doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion German & Austrian Sporting Guns @ doublegunshop.com Using 9.3x72R brass for 9.3x57R/360

Obviously I know not whereof I speak!!!! Good shootin' SKB. I am surprised at that accuracy with jacketed bullets and black. I would not have expected that at all.

I agree with Mike for cast bullet diameter, slugging the bore, Nitro for Black loads and use bore and groove diameter the same way. Paper patching I have yet to compel myself to undertake.

BP rifles can be funny beasts. As Mike mentioned about some shooting better with black and BP lubed cast bullets, I've had a few rifles that black and soft cast was all they liked. Others with Nitro for Black using hard cast or soft jacketed bullets sometimes ran rings around the BP & cast loads. Every rifle is an entity unto itself....which is one reason we chase these things I suppose.

My apologies. This is the only one of these little beasties I own and it's easy for me to keep track...can't imagine why others have trouble.

I posted earlier here => http://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthrea...5692#Post385692

I have loaded for a fair number of odd-balls but, to date, all have been smokeless and relatively straightforward. When purchased, it seemed pretty simple. Only when digging into it, I found this forum and just how far off the beaten path I had wandered.

Anyway, I certainly appreciate the input. And, SKB, you have given me a glimmer of hope that I didn't drop more than a few dollars on projectiles I can't use!

If I may, what exactly constitutes a "hard card"? I get the role of an over-the-powder-card/wad but are we talking about a note pad cardboard sort of card? Is there no grease cookie? Sorry, none of my questions are based on experience but I have been reading a lot of Paul Matthews.

As always, in sincere appreciation,
Hoot

Edited to add: Chamber re-cast and bore slug are on the docket.

Hard card is cut from an ice cream container. I have used lubricated wads as well. It does not seem to make a huge difference in my rifle. That rifle just plain wants to shoot. I do have a mold for it I hAve yet to use. That is on my to do list.

Oddballs are fun!! The most fun I think. You'll get it figgered out Hoot and have a fine shooting rifle, no doubt.

I cut or punch my hard cards from florist boxes at .020. Cereal boxes would work just as good and in the past I have used tablet backing. Walters Wonder Wads are still available and he makes his from vegetable fiber in two thicknesses, I believe .030 and .060.

Matthew's stuff is very good. Another good source is Mike Venturino and Steve Garbe's "SPG Lubricant BP Cartridge Reloading Primer". I've had the best results with their methods but it isn't the only right way.

I've had to use a grease cookie one time in all the years and with the multitude of BP cartridges I've worked with. It is a 9.3, 200 gr. bullet and it was simply running out of lube. That was the first time I'd worked with a caliber that small, never before worked with anything under 40 cal. with long for caliber bullets that carry a lot of lube. Once I went to the grease cookie the rifle came to its milk!!! Here's a target. 1st shot was the fouling shot and went into the 5 ring. That rifle DOES NOT like a clean bore. Next 3 went into the 10 ring then I got excited and pulled the last shot into the 7.

Hoot,
I went back to your earlier post and saw that I had already addressed the groove diameter and noted that the nominal cartridge was clearly shown on the barrel. The gauge marking on the barrel is one that usually goes with a groove diameter of .362-.364".From the barrel marking, it is pretty clear that you can forget about my idea that it could be chambered for 9x58 1/2R S&S. If someone beat me about the head and shoulders enough to make me load black powder cartridges, I would follow Sharps 4590's advice to a "T".I wouldn't ignore "nitro for black" loads, however.It is still a good idea to slug the barrel, to be sure.
Mike

I need to add that target was shot at 400 yards, offhand. Don't want anyone thinking I'd use a crutch of some kind. Yeah, right, in my dreams.....lol!! It was fired at 50 yards, benched with front rest and butt bag, open sights.

I'll often work up two loads for a rifle not Nitro proofed. One with black and another that is Nitro for Black. Often they shoot to the same POA but not always. That way I can stick the barrel out the back door and eliminate some vermin that is worthy of elimination or just plink a few rounds if I don't want to take the time to work with the BP loads. I've had fair success with Trail Boss and Mike often recommends AA-5744. I finally found a pound of 5744 but haven't gathered any data for it, something I need to do.

Thank you gentlemen. You have given me much to get this going. I will report back when I have results of some sort.

Cheers,
Hoot