Original paper patched bullet designs?

[Distant Thunder]

Bob,

Thank you for the offer of bullets to try, but I'd hate for you to go to all that trouble. I have 3 paper patched molds and they shoot very well patched to groove diameter. One is a 520 grain, then there's my 545 grain which shoots the best of the 3, and I also have a 595 grain that shoot well. I also have the Lyman 515141, the 515142 which casts big at .516", a very nice 510 grain elliptical gg I made myself, a 575 grain Brooks mold that shoot unbelievably well, and a 525 grain NEI mold that used for hunting years ago. There may be 1 or 2 others I've forgotten about.

So I have a few molds and many of those were bought or made to try to stretch the distance of my .50-1 3/4". It's not really a long range cartridge, not for me, 500 yards being about the max. Now as I was setting this "old" Sharps up as a more traditional buffalo rifle I was just thinking I should also set up to load a more traditional bullet, the 473 pp is perfect.

I'd like to hear from Orville and more from Stephen too on any particulars of the original loads. I've searched the internet, but that gives little of what I want and waaaay too much of what I don't want. This forum seemed like a good spot to inquire.

I'm sure I can get pretty close with an estimate of length for a 473 grain ppb and I have the picture from Stephen as an example of the nose shape. If that's all I have I can make it work, but if there's more info I would surely like to hear it, see it, or tell where I can read it.

Thanks for replying and your offer. I'm probably foolish to turn down a chance to shoot someone else's bullets!

DT