Refurbishing an Argentine RB - Part 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by
killforfood
I tried again last night to get some good muzzle shots but the auto features fought me to a truce.
That's what drives me up the wall too! In the myriads of features which one never learns how to use, it would be so handy if one just had a good old manual focus for such shots.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
killforfood
Right now my goal is to just make it go BANG!!! My budget won’t allow much more.
Very understandable. I therefore propose that you leave the reloading business to one side for the moment. It is such a high entry threshold to acquire lead melting pot, lead, tin (or solder), dies, black powder, cases, moulds etc etc before you can even start on making your own ammo, that it might be a good idea to get a 20 pack from Buffalo arms to verify that the rifle is a usable shooter before investing in the rest. Hang on a mo while I take a look ...
Yeah, I would get a 20 pack to make a test. They use the 370 gn round-nose with a 20:1 lead- tin mix, which is what I was recommending anyway. I notice they also have the Barker book "Shooting the 43 Spanish Rolling Block".
Important tip: If you buy ready-made ammo, assume that the reloaders did their homework and see if you can learn something from the ready-mades. Keep one cartridge as a size reference (OAL), and one which you can dismantle to see how it was assembled - bullet weight, powder weight (even though you do not know the type, post a pic of the powder next to a primer as a size reference, and I can then make a guess as to the granulation), wads, filler, lubricant etc. The bullet and case from the dismantled example can then be used to establish the optimum seating depth for you rifle (or at least a very good first approximation).
First Test Shoot
Please, do not make this test until I have seen pics of the muzzle end of the rifling now it has been cleaned, and given you my comments.
OK, so you have 18 loaded cartridges left. And we have not yet tackled the muzzle recrowning. But who knows? Maybe you can get away without it, which is why I am so keen to see some good pics, if you can defeat the camera automatics.
The use of the 18 would be (all shots off a sandsack):
a)
3 shots at a very short range indeed - about 25 yards! This is to check that you are going to be on the paper at 50 yards, and the shots are not keyholing. If there is keyholing, then stop at this point, because a recrowning is necessary. I have had rifles that would not have been on the paper at 50 yards (including The Mahdi, of course), so do not skip this step. Please post pics of the result.
b)
If 25yards was OK, then you have 15 shots left.
Now make a first 5-shot groups at 50 yards. Depending on how that turns out, you might be able to try 100 yards, or may have to adjust the sights and redo the 50 yard group. The position of the group on the 50 yard test will enable you (with a little advice from me) to set the sights so that you have a good chance of being on target at 100. So please post pics of this target as well. And take a look to see if the 20-pack has any info on the anticipated muzzle velocity (that helps with sight correction)
Do not feel tempted to miss the 50 yard test and go straight to 100 yards. This is very likely to waste a lot of that expensive ammo.
c) If 50 yards is OK, then you have 5 or 10 shots left for 1 or 2 x 5-shot groups at 100 yards.
And if you can get an acceptable group at 100 yards, you have done it! You have turned a junker into a usable rifle again. Pictures are a must!
And then you can get serious about bullet casting and reloading!
End of Part 10
P.S:
Re. boss cat. We had a cat and dog with a similar relationship. The cat (named "Ginny", so you can guess the coloring) used to lie smack bang in the middle of the dog's bed, leaving the dog cringing at the edge, half on the floor. Looks like if your cat leant on the dog, the dog would give way.
Do you know the cat's fighting weight, or won't the local weighbridge take it? ;)
Look closely at your pic. The table is clearly bending down to the left!:eek:
Re. start-up costs. Inspired by Claven2's opinion that the M-H was possibly the most expensive cartridge to reload, I took a look at the Buffalo Arms site. If you and Claven2 would care to glance at the price for ready-loaded ammo for the 43 Egyptian, you will get a real shock.
:wave:
