American Creedmoor Cup > Three Successful Loads
Finally, here’s a listing of the three successful loads used during The Cup to further wet your appetite.
Dan’s Load Data:
- Rifle: Browning Highwall
- Caliber: 45-90 chambered with Sharps LR Traditional PP match reamer
- Barrel Maker: Badger – Choke hand-lapped into last 6″ of the barrel
- Barrel Twist: 1-16
- Barrel Length: 32″
- Brass: Starline 45-90 Nickel-plated
- Primer: Federal 150 Match Large Pistol
- Over-primer Wad: Ashless filter paper
- Powder Manufacture and Granulation: Swiss 1.5
- Powder Charge: 96.0 grains
- Powder Compression: 0.080″
- Over Powder Wad Type and Thickness: 0.060″ HDPE
- Bullet Mold Manufacturer: Paul Jones
- Bullet Designer: DanTDesigns
- Bullet Design: Paper-patch “Money Bullet”
- Bullet Length: 1.450″
- Bullet Nose Length: 0.700″
- Bullet Shank Diameter: 0.4460″
- Paper Thickness: 0.0016″
- Wet or Dry Wrapped: Wet wrapped
- Bullet Seating Depth in Case: 0.125″
- Bullet Alloy: 16-1
- Bullet Weight: 532 grains
- Wiping Technique: Two damp, 2.5″ diameter cotton patches followed by one dry pushed down the bore with a Tipton Nylon brush attached to a Tipton graphite cleaning rod
Pictured below is Dan’s 45-90 PP round with the Paul Jones “PP Money Bullet.”
Bob’s Load Data:
- Rifle: Stevens 44 1/2
- Caliber: .45-2.4″
- Barrel Maker: Ron Smith
- Barrel Twist: Gain twist, 36 to 18
- Barrel Length: 31.5″
- Brass: Remington stretched
- Primer: CCI BR-2
- Over Primer Wad: None
- Powder Manufacture and Granulation: Swiss Fg
- Powder Charge: 99.0 grains
- Powder Compression: 0.07″
- Over Powder Wad Type and Thickness: 0.030 “LDPE
- Bullet Mold & Swage Manufacturer: Self-made
- Bullet Designer: Bob’s design
- Bullet Weight: 539 gains, cast and swaged
- Bullet Design: 1/2 caliber nose diameter with a smooth curve connecting the nose and shank
- Bullet Length: 1.400″ cast; 1.384″ swaged
- Bullet Nose Length: 0.545″ cast; 0.590″ swaged
- Bullet Shank Diameter: 0.448″ cast; 0.451″ swaged
- Paper Thickness: .0018″
- Wet or Dry Wrapped: Wet
- Bullet Seating Depth in Case: 0.187″
- Bullet Alloy: BHN 10, equivalent to 30:1
- Wiping Technique: Two very damp patches
Bob reports that the section just behind the nose is swage-tapered to fit the throat. His rifle’s chamber has a 1-1/2 degree leade angle. The nose taper die has a 2 degree angle. The paper over this tapered section engages the leade angle, which leaves rifling marks on the paper. Bob also reported that he had no paper-patch induced flyers during the entire match.
Jim’s Load Data:
- Rifle: Pedersoli Sharps
- Caliber: 45-70
- Barrel Maker: Pedersoli
- Barrel Twist: 1-17.7
- Barrel Length: 32″
- Brass: Winchester
- Primer: CCI BR-2
- Over Primer Wad: Yes, same paper as patch, cut with primer
- Powder Manufacture and Granulation: Swiss 1 1/2
- Powder Charge: 80 grains
- Powder Compression: 0.125″
- Over Powder Wad Type and Thickness: Poly 0.060″
- Bullet Mold Manufacture: Brooks
- Bullet Designer: Brooks
- Bullet Design: Postell
- Bullet Length: 1.450″
- Bullet Nose Length: ?
- Bullet Shank Diameter: 0.443″
- Paper Thickness: 0.002″
- Wet or Dry Wrapped: Wet
- Bullet Seating Depth in Case: 0.125″
- Bullet Alloy: Wheel weights
- Wiping Technique: 1 wet 3″ patch followed by 1 dry Arsenal, pushed through with a bore mop
All as-cast bullets were run through a push-through bullet-sizer (like a Cornell or Lee) before applying the paper patch and again after the paper patch dried. The paper patch was not lubed.
Cheers,
DanT
March, 2008