Alexander Henry loads

[Scarface]

Wondering if anyone on the board is shooting or has shot with any success an Alexander Henry long range muzzle loader?  Have a friend who has 40cal (built by Don Brown) and is trying to work up a load. He has been trying 70gr Swiss 2f with and without drop tube, played with two different bullets (360 & 380 gr. both require slight sizing to .400, to land diameter), has used a variety of wads including felt and Walters veg. .060. He has not been cleaning between shots. Success has been mediocre and defiantly not up to the potential of the rifle. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Bob

[snapper]

I have  a few LRML in .45 and a little bit of experience in working up loads for these rifles, no .40's however.

If it is a Don Brown, I am assuming that it has a Badger barrel.

Paper patch, or grease groove?  if paper, trying different paper.  Bullets should be able to almost fall down the barrel on their own.  In my experience, wads don't make a big difference either way.

Try dropping the powder charge.  Depending on the rifle I shoot between 86 to 70 grains in my .45's.  Each rifle likes different powder charge.

My original Rigby likes 70 grains, and at 900 to 1,000 yards I shoot 75 grains.  All are 2F swiss.

Could be the bullet.  Could be the powder charge.

What is the shape of the bullet?

First thing I would do is drop the powder charge.

Get the rifle down to 1.5" or tighter at 100 yards and then start playing with other variables.

Fleener

[snapper]

Don't hesitate to have your friend contact me directly.  I will be happy to help him.

afleener@yahoo.com

Fleener

[bob in the woods]

My long range ML is a .45 cal.   I shot 535 gr bullets at first have have since gone to 480's and 75 gr FFg instead of the 90 gr used with the heavier bullet. Accuracy is actually equal to or better than the heavier load.  I don't use those heavier veg wads, but rather, just a thin cardboard wad over the powder. If shooting lubed bullets, I make sure I wipe/clean  the base of the bullet before loading.  If shooting PP bullets, I gave up on the wads.  I clean after every shot, so having a wad stick in the base of the bullet was a risk I didn't want to take. The base is protected by the paper any way.

[hammer]

Google ResearchPress.co.uk, these guys have been at it for a while.

[Elmo]

I built a tong range ml a few years ago. I used a renegade with a 36" 45-70 barrel from Green Mountain breeches for ml. I used a 515 gr 1in 20 tin/lead bullet from a Rapine 451500 mold. Lubed with SPG lube. I also used a biscuit of SPG between two fiber wads between powder and bullet. I used a drop tube that reached the breech. My charge was 94 gr Swiss 1 1/2 dropped from a Niel jones measure. I had a platinum lined nipple by necessity. My sights were a Lyman globe front with Lee Shavers apatures and spirit level . The rear is a modified tang long range sight with a Hadley eye cup. It shot five shots in a hair over two inches at 200 yards. The last time I shot it it put 5 shots in a 7" group at 600 yards. I always wiped with a patch dampened with Eds Red. The patch was almost dry. It had signicant recoil.
  Elmo

[Scarface]

Thank you all for the response! I will pass this information on for sure:
Snapper - he is shooting grease groves I know for sure, will also,pass on your contact info. I know he will         
               be in touch.
Hammer - found that website, great info.  Thank you

Bob in the woods & Elmo - thank you

[Daryl]

I didn't do any LONG range shooting, but the choked Bauska barrel I played with, used 480gr. .50 cal bullets and 80gr. GOEX 2F. I lubed with Crisco which actually worked well, until I stumbled over 60/40 Beeswax/Vaseline.  That lube was super and very accurate, at the same time as keeping the fouling soft with the grooved lubed bullet. I also tried it in a .45 GM barrel, slow twist with 220gr. R.E.A.L. bullets. That lube as well as Lyman's BPGold were quite accurate.  i was able to shoot 20 shots, without wiping, then went back to shooting patched round balls, without having to wipe the bore first. The first shot with a patched round ball, effectively cleaned the bore for subsequent shooting.

[longcruise]

I think the missing element from your friends regimen is wiping between shots.  I've no experience with the more exotic rifles mentioned above, but my experiments with bullets in a TC Hawken showed that it was absolutely essential to wipe between shots.  If not wiped, accuracy began to deteriorate after one or two shots.

[snapper]

I miss read the original post, and would have to agree..  The very first thing to do is to clean between shots.

I do a damp patch, then a dry patch, then pop a cap.  Every time. 

Start with that, then play with the powder charge.

Should be able to get to 1.25 MOA at 100 yards.  If not, keep working on it.

fleener

[Scarface]

I'm passing all info along, again thank you all for the comments.

Bob

[Daryl]

I think the missing element from your friends regimen is wiping between shots.  I've no experience with the more exotic rifles mentioned above, but my experiments with bullets in a TC Hawken showed that it was absolutely essential to wipe between shots.  If not wiped, accuracy began to deteriorate after one or two shots.

Interesting, Mike - I did not have to wipe between shots, but I did wipe between groups, with a subsequent fouling shot made, so I wiped every 6 shots. Accuracy was just over MOA off the bench, when shooting the Bauska .50.  I used double aperture sights on that rifle, even for the turkey shoots.