Here is the cartridge, I took possession of 20 of them when I bought the rifle, secret recipe of previous owner:



I shot 19 of them, dissected one of those BP loads,
also dissected a Ten-X factory load, smokeless "Cowboy" load with 350-grainer.

I was shocked to find the mystery BP handload contained a bullet that weighed 440.4 grains! (including lube on bullet that looks like SPG).
The powder charge had a lube-cookie between it and the base of the bullet.
All the BP plus the lube-cookie that I could recover weighed only 35.3 grains! Surely a powder charge of less than 40 grains of BP,
on right below:



The Ten-X factory load (on left above) had a 350-grain cast lead bullet lubed with red lube, and a smokeless powder charge of only 23.5 grains. But who cares about that ...

Back to the BP handload with 440-grainer and 40 or less grains of BP:

Here are the 5-yard chronograph velocity results, outstanding uniformity with Sd = 11 fps for a 10-shot string,
average velocity 1046 fps:



I was dialing in the sights for the first time on my training wheels BPCR, and chronographed at 25 yards,
then moved to 100 yards for the final 4 shots on target below:



Two shots were almost bullseye, but all the bullet holes are slightly oval:







Not bad for a start on sighting in.
I will adjust the sights to my own handload: With a lighter and faster bullet, and a greater charge of powder, I am pretty sure, will be used!!!

I do not blame the rifle for anything, so far.
Is this bullet just too heavy/long for the 1:16" twist?

The mystery bullet was sized to .409" diameter, for the rifle's .408" grooves.
Maybe a .408" diameter bullet will be better?

Sharpsguy has given me some pointers on moulds, and I am considering several 400-grain moulds.

I had 3 eye-piece cups with pinholes, until I drilled one out as big as I could go (still have a fourth, a "Hadley" peep, occular disc with "dial-a-pinhole"),
front sight was a simple crosshair, training wheels:





After all my adjusting, I ended up right back at the previous owner's elevation setting, for the 100-yard shooting:



I did however move the windage to right by 1/2 of one graduation.

Rifle good, .409/440-grain bullet too heavy?

BTW:
5-yard chrono for 3 shots only of the smokeless factory load with 350-grain bullet, 1398 fps average,
11 fps Sd for 3 shots only, not as significant as for 10 shots with BP load giving same Sd:




I did not have a blow-tube, will have one next time I shoot this 40-65 with my own handloads.
Blowing between shots decreases fouling buildup with BP and might be an accuracy improver, so I hear.
Smaller pinhole rear peep and a peep-hole front globe insert needed too.
Maybe targets in sun instead of shade would help?

I think you might have found why the rifle was a good deal. The other guy did not appear to know how to load for it.

Verify your twist is 16" but I don't think that is the trouble. I think that bullet is about 1.387 long and it is not too long for your twist. I think it needs to be seated to touch the lead and the case needs more powder in it.

BTW is that really BP or is it one of those subsitutes that is a lot lighter per unit volume?

Paul Jones manufactured some 40 cal molds that were longer and just as heavy the 440.

Until you learn more about loading BP you should consider wiping the bore between each shot. Otherwise you will be confusing fouling issues with ammo issues. Once you get a recipe that shoots tiny groups you can see how many you can shoot before your groups fall apart. It is a fact of life that BP craps in its own nest.

quote:

Originally posted by SR4759:
I think you might have found why the rifle was a good deal. The other guy did not appear to know how to load for it.

There seems to be some evidence for that accumulating.

quote:

Smaller pinhole rear peep and a peep-hole front globe insert needed too.
Maybe targets in sun instead of shade would help?

I use a variety of crutches to aid shooting with aperture sights.
I have a large white background. The 4'X8' corrugated plastic campaign signs work well. You can pick them up by the dozen on election night. The white background is used with an ~ 8" black bullseye. Then I pick out the best sized Lyman front lollipop aperture to leave a ring around the black bull.
I am some what limited on the rear aperture.
When it gets too small it starts getting misshapen and fuzzy inside. I think it is due to astigmatism. I use the smallest rear aperture that I can see through without the fuzz. I have heard a number of other shooters say the same thing happens to them.
The story I hear from Olympic metallic shooters is that your sight combo should give you a sharp front sight and a fuzzy target. That way you always focus on the front sight.

Anyway with a good target, a good aperture set up, a good rest you should be able to hold about 1" groups. You should also hold on to the forend to absorb recoil and control the motion of the barrel.
If you have more of the smokeless ammo you might shoot it at a target for grins. It might shoot pretty well if it is not too fast for the soft bullet.