Mild load using smokeless powder

[nedclampet]

I agree 4759 is my powder of choice for shooting my trapdoors. 22 grains of 4759 behind a 405 gr. hollow base bullet is just the ticket.

[gsp2007]

38 Gr. Varget with 500 Gr. Gov't (round nose bullet) in my 1888 rod bayonet. I use 1 gr. cotton - seems to keep groups tighter.

[smellie]

SR-4759 is a Sporting Rifle powder, not the later IMR (Improved Military Rifle) powder. It is the final survivor of the old-time Bulk powders... almost.

SR-4759 can be loaded in ANY of the old Black-powder cartridges if you do not exceed 38% of Black Powder charges. Examples: a .50-140-360 would shoot well with 38 grains of SR-4759, a .45-55 Carbine would use 20.9 grains max. You get a precise duplicate of the original performance of the Black Powder round with pressures no higher than the originals.

I have a .50-70 Remington rifle and tried just about ALL the 'recommended' loads, finally got sick and tired of pouring brown IMR-4198 out of my barrel and went back to SR-4759. No more problems. The ONLY rifle I would worry about firing it in, without seeing pressure-gun data, would be an early Iron-barreled Snider-Enfield.

But that's the formula: 38 percent of Black, by weight. It used to be listed in the old Lyman/Ideal books.

SR-4759 has been out of production and back into production more times than I can remember in the years I have been shooting. It always goes out of production because enough guys don;'t buy it, and it always comes back into production because it is NECESSARY. Come to think of it, I had better lay in another couple of bottles: I have a Martini-Henry to test and my mould just got here (2 years late)!

[Alonzo]

With the Lyman 457193 wheel weight cast bullet I have been using Trail Boss. Did a search for loads and tried the starting load, then stepped up half way between start and maximum.
The trapdoor (m1873, ca 1880) performed very well and I used the gun in long range cowboy action matches...300 Yard. It ate a Sharps and spit out two Winchesters.
It is an ugly gun with a replaced fore-end, and a fair bore, I use the Ox-Yoke "Wonder wad" and no filler.
Cheers