originally posted by kBob
Malamute
Loverly rifles! Great photography especially setting up the shots.
Speak to us about those round ball loads.....what round ball, what and how much powder (oh please let it be Unique) what lubes and how do you assemble the rounds. How do they shoot other than minute of grouse? Do they cycle through the actions or are they single loaded?
Also does your Malamute handle have anything to do with Dr. Pournelle?
-kBob
Thanks for the kind words. If you take enough pictures, you get a few good ones.
Yes, I use Unique. I use the Hornady .310 or .315" round balls in 30-30. I lube them with Lee Liquid Alox, use a small tuft of dacron pilow stuffing over 3 grs Unique (Red Dot is reproted to do very well and not be as position sensitive without the pillow stuffing, I've started fooling with it also). I use the Lyman 310 tool with the "M" expander to expand the case mouth for the soft lead balls, seat to the major diameter of the ball just barely in the case, and very lightly crimp. I make similar loads for 348 with .350" round balls and 4 grs Unique or Red Dot. They make great snake and bunny load also, the noise is about on par with standard vel (not high vel) 22's. I also make extra-light loads for 45-70 with .457 round balls and 6 1/2 grs Unique (w/ pillow stuffing).
I've found that Unique is a good powder for this, but is position sensitive. If shooting up, they are fine, shooting downwards, or not positioning the powder, they can be a very different report. I had one 45-70 round ball load bounce off a snakes head once (shot almost straight down). I only load them with the pillow stuffing now. Just a small ball, large enough to give a little tension against the case walls, and tamp it in over the powder with an unsharpened pencil. The old Lyman 45-70 "collar button" bullets also work well for these type loads. I bought a few, they probably shoot a little better than the round balls.
All of the round ball loads shoot ok for close range small game and plinking, head or neck shots on grouse at 20-30 feet aren't hard by any means, nor are snake heads at 10 feet. I havent used them beyond about 30-40 yards much. They are absolutely the
Hammer of Thor on mice in the yard eating the bird seed.
I single load them into the chamber, leaving the magazine loaded with full power loads since there's scary stuff with sharp parts out in the hills.
Dr who?