Lead ?

[SgtDog0311]

Gunlaker, I'd be grateful for a 6 degree taper. I did two chamber casts... not realizing with the first one that it was a short chamber (2.080) so the leade ran right down to case mouth and obscured the transition. Cut the case back and did the second one. If there is any angle at all it does not show. The line didn't fill out exceptionally well since I was reluctant to pound on the bolt face after I first detected a bounce in the hammer/rod. But there does not seem to be any cone at all everything else bears that out.

I'll give posting pictures a try. Hope it works.
   
Sorry the picture is not clearer. The accompanying bullet is purposely oversized.
   
This one if it can be expanded shows the "exacto-knife-like-line" around the circumference.

[Don McDowell]

Does not even look like it's been shot much at all if any... well at least once, enough to lead it good. But that all came out like it had nothing to stick to - two patches!

Currently shooting a groove size bullet and getting away with it but I told Steve I was surprised and asked him if that was a common thing with a "Black Powder" chamber.

.

So does the thing shoot alright, and are you getting leading now? Sometimes we over look the nose diameter of the bullet being to big for the bore diameter and then chase our tail all over the place trying to stop the leading

[Kurt]

I magnified the picture to 400% and it looks like a regular 45 degree chamber end transition going into a shallow lead. I don't see any freebore. It looks like a normal standard chamber now used.
If it's one of Steve's rifles I would say, it was done right.

Kurt

[Gunlaker]

I have a .38-55 with a 45 degree transition to a 1.5 degree per side leade with a 0.050" freebore. I think it's a really nice chamber. It is excellently accurate, but I breech seat PP bullets in it. Actually I have a second rifle with the same chamber ( CPA bench rifle ) that I haven't shot yet.

I haven't cast the chamber on my Shiloh .40-65, but I believe it to be a 45 degree transition with a shallow leade of a few degrees. It has zero or next to Zero freebore. It does collect a little lead now and then, but it is the most accurate non-breech seating BP rifle I own. I wouldn't change a thing about it at all.

I think the 6 degree taper is probably pretty good for breech seating, but I'd prefer a shallower angle. ( the choice of chamber was an accident as CPA accidentally cut it with what I think is their standard SAMMI .38-55 reamer rather than their breech seating reamer. ).

If I was going to do the 6 degree angle thing I'd try something that looks a bit like Brent Danielson's reamer.

Chris.

[SgtDog0311]

I took it out today to test something (warning - smokeless load for now)

When I shot it last (.376 bullet in a .376 groove diameter barrel) with a Walter's Wad at the base I got these lead rings. Time before that same loading but no rings. I suspected they might be because I'd left the bell on the case neck. I had done that because they chambered fine and I thought maybe they'd help center the full-lenght-sized cases in the chamber better that way.
   

Something in the bell remaining encouraged the rings because today I didn't get but two rings (in all three sessions there is no leading in the bore). This time I layed the bell back down with my sizer.

Accuracy was good (at 50yds) insofar as I am with iron sights. First flyer high and left was the first round from a freshly cleaned barrel.
   

Appreciate the observations - don't want to do anything to the chamber that would degrade it as a BP rifle and I have not dug that far into Black Powder yet... but wanted to get some answers before taking to a couple shooting events this summer.

[Rick Mulhern]

I appreciate you posting the photo of the paper rings! I haven't seen one in years now; not since I had Kirk cut a 7* leade in both of my 45 2 7/8 chambers!

[Kurt]

Your not going to hurt that barrel shooting lead bullets unless you don't do a thorough job cleaning it. If you leave lead smears in the bore that covers up the powder fouling and if you leave the rifle set for a spell that fouling will start etching the bore.
As far as the lead rings. You will find them using a GG bullet with the 45 degree chamber end after just about every shot. Some say they don't get lead rings because my brass fits the chamber. If you take a cleaning rod with a gore guide and carefully push it from the muzzle with a snug fitting patch chances are you will have a ring on the patch when it clears the chamber.
You can avoid the lead ring if you seat your bullet with the lube groove just in front of the case mouth so it is over the gap of the chamber end and when that bullet gets bumped when the charge goes off the lube will fill that void between the case mouth and the lead.
You can check this out pretty easy using a bore scope or a cleaning patch from the muzzle as mentioned above.
Clean the rifle good after your done shooting and it will last as long as you have it.
You can check a clean barrel by pushing a couple snug dry white patches through and if you have gray streaks on that patch you still have lead in the bore. It the bore is clean that patch will come out just as clean as it went in.

Kurt

[Lumpy Grits]

Kurt-What does one have in a standard .45 cal Shiloh chamber?
Gary

[Kurt]

Gary

They have a 45 degree transition into a .050" free bore into a 2° 30' lead unless they got a new reamer since 9-18-01

[SgtDog0311]

Thanks Again fellah's!

Kurt, appreciate the lube tip. I know exactly what you speak of as I do it in another rifle. Was so focused on the taper hadn't focused on it here.

Appreciate all the input and Steve getting the question rolling.