elhombre, I was aware of the stainless 1858 buffalos and the brass frame buffalos but was also not aware of the steel framed blued 1858 buffalo until I was trying to find a place to buy a 12" barrel from. I was going to switch the 8" barrel off my first 1858 to the 12". After I canceled my order for just the 12" barrel I bought the Traditions 12" 1858 and now I have two steel frame 1858s. I shot both on Sunday. My load for the 8" had been 35 grains of Pyrodex P(FFFg), pre-lubed felt wad, .451 round ball, and CCI #11 caps. I shot the same load in my new 12". Then the only thing I changed before shooting both guns again was to load .454 round balls...everything else the same. Hodgdon's 2008 muzzleloading manual under cap and ball revolver data says that a steel frame 44 Cal .1858 Rem Steel Frame with 454 HDY RB/Ox-Yoke w/wad and 35 grains of Pyrodex P one should get 910 fps. I set my Pact 1XP chronograph up at a measured 10 feet in front of my muzzlesand ran a cylinder load of each ball diameter through each gun (20 shots total, I only load 5). From the 8" with .451 rb my chrono averaged 1187, the 8" with .454 rb averaged 1203. The 12" with .451 rb averaged 1239, the 12" with .454 rb averaged 1245. I bought a bottle of Tripple seven but haven't shot any yet with either ball diameter.
