45 Schofield Bullets
- Thread starter Gijunk
- Start date
hawg
Member
If you're loading for a repro you will find out they don't work well with black powder.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy
Although the original loading of the 45 Schofield round featured a 230 grain bullet, I have always loaded it with a 200 grain bullet.
Quite a few years ago I designed the Big Lube J/P 45-200 bullet, specifically for a light bullet in 45 Colt, but I found out it works very well in 45 Schofield too.
Here is a photo of the components that go into my Black Powder 45 Schofield loads; Starline 45 Schofield brass, about 28.5 grains of Schuetzen FFg, a large pistol primer, and the Big Lube J/P 45-200 bullet.
The third bullet from the left in this photo is the Big Lube J/P 45-200. Note: all four bullets on the left in this photo are Big Lube bullets. They were designed specifically for shooting with Black Powder. Note instead of two lube grooves the Big Lube bullets have one huge lube groove which carries enough soft BP compatible bullet lube to keep any firearm from building up hard fouling in the barrel. My experience years ago was that the bullets on the market with two lube grooves did not carry enough lube to keep a barrel lubed, the barrel got starved for lube. The Big Lube series of bullets was the answer.
The cartridge 2nd from the left in this photo is one of my Black Powder 45 Schofield cartridges.
This link will take you to Dick Dastardly's Big Lube web sight. To see the profile of the J/P 45-200 click on Bullet Molds, then on J/P-45 210 RNFP.
That will show you the profile of the J/P 45-210 bullet, which is slightly longer than the way I designed it.
http://www.biglube.com/Default.aspx
Until very recently you could purchase Big Lube 45-200 bullets from Whyte Leatherworks, but he has recently retired from casting bullets. I am not aware of anyone who is casting this bullet at this time. You could email Dick Dastardly at the Big Lube website and see if he knows anybody who is casting them. Dick only sells molds.
It is true that the modern reproductions of the Schofield revolver made by Uberti do not do well with Black Powder, because Uberti shortened the collet at the front of the cylinder from what originally existed on the S&W Schofield revolver.
But if you are going to try shooting Black Powder through a modern reproduction of the Schofield, a Big Lube bullet will do better than any two groove bullet you can find, because of the massive amount of soft BP compatible bullet lube the Big Lube bullets carry. I recommend using SPG lube on any bullet intended to be loaded with Black Powder.
My J/P 45-200 bullets work fine in this original Schofield, because it was designed specifically for shooting Black Powder back in 1875.
They also work fine in my 1858 Remington with its 45 Colt conversion cylinder. This revolver is even worse than a modern Schofield reproduction as far as shooting cartridges with Black Powder because there is no collet on the front of the cylinder at all.
So if you want to shoot Black Powder with the Schofield cartridge, I highly recommend the J/P 45-200 bullet. By the way, I get no kickbacks from the sale of molds, the design was given free of charge to Dick Dastardly to produce the molds.
Although the original loading of the 45 Schofield round featured a 230 grain bullet, I have always loaded it with a 200 grain bullet.
Quite a few years ago I designed the Big Lube J/P 45-200 bullet, specifically for a light bullet in 45 Colt, but I found out it works very well in 45 Schofield too.
Here is a photo of the components that go into my Black Powder 45 Schofield loads; Starline 45 Schofield brass, about 28.5 grains of Schuetzen FFg, a large pistol primer, and the Big Lube J/P 45-200 bullet.
The third bullet from the left in this photo is the Big Lube J/P 45-200. Note: all four bullets on the left in this photo are Big Lube bullets. They were designed specifically for shooting with Black Powder. Note instead of two lube grooves the Big Lube bullets have one huge lube groove which carries enough soft BP compatible bullet lube to keep any firearm from building up hard fouling in the barrel. My experience years ago was that the bullets on the market with two lube grooves did not carry enough lube to keep a barrel lubed, the barrel got starved for lube. The Big Lube series of bullets was the answer.
The cartridge 2nd from the left in this photo is one of my Black Powder 45 Schofield cartridges.
This link will take you to Dick Dastardly's Big Lube web sight. To see the profile of the J/P 45-200 click on Bullet Molds, then on J/P-45 210 RNFP.
That will show you the profile of the J/P 45-210 bullet, which is slightly longer than the way I designed it.
http://www.biglube.com/Default.aspx
Until very recently you could purchase Big Lube 45-200 bullets from Whyte Leatherworks, but he has recently retired from casting bullets. I am not aware of anyone who is casting this bullet at this time. You could email Dick Dastardly at the Big Lube website and see if he knows anybody who is casting them. Dick only sells molds.
It is true that the modern reproductions of the Schofield revolver made by Uberti do not do well with Black Powder, because Uberti shortened the collet at the front of the cylinder from what originally existed on the S&W Schofield revolver.
But if you are going to try shooting Black Powder through a modern reproduction of the Schofield, a Big Lube bullet will do better than any two groove bullet you can find, because of the massive amount of soft BP compatible bullet lube the Big Lube bullets carry. I recommend using SPG lube on any bullet intended to be loaded with Black Powder.
My J/P 45-200 bullets work fine in this original Schofield, because it was designed specifically for shooting Black Powder back in 1875.
They also work fine in my 1858 Remington with its 45 Colt conversion cylinder. This revolver is even worse than a modern Schofield reproduction as far as shooting cartridges with Black Powder because there is no collet on the front of the cylinder at all.
So if you want to shoot Black Powder with the Schofield cartridge, I highly recommend the J/P 45-200 bullet. By the way, I get no kickbacks from the sale of molds, the design was given free of charge to Dick Dastardly to produce the molds.
Last edited:
whughett
Member
45 Schofield or 45Colt
In my Uberti, called a Schofield in 45 Colt I load either a 200 grain RNFP or a 250 grain RNFP over 28 grains of 3F. A cardboard wad over the powder, optional, and 1/8 lubed felt wad. The 250 grain is a compressed load. Both hand cast. I cast and shoot a 230 round nose in smokeless loads but haven’t tried it over black. The bullets are tumble lubed in liquid Alox to facilitate sizing.
Sorry that none of that answered your question, posted as an alternative.
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Since you are casting your own bullets anyway, if you buy a Big Lube J/P-45 200 mold you can do away with the cardboard wad and the lubed felt wad.
Not necessary with the huge lube groove of a Big Lube bullet.
Much simpler to reload if you don't have to add that extra stuff.
I have not put lube wads or anything else in a Black Powder cartridge since I discovered Big Lube bullets a long time ago.
Just compress the powder a little bit when you seat and crimp the bullet, that's all there is to it.
Not necessary with the huge lube groove of a Big Lube bullet.
Much simpler to reload if you don't have to add that extra stuff.
I have not put lube wads or anything else in a Black Powder cartridge since I discovered Big Lube bullets a long time ago.
Just compress the powder a little bit when you seat and crimp the bullet, that's all there is to it.
Ugly Sauce
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2020
- Messages
- 6,190
The more the better.
hawg
Member
I don't use a wad in my 44-40's and they're smokeless bullets with two thin lube grooves. They don't hold enough powder as it is so I'm not about to waste space with a wad. They worked well in my Rossi 92 but I did not get a lube star at the muzzle. I didn't get any leading or fouling buildup. It had a 20 inch barrel so you might start having problems with a longer barrel tho.
whughett
Member
One could always do as I’ve seen the YouTuber, CapnBall do. Use unlubed bullets amd put a plug of lube over the chamber mouth just as many do for percussion. I’ve tried it with good results if a bit messy.
Cowhide Cliff
Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2015
- Messages
- 1,090
I also agree with using the 200 grain JP bullet. It over about 28 grains of 2f in Schofield brass is my go to pistol load for cas.
Similar threads
- Locked
