We have come a long way!

[Eric Johanen]

With the results shown from my rifles and loads this season, I was thinking about when I started shooting these rifles back around 1978. We have really good bullet smiths now days with well thought out designs and bullets that are a result of great empirical testing all the way beyond 1000 yards. Thank's to Swiss, KIK and GOEX our powders are very good now. Back then the choices were Lyman and RCBS or rather worn original molds for bullet molds, Old formula GOEX and some Curtis& Harvey imported form England, Bullet lubes that left a lot to be desired. One could get things to work and with a lot of putzing around a good load good be found. Today, it's much easier to get a great load with the improvements and the information exchange via forums dedicated to these rifles and this sport. Knowledge was almost non-existent and one had to go back to old source material to see what the Old Dead Guy's were doing and try to come close to duplicating their results. I am reflecting on just how easy it was to get really good shooting loads with my Shiloh 50 70 and the C. Sharps 50 90. Now I believe it's easier to get a good greaser load worked up than a paper patched one, but with some research, experimentation and careful loading technique paper patch loads are also possible with what we now have available. While all have been important, the most helpful thing as been the ease of exchanging information. For 25 years I was the only one in my area that was shooting these rifles with black powder. A few guy's had the rifles but were strictly smokeless powder shooter's. I was alway's a bit odd but now they do not look at me quite so funny when they see how well these rifles and loads are performing. I have even got a few others to start shooting them the way they were intended and all are having a great time. So we really have come a long way. Now I have to write up a "How to" journal for my Nephew so he can have a reference to make life easier when my time comes to toe the line on the eternal rifle range. He is interested and has watched me perform many of the individual tasks but nothing can take the place of a clear set of instructions to make things easier. When his career and family path is more settled, he will take to these rifles like a duck to water. Just some random thoughts expressed.

[Stephen Borud]

The Internet has greatly improved the learning curve. Both of my 50s were very easy to get accuracy out of them.

Take care

[Don McDowell]

Eric, I want to thank you for the posts on paper patching that you have been making. This past weekend I fielded some questions from folks interested in paper patching, and one of them said he had read a lot of things from this board, and he thought he might just give wrapping bullets in diapers a try.
So you and Stephen, Kurt, Dean, Chris and others that keep this aspect of the bpcr shooting alive and well just keep on keeping on, you do have a following and are providing a service to folks who lurk and learn.

[Dave Roelle]

I certainly appreciate all the information i found on Paper Patching, here and on at least two other web sites !!!!!!!!!!!!!

With the basic's well described by the folks that have mastered this unique aspect of loading, i have been able to understand how it works and how to create match grade ammunition that is very effective both hunting and at shooting matches.

Thanks Folks

Dave

[Stephen Borud]

Eric, I want to thank you for the posts on paper patching that you have been making. This past weekend I fielded some questions from folks interested in paper patching, and one of them said he had read a lot of things from this board, and he thought he might just give wrapping bullets in diapers a try.
So you and Stephen, Kurt, Dean, Chris and others that keep this aspect of the bpcr shooting alive and well just keep on keeping on, you do have a following and are providing a service to folks who lurk and learn.

Thanks Don and to the other fine members of this forum.

[Eric Johanen]

Don, I'm just reporting my results and methods. The information provided by Ken, Kurt, Brent, you, Stephen and several others have led me to refine my loading and get really good results. Now the source's for information are much easier to obtain and by using that material it's been not difficult to get good results. They provided the "missing details" that made paper patching possible with very good results down range. Now for the next step. Shooting dirty with a standard chamber. New bullet designs and card/lube experiments to get a long string of shots with under bore bullets. I know other's are doing it so it's just matter of putting the information together and having at it!

[Don McDowell]

Shooting dirty is mostly a function of a "balanced" load. Standard chambers can and do shoot paper patch very well, the worst part of a standard chamber is paper rings, but those are curable by either using longer brass, and sometimes the bullet size and base will eliminate paper rings.