This last season was a resounding success with my old J&W tolley on big game. Shot a decent little whitetail, and a young moose using duplex loads and paper-jacket bullets.
Chances are that I wont be drawn for moose for another five years, so I will be focusing on just deer until then.
My next project that I picked up is a lovely little J.Beattie & sons hammer gun in 450 3 1/4".
I started testing this gun with cast 325 gr bullets and a recommended load off of this site (44 gr 4198) that printed almost perfect first time out! Unfortunately I dont have the original mold that cast these bullets (they came out of someones inventory), and although I have a good idea on the mold required, I would like to try loading standard jacketed bullets.
I have read in previous postings about individuals doing this, but cant find the old threads now when I want them. Anything I should watch for, or avoid?
Also, I have jacketed .458 bullets available in both 300 and 350 gr. The 325 gr cast shot about 2" high at 50 yds, but an inch apart over center. Should I go up or down in bullet size to bring the POI down? (Will the added pressure of the heavier bullet make it go higher or lower with the same powder load?)

In my .450 bpe Rielly, I shoot 50 grains of 4198 IMR and a 350-grain Hornady bullet. Accurate, low pressure, mild recoil. I may get a mould and cast as I will try powder coating bullets for most of my doubles.
If you are shooting 2" high and an inch apart at 50 yards I would leave it alone as that is excellent double rifle shooting. Could be that if you're shooting a bit high you are using a sight leaf for 100 yards. If so, then you will be right on to 100 yards.
One can't reinvent the wheel in double shooting. What works for your rifle may not be the best formula for another double. When you find something that works, let us all know and stop the experimentation. Your rifle shoots a damn fine target.
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
In my .450 bpe Rielly, I shoot 50 grains of 4198 IMR and a 350-grain Hornady bullet. Accurate, low pressure, mild recoil. I may get a mould and cast as I will try powder coating bullets for most of my doubles.
If you are shooting 2" high and an inch apart at 50 yards I would leave it alone as that is excellent double rifle shooting. Could be that if you're shooting a bit high you are using a sight leaf for 100 yards. If so, then you will be right on to 100 yards.
One can't reinvent the wheel in double shooting. What works for your rifle may not be the best formula for another double. When you find something that works, let us all know and stop the experimentation. Your rifle shoots a damn fine target.
Cal

.............What Cal said!

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
In my .450 bpe Rielly, I shoot 50 grains of 4198 IMR and a 350-grain Hornady bullet. Accurate, low pressure, mild recoil. I may get a mould and cast as I will try powder coating bullets for most of my doubles.
If you are shooting 2" high and an inch apart at 50 yards I would leave it alone as that is excellent double rifle shooting. Could be that if you're shooting a bit high you are using a sight leaf for 100 yards. If so, then you will be right on to 100 yards.
One can't reinvent the wheel in double shooting. What works for your rifle may not be the best formula for another double. When you find something that works, let us all know and stop the experimentation. Your rifle shoots a damn fine target.
Cal

Looked at the sight markings tonight and seen that the original fixed sight is stamped 150 yds, so I likely wont change much for the powder load , pending on how the jacketed bullets print. The other flip-up sight is stamped 250, which is likely unrealistic shooting for me and my bifocals anyways!

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy j:

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
In my .450 bpe Rielly, I shoot 50 grains of 4198 IMR and a 350-grain Hornady bullet. Accurate, low pressure, mild recoil. I may get a mould and cast as I will try powder coating bullets for most of my doubles.
If you are shooting 2" high and an inch apart at 50 yards I would leave it alone as that is excellent double rifle shooting. Could be that if you're shooting a bit high you are using a sight leaf for 100 yards. If so, then you will be right on to 100 yards.
One can't reinvent the wheel in double shooting. What works for your rifle may not be the best formula for another double. When you find something that works, let us all know and stop the experimentation. Your rifle shoots a damn fine target.
Cal

Looked at the sight markings tonight and seen that the original fixed sight is stamped 150 yds, so I likely wont change much for the powder load , pending on how the jacketed bullets print. The other flip-up sight is stamped 250, which is likely unrealistic shooting for me and my bifocals anyways!

250 yards was unrealistic when the rifle was made. The English were very practical when it came to gunmaking except for sights. Then, I think they did the long range leaves just to look cool. I've handled a .577 bpe Boswell sighted to 1200 yards, two .600s to 700 yards and many with leaves to 400 or 500 yards. I bought my first double in 1989 and have never used anything but the first leaf.
Cal

2 inches high and one inch apart, DON'T TOUCH THAT PUPPY,it won't get any better than that..

I personaly shot 400 gr. round nose Woodleighs in the one BPDR that I had. Probably used H4831 powder. don't recall, but I intended to use it on Buffalo. It was a proofed gun I was told. I shot some max loads in it tied in a tire and it held up real well. Im sure it was OK but mostly I just shot very mild loads, that's been a number of years ago..I never took it hunting as the hammers just bothered me, I like a loaded gun ready to fine if Im closing on a very close buffalo...A number of BPDR experts that I shot with shot some pretty hefty smokeless loads in their BP doubles they claimed were not proofed for smokeless, said if tight they were fine..I was a little uncomfortable with that, but never saw a problem at the range when they were shooting...Ive seen the same with Damascus shotguns and Ive shot a lot of low base ammo in some really nice Damascus guns..Some were 2.5 chambers opened up to 2-3/4" but I will leave all that up to the BP boys..