bullet problem

[hiram]

My friend has a pedersoli sharps, 45-70.  Groove diameter is .456".  He is using 777 powder.  Jacketed bullets are very accurate.  Lead and gas checked bullets are not accurate and sometimes keyhole.  The lead bullets are sized to .458.   Twist is 1:18.  Any ideas?

[Don in PA]

Hiram
If your friend was shooting jacked  bullets be sure that all the copper fouling is removed before shooting cast bullets. The copper fouling will ruin accuracy with cast bullets this is a must.
Don

[Retired]

Rifles is new been fired with copper bullet about 25 times and cleaned well.I have tryed many cast bullets from 300 gr to 535 at 50 gr to 70 gr of Hodgdon triple seven with copper gas checks and with out.I have used Wonder Wads , heavy milk cartons , cardboard and still get keyholes . I have also tryed from 458 to 459 dia. Any help ? Thanks Retired.

[Voyageur]

Yup...try .457" size (.001" over groove diameter), mix up 50/50 pure beeswax and peanut oil for lube, use the 405 grain bullet, use 2F with a drop tube, use a milk carton over powder wad, a newspaper over wad spacer, crimp the bullet with a compression of no more than 1/8".

Clean out the copper fouling and make sure there is no build up of lead (or anything else) at the start of the rifling.

Used fluxed lead/tin/antimony per Lyman No.2 faithfully.

Voyageur

[The Shrink]

You didn't say, but if you are using Lee molds try Lyman.  Use one of the copper scrubbers to get the copper out of the barrel.  Cast soft, from Lyman #2 to a 30-1 mix, to allow the bullet to bump up.  I have shot pure lead from my Sharps (Shiloh) 40-70BN.  

Wayne

[TopperT]

I had the same situation shooting 38-55. :eek:   I followed the advice I got here regarding bullet diameter, barrel cleaning and load preperation especially compression on the correct amount of powder for the load. :wink:
I then stepped up .002 on dia, cleaned the HELL out of the barrel, and followed my powder load with veg. wad soaked in TC  Bore Butter and for my caliber a .379 cast lead slug with spg lube and no gas check.
The result is a very sweet shooting H&R Target 38-55 AND most importantly......no more "keyholes".   One added benifit I clean my barrel out after EVERY shot with a simple wipe thru with a little Bore Butter and clean up is a snap!!!   Good Luck and if these fellows here at GBO can't fix something......I fear it  can't be done!

[Timberlake]

Those Pedersoli barrels can be pesky.  Many I've heard go smaller than .456.  I have a 45-90 that goes .4556 groove.  It would not keyhole bullets until the barrel was sufficiently leaded, about 10 shots.  I finally had to relugate the rifle to paper patch only, which it shoots very well indeed.  I did hand roll some .458 Postells to .456 and these seem to shoot ok.  Your only solution seems to be either pp bullets at .450 wrapped dia. or custom mould and I'd recommend .456 exactly.
 
Mr Trenck may come on here in defense of Pedersoli and claim that it is impossible for their barrels to measure small.  He's full of run thru the gut food.

TL

[hiram]

There's alot of info here.  Thanks guys.  My friend joined the forum.  His name is 'retired' and he is the 3rd posting on this list.  Its bitterly cold here in NY.  Stay warm and shoot straight.

[Retired]

thanks for the help will try them as soon as weather is better . It is 10 deg out today.thanks again.will post as soon as i can.