I have a question for someone wiser and more experienced than I am in the reloading field.

Until recently I had what I considered a "Wall Hanger" sitting in my collection just collecting dust. It is an 1866 Springfield Trapdoor Allin Conversion. I had a gunsmith look at the gun and he said that it would be okay to shoot as long as I didn't use a real heavy load. I purchased some black powder 50-70 cartridges,(About $80.00 for 20) lasheded the thing down to an old tire, tied a string to the trigger and hid behind a block wall to pull the string. It went great and the thing is really fun to shoot. My question is how do I reproduce the ammo that I got from Buffalo Arms? I would like to use Jim Shockey's Gold powder with a 450 grain self cast bullet. I know nothing about using wads to accomplish powder compression, but if I use a drop tube and 70 grains of the Shockey's Gold the bullet will compress the powder just fine.

Any advice would be more than welcome.

I have all of the equipment needed to reload the ammo.

Be sure to use a bullet lube suited to black powder, that is no petroleum products.
If you are casting your won bullets make sure they are at least .001 to .003 larger than your groove diameter and are cast with either pure lead to 30-1 alloy.If your bullet compresses the powder slightly with your chosen load just load it and try it without a wad.

I have no experience with Shockey's Gold powder at all. I have loaded and fired many 50-70 rounds using real blackpowder. I used Goex for my loads, and the bullets were from 450 to 520 grs. For real blackpowder, seat the bullet so that there's a slight compression of the powder charge. You'll want to cast your bullets soft, not hard like smokeless bullets. I use SPG lube in my BP bullets.

If you're going to buy brass, buy the Starline brass. It's much better and more consistent than the crappy Bell brass, and it's cheaper too.

Thanks for the replies. I think that this forum is a keeper.

I always use Starline brass when I can get it and my cast bullets are pure lead or as pure as you can get when you buy ingots from basically unknown sources.

I have tried the Shockey's Gold in my old Black Powder frame Colt 45 and 30 grains of it compresses nicely and makes a big boom and lots of smoke. I will have to try it in my Springfield.

Thanks again.

I've been loading for my 1868 Trapdoor and have found the diameter of the bullet to be very important. The 450gr Lee version of the .50 govt bullet shoots very well out of Thumper but the nearly identical but smaller diameter Lyman version of the same bullet won't group on a barn. I use Starline brass, a regular large rifle (not magnum) primer, 65 grs Goes ffg compressed enough to seat the bullet to get a firm crimp over the front band. The bullets are pan lubed with my own concoction but any decent black powder lube should do. I also use a thin wad to help discourage lube migration.

Some have problem with dies as a die suitable for an original 50-70 will size for a .515 bullet but one for current production will more likely be setup for a .510 bullet.

Jerry Liles

Thanks for the information Jerry.

My Lee mold throw a 0.512 dia 450 gr bullet. I haven't shot any through my rifle yet so will have to see what kind of a group I can get.

Some times eyesight and steady nerves have more to do with my groupings than the bullets.

If you're casting pure lead bullets, they should bump up for you. Have you slugged your bore?

Try adding just a bit of tin to your metal. It will fill out the mould better and you'll get a larger diameter bullet. My Lee casts about .515" with 30:1 lead:tin alloy. This is still quite soft and bumps up nicely in my Trapdoors.

Jerry Liles

Where do you find your tin?

Buffalo Arms sells tin by the pound. They also sell various alloys of lead by the pound.

www.buffaloarms.com