Girly Gun

[Don McDowell]

If you load 64 gr of OE 2f you will save a lot of time....

[Martini2]

For "Lucy" 40-65 I'm temporarily powder selection challenged here in NW corner of Ohio. So making do with GOEX FF and 410655 greasers. Last time at Alma Mi. she was trying 59 gr compressed to allow bullet to hand seat atop with one grease grove showing. The velocity was checked at 1210 fps / 30 inch barrel. These fixed 40-65 loads in Starline long brass and Fed 215 primer shot 200 yd 2 inch group with proper cleaning of barrel each shot. They thumb seat into Lucy's chamber. My focus now is to alter lube and possibly add a grease cookie so at least five rounds can be fired before having to perform bore maintenance. As evidenced dancing with Lucy requires more time focused on sights Admittedly I'm an amateur in BP loads yet so the above may serve as area to steer around.

[Kurt]

M-2 you coming to Alma next month?

Don is with a greaser or patched? I have no idea how much powder my cases will hold yet. The chamber is a lot tighter then the .40-65 Browning. I have 70 cases ready to load for the ladder loads and 21 rounds will tell me what to tweak a little more. Right now I need to find some .0015" thick paper or get a sizing die ordered to reduce the .395" bullet to .393". My thumb will not take pushing the rounds needed for a 40 shot match
I don't know what the weather is going to do today but wh had 14" of rain fall in the last two days and my driveway has the Grand Canyon through it that needs the blade or the car will get hung up.

[Don McDowell]

Kurt that's with patched.
Greasers get 62 gr,

[Martini2]

It is my best intentions to accompany "Lucy" to Alma at least on 12th. I'm having a few health side tracks to contend with too. On science with 410663 greaser some rounds were loaded today. The load was 60.0 gr. weighed GOEX FF compressed under Circle Fly Wad .410x 0.060" with press mounted die. Powder was trickled down 26 inch tube. I'm seating 410663 bullet that is 1.375" tall to 2.910" OAL. A little math shows bullet base is 0.555" below case mouth with compressed powder,1 wad and rather thin grease cookie squeezed in. SO paper patch not seated as deep should readily allow 62 gr load Don quoted. Lucy recall is of humble parentage that is Pedersoli Silhouette rifle, with 1:16 twist. The brass was fire formed and loaded un-sized. Cases from generous factory chamber allow 0.410 sized bullets to be hand seated and slide in easily. The belled case mouths were run into Lyman Classic seating die so that they just bumped the crimp portion. This straightened the case mouths and left the loaded outside diameter at 0.438" 3/8 inch below case mouth. Used CCI BR2s this time and Lube softened with Pure Canola oil & dash of Ballistol to softer consistency. This lube was filled into grooves and small amount placed over powder wad before bullet was seated. Hope to test this combo next week.

[Kurt]

Don I loaded up some ladder loads this morning and I cant get 68 grains in my fired unsized cases. In the Winchester brass I have a few of 68 gr I can use a .060 wad and no lube with slight compression. If the weather holds off I will shoot some tomorrow.

[Don McDowell]

I've found 64 to be the sweet spot with patched, and 62 with greasers. Be interesting to see what your rifle tells you.

[Kurt]

I have some swiss loads loaded from 56 gr to 67 and OE from 55 to 64 gr. We'll what happens.

[Dave Roelle]

Hey Kurt---------------i recently picked up a Lone Star Roller in 40-65,

32 inch heavy hex, built in 2003---the rifle was obviously not used much, looks factory new

Shot a silhouette match with it yesterday using WW brass, 415 Paul Jones grease groove bullet with 50 Gr of Swiss 1 1/2----what a sweetheart of a round.

My grandson Caleb will shoot it ----- recoil is unnoticeable----dumped 8 rams first rattle out of the box

Im sold !!!!!!

Dave

[Kurt]

Sounds good Dave! did you win the match?? Did the 50 grains knock over the rams good enough??

I shot 200 rounds through mine already getting the cases to fit the chamber properly and it is a pleasant rifle to shoot. The rifle came in at 10lbs 3.5 OZ and 11lbs 5 oz with the DZ scope on. It will make a nice holding off hand rifle.
I loaded up 60 rounds for a 4 shot ladder load and it was a waste of sweat and components this morning. My bullet is a little oversized for the .399" bore it has, a little tighter then normal for a .40 but that is not a problem except when you order a mould for a .400" bore That makes pushing a bullet almost three thousands too large. That makes two thumbs sore after shooting 60 rounds if it wasn't for the camming action the Stevens has I would never been able to close the action.
I just used the little Swiss 1.5 I had left for the ladder loads and despite the tight bullets that I'm sure squeezed some lube past the wad and compressed the powder more that gave me atleast one flyer out of 4 shots some going out of the groups 4" at 200 yards. the best groups when I got close to 58 grains where better then 3" and one going way out to a 3 shot clover group that stayed under 1" outside to outside of the three shots and the fourth 4" out. Time to get another smaller diameter mould made
This is a promising rifle I have high hops for......Kurt