Time to cast,

[mherth]

Hah, that 38-50 sure sounds like fun, Kurt! I’ve got 1900 bullets cast so far but I don’t patch until I load rounds. Also been cutting a lot of flannel patches. It’s been a good casting season but I don’t expect it to be over yet despite the warm weather in the forecast, lived here to long to expect winter to be over this early. I do hope to get up to Forsyth in a couple of weeks and try out some new milder loads. Also wanting to see how far my 50-70 roller will shoot?.

[Aviator]

Try as I might, I never get that far ahead, Kurt!

[Kurt]

Mike,

I get to shoot a .50-70 Roller on and off and I been tempted to find one. He just shoots smokeless in his but it's sure a fun rifle to shoot.

[Kurt]

Frank,

Usually by this time of year I used to have a lot more cast. I have slowed down here in the last 3-4 years. My powder consumption used to be 4-5 + cases a year. Last year I did not finish two.

[Distant Thunder]

I've got somewhere between 600 and 800 bullets cast for my .44-77, but since I haven't yet found THE load for that rifle all of them may not be useful.

I did manage to cast 50 good bullets for my .45-70. The rejection rate on that mold can be as high as 50%. It's a mold that if it's casting good bullets I don't dare stop! In my first attempt this year it didn't play nice. I need to get this mold casting good bullets and then put in a long day and get ahead of the game.

I have tried to replace this mold with other molds, but nothing else I've tried shoots as well in my Hepburn. I'll try to get the mold maker to cut another one that works, maybe later this year.

I haven't been shooting any of my other rifles enough to even talk about how many bullets I may have on hand for them.

[Don McDowell]

I just put 375 loaded 45-90's and 200 loaded 110's as a back up rifle in the pickup for the match at Phoenix next week.

[J.B.]

Jim fancy wondering if all your bullets would be useful ? Why.. I'm still planning on what to put in the pointy end of the cases for our June foray ? I'll be running with a gg bullet for the most part but I'm bringing at least 50 of that Brooks PP dd design to
actually try out in the twist it was destined for. The gg bullet will be a variation on a recent 45 design I had BACo run for me. I just cant take the risk at the speed ( or lack there of ) I patch and my composure throughout ..whilst loading in the hotel room.
... and as for the 50/70's abilities at the longer ranges, you may be pleasantly surprised. I know I was when I had mine.....just need to order another. Too early for me to consider 38's just yet.

rgds.. J.B.

[Kurt]

I think I'm done for a spell casting for the .38. All are patched and now it's time to work up some ladder loads.
I changed my alloy a bit for this DD 371-359 E because it has a fairly long DD base that is patched to groove diameter and the shank above the base is patched to bore diameter so it does not need to fill the grooves much if any.
I checked the weight for 50, something I have not done for many years to see how consistent they are dropping from the mould and the span from light to heavy is 5/10 gr so the alloy infilling the mould well using a vibration pressure cast routine.
Man my thumb is sore from patching all those bullets.

[Distant Thunder]

It seems like every time I cast more than a few hundred of a given bullet it ends up not being the one I want to shoot. Then I'm left with a bunch of orphans that have no place to go. The only rifles I have that I don't have that problem with are my .45-70 Hepburn and my .40-65. Both of those I have time proven loads with one bullet for and casting anything else would be a waste of time.

Since I don't shoot my .40-65, which is my silhouette rifle, much at all I never really am behind on casting for that. The mold is super easy to cast with and it cast very good bullets.

My .45-70 Hepburn, which is my Creedmoor rifle, I can never get very far ahead of casting for. I have a proven load and a bullet that shoot extremely well, but as I have said the mold kind of sucks for casting.

My .44-77 shoots pretty well with the 4 different PP molds I have for it, but for some reason I have not done very well shooting at matches with any of the loads/bullets I have tried. There is no doubt in my mind that this is my favorite cartridge/rifle combination and I really enjoy loading it and shooting it no matter how it goes. I just like the .44, .45 and .50 caliber BP cartridges. Those under .44 caliber are interesting to me and I think from time to time that I'd like to have a .38-50, but I know from my history with the smaller calibers that I just can't get too excited about loading and shooting them. They end up sitting in the safe or traded in on something else bigger.

I am really hoping to get on top of this .44-77 this year, but if this year is anything like the last two years that's going to be difficult. It's been since 2019 when I last put in a full season and did a lot of shooting. This has already had somethings come up that will likely shorten my season again. Time will tell, but the lack of range time, match time isn't help me any. I thought when I retired that I'd be shooting all the time, so far not so much. Even with that retirement is the best job I've even had! I'm sticking with it.

I'm headed out to my shop to do some casting, hopefully I have some for the .45-70 by the end of the day. The more the better!

[Distant Thunder]

Don,

Good luck at the AZ match! I wish I was going to be there but there is no way that's happening, not this year for sure. I hope you or someone is able to post some day-by-day reports to this forum so us less organized people can at least follow along with those that are more prepared and able, brave souls that they are!