Originally Posted By: Huvius
Curl, have you gotten away from NfB loads altogether?
Coruous if you needed to swab between any of your shots using black and a full .458 bullet?

I have swaging dies to make paper patch .458 (patched dia.) of any weight I desire but have only used them in NfB loads and reduced nitro loads (much the same I guess)
I am going to send some 283grs to Steve Bertram to try in his Henry.
I dont recall why I ended up making that weight but iirc that is where the core mold was at when I bought it so swaged up a few.
Of course I can make them any weight and if 300-330 is where they shoot I should do that anyway.



I wouldn't say I have abandoned NfB loads entirely. However, the past several years I have shot mostly BP. The Olde Eynsford powders are so wonderful it's like a new world for these antique rifles.

Recently I bought a pristine Winchester M1886 chambered in .45-90 (made 1891). It just loves my BP loads also. It chronos 1616 fps using the same RCBS bullet pushed by 80 grains of OE 2F with no leading at all and no accumulation of fouling.

No I don't swab between shots. I use grease cookies and have found this prevents fouling buildup. I can shoot 20 to 30 rounds and the bore looks like only one round has been fired. There's no loss of accuracy.

The cleanup is no problem. I do it at the range and come home with an entirely clean rifle. The only real draw-back is washing the brass. And also the fact that the loads require more time and effort to assemble.

There's real satisfaction when you get all the smoke and flame and you know the rifle is shooting what it was originally made to shoot.

You need to get on with that nice single shot Henry .500 you just bought. It should be a peach to shoot. Can't wait for a report.

Curl

www.RoscoeStephenson.com

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