Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Round ball loads

Stocker, don't know how this one slipped by me but it did. Had one hellava time shooting that day at the river! Still paying for that day here on the home front <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />! No mines not the "real McCoy", mines the Pedersoli Quigley Sharps in 45-70. Added a Soule vernier on the rear and a globe front right off the bat. She's a shooter! Wouldn't trade it for love nor money. Had always heard their barrels were second to none from folks, I believe it. Their fit and finish is something to behold. If you are considering one you might wanna hurry, their prices keep going up. The Quigley has went up almost $400.00 since I bought mine. One day I hope to find a decent original that wouldn't break me, haven't yet. For now though, this one's my baby, have run a few thousand rounds through her playing around. She's a deer getting S.O.B. too.

Stocker, if you are shooting jacketed bullets in your full loads and lead balls in your grouse loads, you may be disapointed. Try shooting your grouse loads in a barrel fouled by copper and you may be disapointed.

Then try shooting your jacketed bullets in a barrel that has just shot a few lead loads. In my expierience, the first and maybe the first few shots will be very wild. Try it.

horkin yorkin: Nope, no jacketed goes down that tube. Using a variety of cast from 210 -255 grain. The 255 grain is the new serious hunting load replacing a 230 grain. Just looking for a very quiet grouse potting load for camp meat purposes.

Partsman,
I think the Hammond Game Getter might be the same lead ball shooter you are looking for. Bought one at the Kamloops Gun show a couple weeks ago. Haven't used it yet, but it looks ok.

dp

Round balls and this hammond am i correct in assuming these are both single shot affairs..in a M71 that is.

Also, if i use jacketed bullets after these round balls will i not be cleaning the barrel of lead deposits ..

Sorry just askin.

I would think single shot is the way to go. The follower on a magazine tube would push the lead ball in (not sure if thats a problem or not). Supposedly if you use the lighter power caps, leading isn't a problem. I plan on using mine for the grouse I always see while sneaking along looking for mr big (who is always just over the next ridge). One of the reasons I liked this unit was he had them for lots of cases. I got them in 7RSAUM and 300 Weatherby.

dp

djpepper:
this is a picture of the partridge cartridge it is not the gamegetter.
Bill

bc boy, like I said, after you shoot a few lead balls, shoot a jacketed full load at a target. In my expierience, the first shot and sometimes more will be off target.

Also, try shooting lead loads in a rifle that has shot some jacketed load thru it without cleaning, accuracy will be terible in my expierience. I am shiffting all of my squib loads for rabbits/grouse from lead to jacketed bullets for this reason.

Patrick Smith has an essay on Kifaru's website about small game loads and his use of them while hunting. Mostly he uses cheap jacketed bullets with reduced loads. Might be worth checking out.

horkin!

Gotta agree with you but I think I will go to all lead as i found some 255grCB's that are shooting pretty good in my old rifle.

Finally have some shooting tests completed using round balls in my 348 Win. Balls were Speer .350 which were double coated with Alox bullet lube (Lee), powder was AA5744, primers were WW large pistol.

Loading was accomplished by slightly flaring once fired UNSIZED cases. Ball was seated by clamping a piece of pine inside the top of my press and raising the ram gently and by feel with my thumb stopping when the case mouth was about 1/8" from contacting the wood leaving a short round nose exposed. Loaded case was then run into the seating die just far enough to remove the flare but apply no noticeable crimp. Seating the ball by thumb pressure alone was not a workable method and required enough force that I have the cutest circular cut on my thumb from the chamfered case mouth that you'll ever see.

Trials commenced shooting 5 shot groups at 25 yards starting at 20 grains AA5744 and reducing in 2 grain increments.

Results:
20 grains - 5" group scattered
18 grains 4" group (4 tight with one flyer)
16 grains 2 3/4 group (4 tight with 1 flyer)
14 grains 3/4" center to center
12 grains 1/2 " center to center
10 grains 5/8" outside diameter of group.

Report was light and recoil non existent.

The loads all shoot about 3" below normal sight in for 255 grain hunting load.

By aligning the front sight with the top outside center edge of the eyepiece holder on a Williams Foolproof the group was brought to center and even with no precise center mark being present it is possible to hold 5 shots in 3/4 inch. I may take a square needle file and file a small notch on the top to aid alignment.

I also tried smearing RCBS cast bullet lube around the seam between case mouth and ball but have concluded for infrequent use at least this is an unnecessary step and just provides a medium for more grit to be picked up in.

After firing 60 balls lubed with the Alox no leading is apparent in the bore.

At any rate I think I've worked up a viable grouse load and a method to shoot it without sight adjustment. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Stocker,
Great info, thanks for keeping us up to date on your project.
And thanks for not using metric and confusing our friends down south. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I guess I better get hot and try to do the same thing for my calibers.
I have taken Oct.11 to Oct.24 for moose hunting, don't know for sure if it will stay that way, but had to put something down and we do plan on october, so will see how close I am to what the rest of my family wants to do.
Bill

thanks stocker!

I think i got a project for the next little while, appreciate it. Was wonderin if a 220 X might be a little to much for out rather large canadian giant grouse <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

You're the man! I like that 5/8 inch group! Looks like those grouse are gonna be in deep s$it! 5744 huh, just so happen to have a can or two on hand. Damn fine work stocker!

why not just use a good .22 pistol? The Smith 422 is very accurate, light wt. If your eyes won't let you use iron sights that well, there's always optical sights of one sort or another. The squibs never shoot close enough to POI in big rifles to be a lick more capable than is a good pistol, even a little pocket model, like the Smith 2214. A 422, with optics, makes taking grouse at 30m a pc of cake.

agree: Sounds real good and I used to when I was allowed to carry by virtue of being a police constable ( and that authority was stretching it by the fact we were on 24 hour call). Otherwise it's not allowed up here. So, reduced loads make a lot of sense if you work at getting accurate light loads if you can find a way to place them where you want them. I normally use a standard cast bullet with reduced loads but even they are noisier than desirable. It is relatively easy to find a cast load that will hit right using the thick tip of a duplex reticule for scoped rifles. For rifles with open or aperture sights you have to be a bit creative and the Williams Foolproof is less flexible in use than some other receiver sights because everything is meant to be locked in with set screws.

my disgust with Big Brother and his sheep is best not "voiced' here.

just because it isn't " legal" doesn't mean guys don't do it. I see 5 or 6 sheep hunters at least every year packing handguns in Alberta, and have never heard of anyone getting charged. From what I here cougar hunters around here pack handguns a lot also.