I have 100) starline new cases and 200 Hawk Custom 525gr Jacketed Bonded Soft Points...Looking for 21-2200 in my New Model Dave Clay 1886 Conversion...Thanks

My 525gr cast bullet loads are 70gr of H4895 and 75gr of Varget. I'd have to give the nod to Varget for the heavier bullets.

Again, these are for cast bullets, safe in my gun, yours will vary.

I'd start 6-7gr less for your jacketed bullets, and work up from there.

Have you chronographed these? Thanks!

I did, and heck if I can find it.

I did take the 525gr cast up to 2200+ once, well for 3 shots anyways. It knocked the living crap out of me. My gun still wears it's crescent buttstock, complete with steel crescent butt plate. Shooting that load only wearing a tee shirt, didn't help matters either.

I'll root around for my chrono loads.

Best I can tell you, start with 70gr of either powder and work up from there.

Cresent butt,ouch!!I will take your advise and work up...another fellow just told me he uses 81gr of H4895 and got 2100fps from his 20" barrel 1886. I feel confident that I am close now...Thankyou very much!(Let me know if you find your notes)

Hey Congratulations on the DRC 50/110! Dave does sweet work. He converted my 86 Win to 450/110. I stopped adding powder at 2230 fps for a 460 grain cast performance hard cast bullet.

I settled on a standard hunting load for North America of 2050 fps.

I would recommend changing to a shotgun style butt and adding a kick-eze or equilivant recoil pad and mercury recoil reducer.

My rifle was built on an extra lite with the shotgun style butt. I had Dave put Kick-eze pad on and install an 11 oz. mercury recoil reducer in the butt stock.

I was out at the Dave's shop shooting my rifle and another 86 that had a cresent butt with a kick-eze pad added and the difference in recoil and shootability between my rifle and the other rifle was significant.