Heavies In The Great Plains Hunter

[nkbj]

Douglas D,
Have you checked out the 540-524BB and 540-450 designs that NEI makes? I'm about half way wanting to send one of my old NEI molds back to them to get it recut to try some out. Right now I'm working a maxihunter mold weighing out at 430gr in a New Englander. The front band is .545" and the rear three bands are .540". Results look promising. Probably all the lead I'll ever need in that short a barrel.

 

[nkbj]

Thanks BrownBear.
Do you think the drop on the comb comes into play on him with the recoil? It will at some point when the barrel weight is no longer enough to hold her down but I don't have a handle on where that is. Maybe I should chunk some heavies out of the GPR just to see how the recoil feels!

 

[douglas duncan]

thanks for the link. looked at the 540/450 very similar to the great plains. do you have to resize this? and will it work with the 1-32 twist?

 

[BrownBear]

Thanks BrownBear.
Do you think the drop on the comb comes into play on him with the recoil? It will at some point when the barrel weight is no longer enough to hold her down but I don't have a handle on where that is. Maybe I should chunk some heavies out of the GPR just to see how the recoil feels!

Actually it's much better than his TC Hawken and Renegade. Both of those have such high combs, when you lock down tight for a good sight picture, the comb really whangs your cheekbone with stiff conical loads. The GPR on the other hand is comparatively comfortable with the same loads.

How your face is shaped has lots to do with it, I'm sure. I've got three 58 cal rifles for example, each with a bit different stock configuration. The TC Big Boar eats me up with heavy loads, while a GRRW Hawken with lots of drop is a dream to shoot, even with heavier loads than I can stand in the Big Boar. The third rifle is somewhere between the two in terms of drop, though lighter even than the Big Boar. Haven't tried any heavy loads in it, and I'm not inclined to do so!!! :shocked2:

 

[nkbj]

Well, NEI says in their catalog that rifle molds cast 1 to 2 thousandths oversize. On a wild hair I'd be willing to risk it casting smaller with straight lead and working ok in the New Englander. But, I've got an old set of blocks to recut for cheap.
By the way, the New Englander comes back pretty straight. I was kinda leary of it but it doesn't seem to kick much at all (yet).

 

[paulab]

To quote Paul V. WADR, Did you not see the word "traditional" in describing this forum? The gun you write about is a bullet gun. Yeah, some members have them and shoot them. They like them as far as I have read here, but they dont often write about them here on THIS forum". Hey Paul! Maybe we would write more about them if we didn't get responses like that. The English were building and competing with m/l target rifle BULLET guns between 1860-1865. Doesn't that fall into the parameters for this forum? I shoot a copy of an 1865 Gibbs target rifle. Members out there like myself, David M. V-Bull, Broadarrow and others have long range muzzleloaders and shoot and compete with them regularly. I'd bet we all have round ball guns too. Two flinters and two cappers in my case. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, Why don't we all just contribute what we can to this forum without scolding someone who doesn't fit YOUR version of "traditional"? If it was made in 1865 or earlier it IS traditional. PERIOD. respectfully paul

 

[BrownBear]

Yawn. :snore:

All lead conicals are perfectly legal here. :dead:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have no problem with people posting about their bullet rifles made and used before 1865, or replicas thereof. I enjoy reading about them. I have learned more about the long range target guns here, than in all the other sources of material I have read in more than 50 years. The development of the Minie ball, then the hollow based bullets, and Hexagonal shaped bullets, lead, eventually to flat based, inside-the-case-lubed bullets following 1865. Before 1866, bullets were lubed on the outside, paper patched, or both, with hollow bases. ( The .22 BB cap, vintage 1846, fired a lead round ball; and the .22 short, developed by Smith& Wesson in 1857, fired and outside lubed, slightly hollow based bullet.Subsequent rimfire cartridges used the S&W design, in larger calibers, for both handguns and rifles.)

So, I think you failed to read my post correctly. Those of us who have been casting bullets for more than 50 years have a very clear understanding of what bullets existed during and before the Civil War, and what came afterwards. If I shiver at the very thought of someone thinking that a copper jacketed pistol bullet in a plastic sabot is " Traditional", please forgive me! :shocked2: :surrender: :hatsoff:

 

[Idaho Ron]

Who was talking about a copper jacketed pistol bullet in a sabot?
I will say it again. Conicals that are made fully of lead are traditional and have been discussed before. Paul V re-read zonies post. Ron

 

[Idaho Ron]

I don't have any info for you in the 54. I don't pour bullets for it. The paper patched Lee C-501-440-RF will shoot good out of your 1-28 twist 50 cal. Ron

Idaho Ron, maybe you can help me out, I have the GPH in .54 cal. I am trying to figure out which lee molds I can use for the rifle. I have the R.E.A.L. mold already but would like something a little bigger in weight. plus I do not care for the "REAL" bullet all that much kinda hard to lube it. I have a .50 cal with a 1-28 twist that will shoot the no-excuses 460 grn pretty good. so I was looking for something similar to the no-excuses 460 grn.

 

[Billnpatti]

With All Due Respect