Follow up to going to dark side, range report.
First some details. This project has started after my 73rd winter. So please pardon the economy approach. With best intent an order was placed for a Uberti Classic 1885 High Wall with DST in 40-65 caliber. However due to SNAFU with that vender, the order was canceled. Fortunately the payment was returned 100%, but no rifle. With mold, wads & brass on the way there was nothing for it but to again search for a rare item. Providence may have had a hand as a rifle was located at Dixie Gun Works. The qualifier is the Specs. A NIB Petersoli ’74 Sharps Silhouette rifle, with DST, Pistol grip and Shotgun Butt AND 1:16 30 inch 40-65 barrel. Yes indeed it is modest gear but note I may not have months or years to wait on most popular rifles made in Montana ? This Sharps arrived in under a week’s time. It’s equipped at present with factory blade front and historic mid barrel flip sight. It only arrived in hand last Monday 24th. It was dutifully cleaned and bore scrubbed. “We” were going to local Silhouette gong match on 26th. Some hasty loads were prepped. Inaugural outing was just for show and tell. 20 Starline cases were loaded with Black Horn 209 (fill to bullet base and one card wad added) The mold acquired is Lyman 410655 410 gr. Actual cast with alloy in pot yielded 418 grs. After the regular silhouette competition Wednesday this new Sharps was uncased and shared along with the hand loads. My goal was actually to get fired brass for experiment in real dark loads ? Subsequently the fired brass was cleaned and cases belled slightly. It was found necessary to first size brass about ½ inch in neck area to suit minimal fit over 0.410 sized bullets. (plenty room in chamber). The brass was checked with primer pocket reamer and the flash holes were uniformed from inside. Here is the first BP load. Primers used are Fed 215 Mag. The Beldin & Mull powder measure was clamped to loading bench. After some measuring including pushing bullet into bore at breach, brass measure was adjusted to 30.0 mark. The hopper was filled with GEOX 2F (only BP at emporium for now). The charges were slowly passed through a 6 inch drop tube and one 1/16 card wad placed over powder. Along with reloading items gathered is a LEE 0.410 press mounted push thru die. The cast bullets were hand lubed with SBG grease and passed thru the die to smooth lube. The stem from Lee Die was cleaned and used for powder stack compression. During trial and error setting an ink mark was made on this metal piece at powder level. After the powder was dropped and wad installed the metal stem was press down until the mark again. One guess is that made the powder compression equal to 1/16th. The lubed bullets can be seated by hand. When the bullet sits on the card wad there exist two lube groove showing about case mouth. This Pedersoli chamber just happens to accept the bullets as cast seated that far out. Since it ended toward getting full measure of BP behind bullet I let the machine tell what was needed. BTW the Beldin & Mull brass tube so filled (lever held to right until flow observed to stop, then powder shuttle cycled back once to settle dropped charge), it turned out to throw weighed 50.0 grs 2F GEOX. Today rifle and these FIRST REAL BP loads went to the range. Targets set at 100 yds. The factory sight presently impact a bit off center. So some hold over was used. The elevation with sight stem flat appeared right on for 6:OO hold. See attached photo of last five rounds today. The %%# one out on right is this geezers fault. As sometimes done guys give an enduring name to rifles such as Ol’ Reliable. I’ve decided on “LUCY” for this one based on the Comedic Icon. Proof is in the shootin. With obtaining Old E powder ahead and all the good advice in these threads I think she’ll shoot ?
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