Want to PP for 45-70 BPCR

[Rbertalotto]

OK...I'm on the road to paper patching for a Winchester (japan) 1885 BPCR with the Badger barrel. This barrel has zero lead. I've been shooting a 535g bore rider Postell type bullet with fair results. I have two Pedersoli Rolling blocks and a Pedersoli 1874 Sharps and all three of them shoot this same load extremely well. Not sure why the 1885 won't respond.

Here is a chamber cast showing a lead of about 20 degrees and zero freebore.



I've tried many different bullets, loads, primers ets...both BP and smokeless....I've slugged the bore and have an accurate mold that casts 1-20 alloy at .002 over groove diameter. Good enough for hunting but I'm not going to win any long range buffalo shoots with it.

So I want to try PP with BP. Should I ream a throat in this chamber?

My PP mold is .010 under bore diameter. Will this be too lose with two raps of #9 Onion?

Any advise you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Kurt]

Reaming the throat is not a cure all. In fact it might end up worse.
Don't think that 9# paper is thicker then 7-1/2# I have 7-1/2# paper that is .002" thick and I have 9# paper that is .0016 thick. The # is only how much the ream weighs.
Those Browning chambers will shoot a PP pretty well as they are. Just match a unpatched bullet diameter for the paper you have most of that is as close to bore diameter so you can still chamber the round with out having to use a cartridge seater.
Or adjust a undersized bullet with your alloy temper so it so it fills the grooves when the shot is fired.
This is just something you have to work out with your rifle. No one can give your an accuracy load for your rifle. They can just give you what works in their rifle and a place and where to start working up a load.

Kurt

[Rbertalotto]

Thanks kurt!

The paper I have is .0016 also

I have some WH Drill rod coming today so I can grind a perfect fitting reamer to make a mold. We'll see how it goes with a snug fitting, bore riding patched bullet of pure lead.

[Gunlaker]

If you have 0.0016" paper you'll probably want a mould in the .445" to .446" range. My Badgers seem to fit well with a .445" bullet and the 0.0016" Seth Cole paper. I've recently switched from .445" to .446" for my new Green Mountain barreled rifle.

In my first rifle that I shot PP in I used a .444" bullet with 9 lb paper that I bought from Buffalo Arms. It's a Badger barreled rifle. I still use the same load and it's quite accurate, but I've been going with thinner paper and bigger bullets in my other rifles.

One thing that I've recent done was to paper patch a set of pin gauges to see which one fit te bore best. If you have the gauges, it's an easy way to guarantee that you'll have the right sized bullet. I did this for a .38 before I got Steve Brooks to cut me one of his excellent elliptical moulds.

Chris.

[Rbertalotto]

Interesting you speak of "Pin Gauges"...I have a full set that went up to .250 that I use extensively when building 6mm type bench rest guns. I ordered a full set from .250 to .500 and as I was reading your post the doorbell rang and a big brown truck dropped them off!

I love the idea of using a gauge wrapped with the paper to find the correct size. Thanks for that hint!

Still waiting for my W1 drill rod so I can make my "D" bit cutter and make some molds.

FUN!

[Kurt]

Roy
Do you use a green wheel or a diamond to grind the cutter?

[Rbertalotto]

I use a miller first then a carbide disc on a tool post grinder I built

[Rbertalotto]

Btw, I have diamond wheels that I use for my TIG welder. Should I be using a diamond wheel?

[Kurt]

No not really. I have a hard time keeping from burning the rod when I grind them. I have a Grizzly wet grinder with a Sealey wet wheel I like using. It's slow but I don't burn the rod