Period correct '74 Sharps Buffalo Rifles?

[Kurt]

Here is my way for a PP hunting bullet. I used to hunt the Michigan UP and up in the UP the hunting season can be challenging as far as weather is concerned. It can be rain or snow then again rain and snow It can be in the mid 30's and you might wake up during the night with the tent roof sagging down on your nose from the weight of a 3 foot snow fall.
For those conditions when the snow falls off the pine branches and down your neck and in pockets the thin cotton paper jackets is not the best for use. In those conditions I use a translucent 100% cotton vellum paper that rejects water and holds it's strength when loading or even if you like to use a cartridge belt with a good firm taper crimp to hold the bullet so it wont fall out.
I started with a 16# vellum that ran .0026" thick and this worried me when I found outer wrap shredded but the inner wrap still uncut completely so I would score the inner wrap only so it would peal off like a shot cup but I saw no difference in the accuracy doing this so I just wrapped like normal.
I know two guys that use a thick paper and they have no problem with accuracy I tried it but I was not satisfied with the results but the thick paper holds up well for a hunting bullet.

For a hunting bullet I patch for the first shot at bore diameter and the one for follow up I use a under bore by 2 to 2.5 thousands and I use a alloy of 1/25 to 1/30 no softer or harder I want that bullet to expand to open a wound channel and fill the grooves. I leave the pure lead for the round balls.
For the roller or the trapdoor carbine I used a lot I tended to use a patched bullet at groove diameter deep seated to hold the bullet or just used a GG flat nosed. You don't need a heavy powder load for deer.
A good translucent paper ranging from .0018 to .0025 depending the unpatched bullet diameter is my choice for hunting.