest 'adventure' is buying my first smokeless gun. We can only own 5 licenced guns in Holland, so I must be very carefull what to choose.
I like big guns, so it is something like my favourite, the Walker, just bigger. 47 cm overall length and it weighs in at 2120 grams (unloaded) which makes it just a bit heavier than the 2052 grams (unloaded) Walker. In fact it seemes to be the biggest production single action revolver in the world. Just perfect!
It's a BFR from Magnum Research, ofcoarse in 45-70 with the longest available 10 inch barrel. If you pull it out on the range, everybody that sees it for the first time just has to laugh. The sheer size of the revolver is humor in a cartoon like way.
I must say the fit and finish of this stainless gun is above my expectations. It is very well made and would recommend it. Just need to get rid of them plastic/rubber grips and get, or make, some nice rosewood ones and it's perfect. I can post some close-up photograps of this revolver, if anyone is interested.
It's not really a blackpowder thing, but that don't mean you can't shoot BP in it. It actually does quite well on BP as far as I have seen now. The Walker is quite a sight te behold, but the BFR is nothing less in 45-70 caliber! Massive Flames and a great kabooom with quite a bit of recoil because of the much heavier bullets. On accuracy I don't know much yet. Since it is a smokeless designed barrel, it might get dirty quicker, the grooves are shallow in comparison to a BP barrel. Will find out soon enough though.
62 grains of FFFG and a 340 grain cast bullet really make it come alive, so did the 58 grains behind a 405 grain cast bullet. A very manageble load though.
My own reloads, upto fullhouse 57 grain N133 VihtaVuori smokeless behind a 340 grain bullet was not manageable at all!
Here a smokeless shot with two hands, don't make much difference. You just have this feeling 'I don't want to pull that trigger'. From the lightest to the heaviest, all smokeless loads with N133 were very hard and it is impossible to keep the barrel down. Got of some 15 rounds and my shooting hand stopped hurting after 3 days.
Man, I'm too old for this.
Blackpowder was, and is, even in a BFR, the way to go!
Steve499
Member
Funny! Maybe you could rig up a sling swivel on a lug under the barrel, sort of like the express rifles have, and hook a sling in it with a stirrup on the bottom end. Make sure you have your foot in the stirrup when you shoot or it might swing in an overhead arc and break something important on your dorsal side.
Make sure you have your foot in the stirrup when you shoot or it might swing in an overhead arc and break something important on your dorsal side.
theotherwaldo
Member
That last photo reminds me of an old buddy who thought he had fixed the sear of his .44 Automag.
I was on the line when I heard the "B-Boom!"
I ran over to where he was laying, flat on his back, out cold, bleeding heavily from his forehead and the nape of his neck. I checked for breathing, heartbeat, and penetration, then ran to his girlfriend to have her get an ambulance.
Trotted back, thought about trying to stop the bleeding, decided to just keep him from moving in case of serious injury. He can grow more blood, but not more spine.
Then I checked for his gun. Couldn't find it.
How do you lose an AMT .44 Automag?
We found out when the ambulance came. He was laying on it. The slam-fire flipped the gun out of his hands, hooked his brow ridge, back-flipped over his shaved head, the front sight jabbed the back of his head, then the gun dropped and he landed on it.
He tried to sell me that gun when he was released from the hospital.
I turned him down.
I was on the line when I heard the "B-Boom!"
I ran over to where he was laying, flat on his back, out cold, bleeding heavily from his forehead and the nape of his neck. I checked for breathing, heartbeat, and penetration, then ran to his girlfriend to have her get an ambulance.
Trotted back, thought about trying to stop the bleeding, decided to just keep him from moving in case of serious injury. He can grow more blood, but not more spine.
Then I checked for his gun. Couldn't find it.
How do you lose an AMT .44 Automag?
We found out when the ambulance came. He was laying on it. The slam-fire flipped the gun out of his hands, hooked his brow ridge, back-flipped over his shaved head, the front sight jabbed the back of his head, then the gun dropped and he landed on it.
He tried to sell me that gun when he was released from the hospital.
I turned him down.
arcticap
Member
Maybe you can find a lighter smokeless powder load using one of the cowboy action powders like Varget or Clays?
Here's some free loading data that includes .45.-70 Varget loads:
http://www.hodgdon.com/
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp
Here's some free loading data that includes .45.-70 Varget loads:
http://www.hodgdon.com/
http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp
Voodoochile
Member
A friend of mine has that exact same gune except his has the 8 inch barrel in .45-70 GVT., beautiful gun & is very rough in your hands but my question to him was "what are you going to do with it, you don't HUNT!?"
His responce was "it's cool, it's the biggest gun I've ever seen, & if a BG home invades me he'll meet it's business end." OMG!!!
I'm still trying to convince him to start reloading for it because of the cost of ammo being around $27.00 - $60.00 a box of 20 OUCH!!!
Friend you have fun with that beast.
His responce was "it's cool, it's the biggest gun I've ever seen, & if a BG home invades me he'll meet it's business end." OMG!!!
I'm still trying to convince him to start reloading for it because of the cost of ammo being around $27.00 - $60.00 a box of 20 OUCH!!!
Friend you have fun with that beast.
alemonkey
Member
Good God man, you must be some kind of masochist.
And here I was just whining the other day about how my shoulder hurt after a day of shooting 500 grain bullets out of a 12 pound 45-70 Sharps!!!!
And here I was just whining the other day about how my shoulder hurt after a day of shooting 500 grain bullets out of a 12 pound 45-70 Sharps!!!!
arcticap
Member
At least by shooting a pistol, the recoil is not likely to detach his retinas!
I had a .45/70 barrel for my Contender pistol. After about 20 rounds, I sold it. It was just more than I wanted to deal with. Caused the arthritis to flare up in my wrists and I was grumpy for a week. Sure was accurate though ... but I would only have used it for deer hunting .. and my 30/30 barrel is much milder and great for hunting.
arcticap
Member
It looks like he was "TKO'd" by the BFR - Technically Knocked Over!
Ifishsum
Member
Either that or he ducked out of the way
I rather like shooting big bore magnums but I think that one would give me pause.
hildo
Member
On photo 5 I indeed lost my balance.
The ceiling on the range is rather low and the barrel kept on flipping into it. So got down on one knee, more space for the gun to go somewhere, but it's more difficult to keep your balance when you're not used to shooting from a kneeled position.
All in all these loads are not fun, and much harder than I saw (probably factory loads) on youtube from a few people.
I had already bought Trail Boss smokeless powder, which was developed especially for cowboy loads. This shoots very soft, but it sounds like a 38 special or so. A little dissapointing, sound wise. I like the nice boom too and Trail Boss just doesn't make the experience as lively as BP does.
The blackpowder rounds are way on top for me, no doubt. A little kick, enough to let you know something is happening, but not too much. The sound, flame & smell is, as always, great too.
Will look into a nice smokeless 'in between load' that will do something but will stay out of the 'hurt' range. I'm no masochist.
My only reason for shooting smokeless is out of consideration for my fellow shooters. It can get quite cloudy when I am having a go at it and the smoke has a tendency to hang around on the (closed) range. Very little options for me to shoot in open air.
If I were able to shoot out in the open I would never have gone for smokeless in the first place.
Still all in all I am a very happy camper with this gun, and have no regrets even though I just shoot at paper targets. Just have to find that right load and the BFR will suit me just fine, no matter it's size.
Just bought a couple of suspenders so I can carry the BFR and the Walker in holsters at a cowboy weekend without ending up with my trousers around my ankles.
Hey, someone has to have the biggest guns out there!
The ceiling on the range is rather low and the barrel kept on flipping into it. So got down on one knee, more space for the gun to go somewhere, but it's more difficult to keep your balance when you're not used to shooting from a kneeled position.
All in all these loads are not fun, and much harder than I saw (probably factory loads) on youtube from a few people.
I had already bought Trail Boss smokeless powder, which was developed especially for cowboy loads. This shoots very soft, but it sounds like a 38 special or so. A little dissapointing, sound wise. I like the nice boom too and Trail Boss just doesn't make the experience as lively as BP does.
The blackpowder rounds are way on top for me, no doubt. A little kick, enough to let you know something is happening, but not too much. The sound, flame & smell is, as always, great too.
Will look into a nice smokeless 'in between load' that will do something but will stay out of the 'hurt' range. I'm no masochist.
My only reason for shooting smokeless is out of consideration for my fellow shooters. It can get quite cloudy when I am having a go at it and the smoke has a tendency to hang around on the (closed) range. Very little options for me to shoot in open air.
If I were able to shoot out in the open I would never have gone for smokeless in the first place.
Still all in all I am a very happy camper with this gun, and have no regrets even though I just shoot at paper targets. Just have to find that right load and the BFR will suit me just fine, no matter it's size.
Just bought a couple of suspenders so I can carry the BFR and the Walker in holsters at a cowboy weekend without ending up with my trousers around my ankles.
Hey, someone has to have the biggest guns out there!
kentucky bucky
Member
Could you get some sharp machinist to port the barrel? That would tame some of the muzzle flip.
scrat
Member
OMG Hildo that is freaken awesome. just awesome. Thanks for sharing I cant stop looking at those pics now. Wow just wow.
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