When I'm shooting for fun, I shoot PRB. 32" barrel 60" twist. I have only shot this rifle for about 25 years, I dont know much about it, it has only killed maybe 25 or 30 deer. But for what it is worth, this particular rifle likes 120 gr of FFg under the .520 ball. It is a .530 bore. Best accuracy is with this load.
Using the formulas, this bore and twist should handle any projectile that is .6 of an inch long or shorter.
Now all this HC stuff is fine if you live in town and dont get out much. For those of us who live outside of town and particualarly west of the Mississippi where the culture and habits are different, where people have to depend upon their kills to eat, then you do what you need to do. East is east and West is West and never the twain shall meet.
Killing deer is sorta like going to Albertons and shopping for meat. You walk down the aisle, pick a package and take it to the checkout. If you are going to get down in the woolies and chance upon something that considers you to be on its food chain list, then I load with bullets. Momma black bear with a couple cubs or an nasty old sow with pigs is nothing to be messing with. We call the hogs Great Plains Grizzlys. They will open you up from your ankle to your zipper in one slashing pass. The long TC maxis dont shoot for nothing in my rifle. They are hard to load and arent worth the cost. Hornady Great Plains bullets being a lot shorter give great accuracy but the price makes them prohibitive to shoot in my book. Buffalo Ballets are practically square, their length being similar to their width and they are affordable and certainly get the job done.
The hollow base is put there for a reason, and that is to help obiturate the bullet to seal it into the rifling and reduce blowby. When you ignite the powder, you have an instantaneous 12,000 to 15,000 psi form in the chamber and things begin to move. Since the bullet is not restrained, it goes down the barrel thus relieving the pressure. Like Reb, I have never seen blown skirts. Likewise, placing wads under your hollowbase makes it a flat base. It defeats the purpose. You might as well just use some cast pistol bullets and be done with it.
Ballet, notice how short it is.
Another thing that does not get emphasized here is your lead alloy. If you are casting with anything other than lead and tin, then dont expect accuracy. If 1/20 isnt coming on, then thin out out to 1/40, and if that doesnt work then go pure lead. Wheel weights are not the answer over black powder. Over smokeless, yes they do fine. I use them in pistol bullets, but over black powder, no. Check that out and see if your groups dont improve on your cast bullets. If they have any antimony in them, black will not expand them into the rifling and you will get leading also.
