All good info, thanks all. My next manual will be the Lyman Black Powder Handbook as it also has a plethera of great info. Again I'm not pushing any limits here, just nice fun safe loads for 1800's firearms. A fun kick and cloud of smoke and knocking over a can or two at distance.

For my 50-70 project, I'm waiting on a shell holder. I had everything else ordered up but overlooked that. My brass arrived Saturday and I was getting all set to try loading up some, when I realized I had nothing to fit that fat bottomed case.

My first rounds will be pyrodex FF at 65gr. I have some FFF pyrodex I got for some pistols, I see some people use that as well.

I've really come to like this guy's youtube channel. He makes black powder using different charcoal types and gives all kinds of useful info. He also has alot of great information about different loads for black powder rifles and pistols. Here's an interesting one he did on 50-70

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueQ0DwHqcPk

-DallanC

PS: The Sharps:



-DallanC

That is a fine looking gun indeed

gelandangan wrote:

That is a fine looking gun indeed

I agree mate…very clean and tidy…looks excellent.

Very chunky shells, the Great Great Grandaddy of all the centerfire cartridges that we enjoy today.

Even found a novelty 50-70 box someone 3d printed and slapped an old timey looking label on it, LOL


-DallanC

As you know, I'm a history buff, and I'm only a LOT jealous.

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

As you know, I'm a history buff, and I'm only a LOT jealous.

70 grains of BP? When my memory is correct: that used to be the load for a Lee Enfield in .303 Br... but NOT with a 450 grs bullet!

And I'm also convinced that a .303 MIGHT expand but a .50 will never shrink, as with the 9 mm <=> .45

The cartridge is 50-70 caliber and the box states that, but that is not what my load ended up being.

The original 50-70 government had an entirely different case design with the base being thin metal. Primer was inserted into the case via the mouth and crimped in place. This allowed for more volume in the case than our modern cases with a thicker base to hold an externally inserted cup primer.


I did a bit of research on this subject, and the appropriate methodology was to measure the distance between a seated bullet and the bottom of the case itself (on the inside), then the powder amount should be such that the powder is slightly compressed, approx 1/8". It is absolutely critical to ensure no gap between powder and bullet exists, if so it has to be filled somehow (some people recommend a thin layer of batting)

I took careful measurements and after some trial and error filling cases and measuring powder height in the case with a micrometer, I settled on 60g of Pyrodex RS powder. This should be a decent load.

Overall, I am confident this is a safe load and I've taken into account the critical removal of any extra unfilled volume. The falling block design of the Sharps is much stronger than say the trapdoors and rolling block designs as well.

-DallanC