Testing new powders as replacement for old

That 375-06 sure has the bases covered.
I want to add a little more on topic info here too. We are still cold and snowy and our forecast is for a winter storm warning starting today so wont be able to chronograph the 45-70 loads with LT-30.   Yesterday I did shoot a 38-55 with that powder. I have been considering possibly shooting the Quigley match this year and to that effect was narrowing down the possibilities of what I would shoot. In my last casting session I was filling orders for pure lead bullets so cast some bullets for the 38-55 in pure lead just to see how they might do.
Normally in a soft alloy this NEI bullet weighs 320 grain but in pure lead it weighs 330 grain. That extra 10 grain helps kick up the BC but the question was will they shoot. The idea I had was to launch bullets right at the speed of sound so there would be no transonic passage of the bullet in flight. I felt that a pure lead bullet should easily handle the 1100 fps or there abouts velocity. I checked the elevation at Forsythe where the match is held and it is 2500 ' quite a difference from our 6000' here in Dell.
It also seemed like another good opportunity to test the LT-30 powder in yet another application. Going to the Lyman 50th edition data book I found data for the 38-55 with the Lyman 330gn Postell bullet using 5744 powder. The starting load is 21 gn for 1331 fps and the max load is 23.2gn for 1527 fps velocity. With that even the starting load at 1331 fps is higher velocity than I had hoped for so I decided to start at 20 grain. I lubed up a bunch of the pure lead bullets with Lotak then started the juggling process of load development. By the end of the day I had settled on 19.7 gn LT-30 with a CCI magnum rifle primer. This final load was consistently clustering those pure lead bullets inside 2.5" at 100 yards for 5 shot groups using iron sights but very good iron sights. Conditions were poor at best with cold and gusting winds and overcast skies. With all the fresh snow I did no chrono graphing because I hate putting the chrono away with any moistier on it and the cables in the snow are hard to wipe completely dry. I spent the rest of the evening calculating sight settings for each target range at the Quigley which BTW information is easy to find at the Quigley on line site.
This is the same rifle and bullet that so many years ago Jr. before he broke the 4ft height mark used in a match at Amadon ND to do so well after he fired is sight manager. His MV was a bit higher at about 1350 fps and looking through those records yestereve I found the charted sight settings used in that match. That will be a big help in working out new sight settings for the same bullet at slightly lower velocity.
Anyway looking no further than just another test of LT-30 powder it passed this one too with flying colors. It is proving very versatile and maybe becoming a favorite.

Yes it does sound like a good project when you get settled in AZ. and you will need projects !

And sit in the reapers roost and reek havoc on gophers and distant chucks.

Rob the 38-55 is a rolling block. I think you may even have seen it. I got it at an Anchorage gun show from Slim Lambert the gunsmith from Nome. I think you were there when I got it. When I got it from Slim it had a really heavy round barrel chambered for the 219 Donaldson wasp. It is a highly refined smokeless action that I believe was a round top milsurp that has been converted to flat top and pistol grip lower tang. I got it for the purpose of re barreling because I didnt want the wasp. It is about the most refined single trigger RB I have ever seen and worthy of competition. I got the 38cal barrel with 1/14" twist at a gun show. It was extra long but threaded for a high wall but still plenty long with the high wall thread cut off and re-threaded for the roller. This is the rifle we recently talked about having taken it to Gary Junk to re-barrel. I had told him I wanted the chamber cut to 30-30 length because I wanted to use 30-30 brass in it. Well since Gary didnt do the work that message apparently didnt get passed along so it has the full length 38-55 chamber. That deal caused me fits in getting the rifle to shoot because thinking I got what I ordered I was using 30-30 brass so accuracy was very inconsistent . Sometimes it would do so good but then I couldnt repeat the performance . After I figured out the chamber issue and stocked up on the run of extra long brass from Starline things began to fall into place for consistent accuracy. Of all the rifle choices I have available for the Quigley shoot this one is the most miserly for lead and powder and I dont want to donate more than need be to Al Lee's lead mine.
If I can get out and shoot all the ranges required for the shoot longest being 805 yards I can then decide if I want to stick with the 38-55 while I still have time to work on another rifle if need be. Since Jr. has already proven this rifle will handle the 800 yard buffalo as evidenced by his performance at Amidon ND I will likely stay with the 38-55. Also in considering a long day of shooting the lower recoil of the 38 caliber should be less stressful than larger calibers with heavier bullets .
I originally was think my 1884 Trapdoor and if when I can finally get to shooting if I am not satisfied with the long range performance of the 38 the trapdoor will be the next choice. I am hoping I find favor in something before choice gets to the 50-90 with the 650gn Ballard PP I used for hunting. Very accurate but a wee bit more punishing.

Now that you describe the rifle I think I remember it pretty well, seems like you could of used that wasp barrel for a mighty fine fence post!! I can’t imagine seeing you when you were working up loads for the new barrel thinking the chamber was cut to 30-30 length! I bet you thought you were truly going crazy, huh?!?

Finally a beautiful warm 70* calm sunny day and the snow is gone. What a beautiful day for shooting.




April fools !!!

Actually yesterday Ahralee and Diesel and I ventured forth to attempt to set up an 800 yard gong but we failed in our attempt. The only thing we accomplished was to get our truck unstuck from the snow. After three hours of shoveling we were finally free. It was totally my fault it happened due to my laziness. We first parked where it was easy to get out with not more than two inches of snow. We were going to carry that hanging hardware and target the few hundred yards to the set up location. We got out to do so and looking at the slight snow depth I decided to just drive there. What I didnt know was that between us and the nearly bare patch of ground chosen to set the target on there was a slight dip in the ground where the snow had drifted. Once we hit the drift that looked just like the surrounding flat ground we were stuck and stuck good.
Luckely I had a shovel and bucket. The bucket was used to go to the near by rock outcroppings where the snow had melted to get dry dirt. It took five buckets of dirt to get out. The rest was shoveling snow and ice to get to the frozen ground to put the dirt on for traction. Little by little we gained on it and finally after about three hours were free. After that we didnt feel much like dragging the heavy steel target and steel posts out through the snow so we just headed home failing our main mission. Our long term forecast still shows below freezing temps until a week from tomorrow when so they are saying we should reach a blistering 39 degrees. Better days are coming. We lost this battle but this war aint over !

I’ve found a shirt at a local gun shop that most folks here would agree with, it read, three useless things, a dull knife, an empty rifle and Biden as President! Sorry if I broke the rules but I just couldn’t help myself! If you need to put me in a time out I totally understand. Wow! I never heard the story of you almost cutting that wasp barrel in half! I can see how you thought you were going crazy! I’m just glad it all worked out like it was supposed too!! An old timer up in Delta showed me a really good trick for getting unstuck from ice and snow, more ice really. Living up there most people with half a brain carry sleeping bags, extra blankets, spare clothes etc.He showed me that he always carried one of the old all wool military surplus blankets and if you had a wheel or wheels that were just spinning the wool blanket would provide enough traction to get you going most of the time! I’m also a big advocate of carrying a shovel and bucket, some guy a little older than me showed me that trick up in Alaska!

I mentioned in another thread about todays success in setting up the 805 yard steel gong target then successfully getting the correct sight setting for that range. I wanted to mention it here because it directly relates to the subject matter of this thread. Todays shooting was done with the 38-55 with the pure lead 330 grain bullet but most importantly the powder was Accurate LT-30 that I have been testing as a replacement for Accurate 5744. Going to the Lyman 50th edition loading guide they show the 38-55 with their 335 grain Postell bullet with a charge of 21 grain of 5744 giving a velocity of 1331 fps. Since I am trying to start bullets out just barely over the speed of sound I wanted a velocity not much over 1100 fps. Still not having chronographed this load I can only estimate at somewhere between 1100 and 1200 fps MV. The load is with our 330 grain bullet with a 19.7 grain charge of Accurate LT-30. Judging from our success in keeping most shots near the center of the 24" x 24" target at 805 yards I would have to say that the loads seems fairly consistent in velocity with no uncalled flyers. When ever the trigger broke and that little distant black dot was well centered in the aperture sights it was a hit. There were misses but all were called once we had the sight setting dialed in. Here where I live at 6000 ft elevation the speed of sound in average conditions is slightly over 1100 fps. If my estimate for MV is correct then bullets are starting out right at the speed of sound and if slightly over are quickly dropping below while still close to the muzzle where wind has the most effect. This was the first time trying this experimental load at long range and from what I saw today I wont change anything with it and also reaffirms my contention that Accurate LT-30 is a very reasonable replacement for 5744.
Two other powders I am testing both from Accurate powders are 11 FS and TCM both being looked at as replacements for 2400 which in burn rate these two powders fall one just on the faster side and one just on the slower side. Testing both in the 22 hornet recently using our 48 grain NEI #2 bullet the best load for each powder worked out to 7.8 grain for the slightly slower 11FS and to 6.7 grain of the slightly faster TCM. My records show that although it was from a different 22 hornet rifle that a load 7.5 grain 2400 was a best load with the NEI #2 bullet . Pretty close so safe to say those powders are ballpark replacements for 2400.

I am really beginning to like the LT-30. It seems to have such a wide range of application. If you remember I loaded some 45-70 ammo with it but still have not shot that ammo. I have been waiting for the snow at my shooting bench to melt so I can set up a chronograph and it is melting fast now so should get that done soon.
The 38-55 told a story yesterday in the accuracy consistency. When shooting at over 800 yards if you have high extreme velocity spreads it sure shows up at the target but we were not seeing that so is a very good sign. Accurate powders have been introducing several new powders that tighten the burn rate gaps between others. In the past we have had to settle in some cases for quite wide burn rate gaps between some powders that may not have been quite right for some application but the next closest in the burn rate direction you would like to go is too far in that direction. Tightening those gaps allows us to slowly and incrementally work toward an optimum burn rate for the application. It is really an incredible time to be a reloading nut.  We are living in the good old days !

Hey Gary.... have you give "Moose Milk" a try?  Just run a patch with MM on it. Water with water soluble oil mixed.

Well that should nutralize any overnight issues that could erupt with BP. I cannot remark about "substitutes" as some have what seems very acidic ingredients.
I do not think any current percussion caps have highly corrosive ingredients but I shoot more flintlocks than percussion.
Dawn is a super cleaner.  I also use it before long storage.  When shooting BP cartridges we have a 3/4 full gallon jug with us to drop fired brass into which has Dawn mixed in.  I hope they never change the formula.

That Pyrodex is some mean corrosive propellent ! I wonder how many other front stuffers have fared the same fate.
Coffee containers have rescued shooters since they first came out. Least as far back as I can remember dad with his cans full of 38 Special brass and cast bullets.

Its more trouble than BP in my opinion. I have a few bottles of it around and would gladly sell it to anyone who uses it.

Only use we have for it is in our 1.1 " cannon. The 17" barrel is easy to flush and easy to see if there is any red growing.
A Target store maybe 20 years ago sold all the ML's and gear very cheap. So we bought a caliber .50 Hawken for $50 and 10 one pound Pyro bottles at $1 each. Still have 4 so our 1.1" still has about 250 more shots to go.
BP to me is no trouble. Warm water flush and run some "Moose Milk" and rest contented.
Sure beats dealing with those WW2 corrosive primers. I think the last lot we had was some 1952 06 ammo we fired 15 years back.