Update.. Obsolete cartridge rifle learning curve

[Chuck 100 yd]

Hobie asked for an update sometime ago on the learning curve assosiated with the loading for the Chaparral .50-95 rifle.

Some may remember that I bought this rifle off of GunBroker a couple months back.


After reading everything I could find on the internet, I decided to just order some loaded ammo from Buffalo Arms and play with the rifle and end up with a supply of brass to be loaded at a later date.
I found that Buffalo has the brass on back order and it could be months
(as in several months to a year).
I made a couple phone calls and found 60 pieces of properly headstamped Bertram brass at Huntington`s in CA. ( rim thickness is proper, snug fit in the FL die without changing dimension,seems to be proper fit in rifles chamber)
Another phone call to Buffalo Arms to cancel the loaded ammo and to order a set of 4D dies ,wad punch, shell holder and ammo boxes.
Another call to Lee Precision brought me a lube sizer kit in .510
I had earlier purchased a Lyman mold from another forum member.
The bullets drop at .515. The 4D die set has a .512 expander plug and Chaparral suggests .513 bullets so I will just have to polish out the Lee sizer to .513 and I will be ready to load ammo and make smoke.

I now have almost $500 invested in Mold,Dies,Brass,Etc.Etc.
The learning curve is not so bad but these rifles are very expensive to feed!
Should have a range report next month.

[gamekeeper]

Looking forward to that range report!

[Old Ironsights]

Ditto (though not as expensive) on my "obsolete" 9.3x72R.

Lee Dies, 200gr mold, 100 brass... I think I'm in for about $250...

[Sixgun]

Chuck,
Old Chinese saying, "Nothing of great value is done without great effort" Those 5 c-notes you spent plus the countless hours of research must give you a fine feeling of satisfaction. When you go out and shoot that 50-95, you will feel much better than if you cranked up some loads out of a .223 shot out of a Rem. 700.

I love playing with the old cartridges and guns. One Hi-Wall in 40-82, built in 1893 I have took me 800 rounds before I could get it to REALLY shoot. An 1878 Sharps Borchardt took about 600 rounds. This stuff is challenging and extremely rewarding, especially when you go to a match and beat the pants off of people who are using brand new stuff with store bought ammo. Or drop a nice buck or an elk with a cast bullet that you poured.

In fact, I will go as far to say I need my old guns and reloading for them to keep my sanity, or whats left of it ---------------------------Sixgun

[Ysabel Kid]

Looking forward to that range report!

+!

[Buffboy]

I hear you, Chuck. My Chaparral isn't nearly as difficult in 40-60 but I don't want to know how much I have in the reloading equipment.

I've finally gotten all the parts together on my "free" Beaumont 71/88. I finally found a guy that had an ejector(to copy) and a milling machine so the last part is in the rifle. I have been looking at dies and brass to make some smoke with it but I just can't seem to free up the funds to start that little project. $150 for the dies(4-D, not my favorite brand), $3@ for cases so it will probably be a while.

[TedH]

That's a lot of money to get setup to handload, but it'll all be worth it once you get her shooting.

[runfiverun]

the fun only begins when the rifle is purchased.
that is why they call this an obsession....er...hobby.
if it were easy anybody could do it.

but the chase is where the fun is...the excitement of that first shot.
the fun of the next few............then on to the next one.
maybe that is why we bond with these things so much..

[Tumbleweeds]

Next one? Not until he's made meat with this one! THAT is when it gets really good, to me anyway.

There's a hunter in eastern MO who not only shoots a self bow, he makes his arrows with native cedar, turkey feathers, and flint he finds and knaps himself. He dropped a deer a few years ago, probably the first deer whacked with a flint point in 150 years. I like to keep him in mind when I think I'm going nuts - at least I'm not where he is (yet).

That's a great rifle, Chuck. Looks like Teddy Roosevelt's 1876, the one he scared Indians (showed it to them and they stayed out of range) and killed antelope with.

[Old Ironsights]

...There's a hunter in eastern MO who not only shoots a self bow, he makes his arrows with native cedar, turkey feathers, and flint he finds and knaps himself. He dropped a deer a few years ago, probably the first deer whacked with a flint point in 150 years. I like to keep him in mind when I think I'm going nuts - at least I'm not where he is (yet).....

That's WAAAY too technical for me. I'm playing with AtlAtl's & Slings...

http://www.hollowtop.com/atlatlbob.htm
http://www.atlatl.com/
http://www.worldatlatl.org/

(Oh, BTW AtlAtls are legal for deer in PA... http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... _deer.html)

http://slinging.org/index.php?page=cast ... ul-elliott
http://www.pipeline.com/~jburdine/page2.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yo ... Sling.aspx

[Pathfinder09]

I'm in the same process with my .405 Winchester. I'm doing a lot of business with Buffaalo Arms. Good folks to do business with. I have saved up my factory loaded brass, I have the dies, bullets and a load data. Soon to start reloading for it.