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Curio & Relic/Black Powder Curio & Relics and Black Powder Firearms, Old School shooting fun! |
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#1
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Shooting the Springfield trap door with varget
Recently acquired a Model 1884 Springfield trap door rifle. Considering the age and special needs for low pressure with his rifle I make my own ammo for it. I prefer the Lyman manual because it lists specific loads for the trap door rifle with the exact bullets I use. I originally wanted to use 5744 but its scarce. There are loads listed with Varget and IMR 3031. Varget develops less pressure per the data so that's where I started. The bullet is 405 grains Lyman lead cast. I had the bore slugged and got a bullet cast .001 over. The Varget load range is
42.0 @ 1258fps to 46.5 @ 1436fps . My goal was to match the US government load at 1350 fps. Or perhaps just find what is most accurate. I know someone will suggest it so ill just say right now that I won't be using black powder for my own reasons. Has anyone shot the bullet with this powder? What did you find was the best charge. I started at 44.1 gr. the group was not ideal. About an 8 inch circle at 57 yards. But then again I couldn't see all that well due to lighting in the indoor range and dirty safety glasses. I plan on getting the 500 grain bullet that replaced the 405 grain bullet and trying that too. Insight into either would be appreciated. I also have the 3031 on hand. |
#2
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I use 405gr LC bullet with 31.5gr of IMR4198. I believe that is the lower end of the chart. I keep it on the lower end to protect my trapdoors. Don't quote me, but I think that would be in the lower end of the 1300's of fps.
I use IMR 4198 as I happen to have a large amount of it. |
#4
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Do your rifle, and yourself a favor... load up with Black Powder, It is a great pleasure to shoot Black Powder cartage. The smell, the big smoke, and the look on the other shooters' faces!!, and if you believe all the na-sayers that say BP is so hard to clean, it is sincerely very easy to clean, I have been shooting Sharps Rifles for years, and love shooting the BP!
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#8
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Trailboss would be my first go to if it were available. That is why I use IMR4198. I ran out of Trailboss years ago and could not find it. I had plenty of IMR4198 and I did like it over other powders.
I have read posts and articles in several online Firearm and reloading sites that Trailboss is gone and not made anymore. I hope it someone is resurrected in the future. |
#9
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There was an explosion at the plant in Australia where trailboss was made. I heard they will be making it again when they can but in a different location. I loved the stuff in 45colt. Now I use unique
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#10
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I?m always leery of ?Trapdoor safe? smokeless loads. The fact of the matter is that you?re shooting a gun which is (at a minimum) 130 years old. It is not a terribly strong action to begin with, as bolt thrust is applied under the breechblock hinge.
Moreover, there seems to disagreement as to what is Trapdoor safe among various manuals, listing 12,000 PSI -18,000 PSI or up to 20,000 PSI, or 25,000 CUP. I?ve used 5744 (my #1 choice), Varget, and 4198 in the past, with nothing but success. However, I?ve come to believe that only black powder should be used with rifles not designed to accommodate smokeless, especially one that isn?t renowned for its robustness. Black powder is not super expensive, and it is readily available. It is easy to work with. And it is not difficult to clean - I recommend taking a few passes with a wire brush and Ballistol then using a bore squeegee in .45. I?d be especially careful with Trailboss. While it?s high bulk for its weight, it can generate some higher pressures than its alternatives. My recollection is that most manuals do not recommend it in Trapdoors. And, if they do, it?s generating pressures on the higher end of the spectrum. The real magic of trapdoor shooting is selecting an appropriate bullet, to compliment the deeply grooved and inconsistent 3 groove rifling. |
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