I started casting back in the mid-sixties. A 25 Krag with a little cast iron Lyman pot on a Coleman stove, and an Ideal bullet mold. 87gr RFN's.

Seven years ago I got my NEI .551" RFN for my 550 Gibbs. 850grains.

But, I moved up the scale this afternoon. Waaaaaaaay up! Colin Stolzer built me the 10-bore Paradox Rifle, and I picked it up in late May.

I finally got around to casting a few round balls for it. From my alloy, they mike .780".
Big.

Colin also made me a set of reloading dies, similar to the ones once provided with quality British DR and Single Shot Rifles.

Big...

Next week we stuff 160gr of 2F and a couple 1/4" wads under one of these babies.

Video to follow, if I can con NPD345 into filming me.

Rich

As long as I can use a telephoto lens.

I don't want to be to close when that thing goes off!

Rich, I for one am looking forward to this. How cool!

quote:

But, I moved up the scale this afternoon. Waaaaaaaay up! Colin Stolzer built me the 10-bore Paradox Rifle, and I picked it up in late May.

Is this rifle a single barrel or a double?
What are you using for cases?

jim

Double Rifle, like a H&H Paradox Rifle. I bought a 10 bore blank, and Colin parted a couple pieces off. Cut the SxS 10 gauge 3 1/2" magnum barrels off about 22" long. Threaded the barrels a couple inches at the muzzles, and cut and threaded the pieces. A sort of choke tube system, but epoxied in place once he got a good load. 4"H x 2"W groups at 25yds.

160gr of 1F and these huge round balls. One pound of alloy makes ten of these bowling balls. If my math is correct, that is 1.6 ounces each.

All that is left is locating some 3/8th or 1/2 inch felt for wads...

Cases, Rocky Mtn Cartridge makes them. $10 each.

Rich

Rich, is it chambered for the regular 10 bore brass hull? If so, doesn't Mag-Tech sell them for quite a bit less?

not sure, spent an hour last night trying to find thick enough felt at a couple fabric stores.

Make sure you find wool felt. I suspect the acrylic stuff might melt and make a mess in your bore. I never could find wool felt locally and had to order.

Jerry Liles

Cut a stack of them from an old cowboy hat. They're usually either felted wool or felted beaver and either should be fine. I suppose in a pinch a stack could be cut from surplus army blankets. If they're to be trusted to be a natural fiber maybe some of those liners from an old pair of pacs, they're fairly thick.

'Course you could always order them too....

Got Lucky!

A member here suggested Jute as a wad. Went to an auto upholstery shop in Boise and found reasonably priced Jute fabric a yard wide and .250" thick. $11.50 a yard, so I bought two.

The wad cutter Colin made has a cutter head that is detachable from the handle, and a 3" shank to set in the drill press. I cut some into 1" strips and cut a couple dozen wads.

Found the double boiler, and it is in the dishwasher. Tomorrow, we soak some wads in beeswax and test drive.

Hornady tech support suggested 135gr of 777 as a starting load. I love the BP stink and smoke, but I am going to start with 777 and skip the messy cleanup at first.

Rich

PS: I don't suppose anyone here has an extra 10-bore culling belt they'd like to sell...?

quote:

PS: I don't suppose anyone here has an extra 10-bore culling belt they'd like to sell...?

Rich, any more that 6 rounds and they'll pull your pants down :-)

Cannot wait for the Youtube, Rich. Colin builds a wonderful gun.
I have yet to shoot my 11-bore flint Marshfield fowler.

Biebs,

I was going to order the Trader Keith model with suspenders...

Rich:
Good to see you are getting into the big stuff. You are only a hop, skip, and jump away so join us for a shoot sometime and shoot some 8s and 4s. We had three 4s at the last shoot. In my 4, I use 440 grains of FFg GOEX and a 1400-grain ball. Recoil is pretty stiff. The same charge with a 1900-grain recoil is terrible. Or, 120 grains of Blue Dot.
Come up anytime.
Cal

Here's a 4-Bore Rich. Looking forward to your video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL0B92iUkv0

Cheers
Jim

Nearly a year ago Rich said he was going to shoot this thing and post a video of it. I don't see it on here, is it somewhere else?

Thanks,
George

I need to get a cameraman and do that. Hopefully, this week...

I get caught up in projects, and the time slips away from me.

Rich:
I've been told that's a P poor excuse!
I've got projects stacked up so high I can't even remember half of 'em.
Good luck, thanks for the reply,
George

By the way: My former shoulder doc moved to your fine lil town a couple yrs ago. IF you or anyone you know needs such work go see Michael Daines, tell him I sent ya. He's a big bore shooter too, or said he was when I asked how long after a replacement could I shoot the colt and big rifle. Said he shoots a .454.
G

I am just looking here on the floor, not out in the gunroom, or at gunsmiths being worked on.

GEWEHR complete engraved and CCH DST action, someday early next year it will be my 6,5x68S.

Early Postwar Yugo/Zastava, fate unknown.

Commercial FN R-series with DST's and a tapered octagon barrel in 257. Wood is about 90% done, awaits my stockmaker's attention.

Brazilian 1908, barreled in 9,3x62. Mannlicher stock is here, just cannot decide to cut the 45" barrel to about 20" and go mannlicher.

I will get some more rounds loaded this week and get a friend to photo me shooting it.