rodwha
58 Cal.
Anyone with a .40 cal rifle find a .380" RB to work well? Especially with pillow ticking (0.016")?
.380" PRB in .40 cal?
- Thread starter rodwha
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Snakebite
45 Cal.
No. I use a .395.
jamesthomas
70 Cal.
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Well, with a .380 ball and using .016 pillow ticking you not even close to filling the grooves of your rifle or the lands for that matter. .380+.016=.396 so your not even close for a tight fit. I would expect a lot of "blow by" and torn patches with that combo, And more of a "pattern" than a group.
rodwha
58 Cal.
That ball and patch combo ought to be ~0.412" and if groove depth was a problem I could use wads.
I've been wanting a .36 cal pistol and I like the idea of one ball to stock up on.
I assume it would be too hard on the gun (Uberti pistol) were I to try .390" RB's
I've been wanting a .36 cal pistol and I like the idea of one ball to stock up on.
I assume it would be too hard on the gun (Uberti pistol) were I to try .390" RB's
I will add my 1 cent.
I have a 40 cal rifle and a 36 revolver.
I have used .400 balls for both.
The rifle has a green mountian barrel with false muzzle.
I use a .375 home made sizing die and press the .400 balls through. Comes out as round nose, flat sided projectile.
:stir:
I have a 40 cal rifle and a 36 revolver.
I have used .400 balls for both.
The rifle has a green mountian barrel with false muzzle.
I use a .375 home made sizing die and press the .400 balls through. Comes out as round nose, flat sided projectile.
:stir:
AZbpBurner
54 Cal.
When I was a kid, I cast .375" balls for Dad's 1861 Navy. 43 years later, I am still using the same mold for that Navy and also an 1858 Remington. We built a .40 Cal percussion rifle and Dad was happy with the .375" balls and a thick patch. Not sure what material he used for patches, and I don't have any on hand to be able to compare, but they were noticeably thicker than the patches I use today. He was happy to be able to punch a pie tin at 100 yards, so I never pursued other ball sizes.
I now have his rifle, and some Hornaday .395" balls that I'll try with .015" patches when I have time to make some up. I'll also try some of the .375" balls with a .020" patch just for performance comparison.
I suspect there will be a .395" RB mold in my future.
This is high on the list of winter range to-do's.
I now have his rifle, and some Hornaday .395" balls that I'll try with .015" patches when I have time to make some up. I'll also try some of the .375" balls with a .020" patch just for performance comparison.
I suspect there will be a .395" RB mold in my future.
This is high on the list of winter range to-do's.
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I use .380s with 020 pillow ticking lubed with bear oil in my 40 and am very pleased with my groups out to about 75 yrds. It loads very easy and at normal squirrel killing ranges I have no trouble taking head shots :v
As others have stated already, they can work just fine. I usually use 390 in mine but recently bought a big box that measured 380 but had been mismarked as 390s. I was going to melt them down and recast them but decided to try some anyway. They loaded very easy and accuracy at 25 to 35 yards was good so I kept them for my squirrel load. I like the fact they load so well on a foweled barrel.
rodwha
58 Cal.
Loading all day long with a fouled barrel is sorta what I was considering. An all day long small game hunting festival of sorts.
For typical small game hunting I figure the majority, by far, would be shot within 25 yds and maybe a tight patch wasn't quite as important, that head shots may be possible.
For typical small game hunting I figure the majority, by far, would be shot within 25 yds and maybe a tight patch wasn't quite as important, that head shots may be possible.
BGRooster1
40 Cal.
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I would think that just because when you buy that rifle the box says .40 caliber ,does not mean it actually is. I would think that one makers barrels may be larger than .40 and some may be smaller.
You hear all the time someone saying this or that won't work because they can't get it to work in a certain gun they tried it with.Doesn't mean it is written in stone.
Didn't soldiers use firearms back in the day with smaller than what would be considered proper or best projectiles for quick loading?
You hear all the time someone saying this or that won't work because they can't get it to work in a certain gun they tried it with.Doesn't mean it is written in stone.
Didn't soldiers use firearms back in the day with smaller than what would be considered proper or best projectiles for quick loading?
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And going small ball can mean scrap alloy works ok, letting you save good lead for where you need it.
rodwha I got 100lbs of 380 rbs in a trade and since i had a few 40 flinters on hand I was determined to make them work. it took a little bit of practice ,exsperementin,and hair pullin but I finaly got good results out of them .Each rifle needs a different powder charge but they make a fine squirrel rifle.Head shot only as a body shot makes them hard to skin.
Bingo. Give the man a cigar.
Just because a barrel is called a certain caliber doesn't mean it is perzactly that. Your barrel may, in fact, be a 38, or even a .42. You don't know until you measure and try.
Try it, all you have to lose is some lead and powder. Then you tell us.
rodwha
58 Cal.
It dictates which makes more sense for me. As I'm on a very restricted budget I can either buy a .32 cal Traditions rifle, or I can buy a barrel for my Lyman's.
A .40 cal 15/16" barrel that's say 20" long might not be too heavy to be concerned about. And since I am fond of a .36 cal '62 Colt that avenue may be worthwhile.
I've often read of the complaints of the small calibers being harder to find an accurate load, as well as needing swabbed much more often. Though I've also seen contradicting claims, and therefore I'm not sold that it is just harder to work with, I do still like the idea of needing to buy one less mold, and to stock up on cast RB's for another caliber.
I like simple and multipurpose. But if a .380" RB isn't likely to work well in a .40 cal than it's not worth considering, and puts me back at a Traditions rifle and needing 2 molds.
And I'm not even at the point of making this jump, but I do like considering my options and whatnot. And I had initially looked at finding someone capable of a custom barrel made to shoot either a .380" RB or .320" RB as I was also eyeing a '63 Remington.
A .40 cal 15/16" barrel that's say 20" long might not be too heavy to be concerned about. And since I am fond of a .36 cal '62 Colt that avenue may be worthwhile.
I've often read of the complaints of the small calibers being harder to find an accurate load, as well as needing swabbed much more often. Though I've also seen contradicting claims, and therefore I'm not sold that it is just harder to work with, I do still like the idea of needing to buy one less mold, and to stock up on cast RB's for another caliber.
I like simple and multipurpose. But if a .380" RB isn't likely to work well in a .40 cal than it's not worth considering, and puts me back at a Traditions rifle and needing 2 molds.
And I'm not even at the point of making this jump, but I do like considering my options and whatnot. And I had initially looked at finding someone capable of a custom barrel made to shoot either a .380" RB or .320" RB as I was also eyeing a '63 Remington.
Rule 47B, subsection III, paragraph D dictates that you cannot call yerself a muzzle loader until you have, at least, a dozen unused moulds on the shelf in yer shop. :wink:
Enneyhow, consider this. The barrels you are considering are in the $100.00 range. A new Leee mould is about $20.00. Slug yer barrel and get appropriate new mould. My tuppence.
Guess I can call myself a muzzleloader. I have 44 molds on the shelf although quite a few of them are used regularly.
