From: "Tim Jeffreys", [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear 123, (that's a very unusual name, BTW) I have an old Handloader Magazine article (Nov-Dec 1978) by Jim Jukes on just this subject, and it gives the following data: .577-.450 Load Data Powder Charge(grains), Bullet Weight (grains) Velocity(fps) Remarks Gibbs Long Rifle: IMR-4759 27 Lee 400 1,172 Mild load Blue Dot 27 Lee 400 1,422 Blue Dot good with lighter bullets Unique 16 Lee 400 1,124 Light recoil Green Dot 16 Lee 400 1,094 Nice-shooting Red Dot 16 Lee 400 1,136 Nice-shooting Herco 20 Lee 400 1,272 Efficient load Nobel 100 51 Lee 400 1,390 Some powder left in bore but ignition OK IMR-3031 45 Lee 400 1,424 Powder left in bore - wadding essential Blue Dot 19 (Loverin)457121 475 1,075 Nice load. Accurate Blue Dot 22 457121 475 1,220 Very uniform, with wadding Blue Dot 25 457121 475 1,374 Powerful, but OK pressure and very uniform velocity IMR-4759 23 457121 475 990 Very accurate, mild IMR-4759 25 457121 475 1,109 Very accurate, mild 2400 20 457121 475 1,132 Wadding a great help IMR-4756 20 457121 475 1,082 Very accurate load IMR-7625 18 457121 475 1,069 2-inch 100-yd group from benchrest Herco 20 457121 475 1,213 Good Ignition Unique 6 457121 475 1,197 Duplex load. Clean-burning FFg Black 52 IMR-4759 8.5 457121 475 1,102 Duplex load. Clean-burning FFg Black 50 Nobel 100 51 457121 475 1,378 Only 23 fps velocity spread Nobel 101 45 457121 475 1,342 Only 28 fps velocity spread IMR-3031 45 (Lyman)457125 500 1,582 Plenty recoil. Some powder kernels in bore IMR-4064 50 457125 500 1,529 Unreliable ingition. Wide velocity spreads. Low reading was 1,270 fps. Reloder 7 37 457125 500 1,416 Unreliable Ignition IMR-4759 27 457125 500 1,170 Good-shooting load Nobel 101 50 457125 500 1,540 Plenty recoil but extraction OK Army & Navy Carbine: Blue Dot 22 457121 475 1,145 Good load IMR-4227 30 457121 475 1,144 Wadding a must 1877 Enfield Carbine: Blue Dot 22 457121 475 1,160 Wadding a must IMR-4759 8.5 457121 475 1,042 Duplex load. Clean-burning FFg Black 50 There is also a good article in Target Gun (March 1992) by Geoff Allen on reloading for Martini in 577/450, mainly black powder and pyrodex, but there are some smokeless loads mentioned. Good detail of patching and lubing. Personally, for my 1871 Alexander Henry, I use black powder (80grn TPPH) behind an airmail paper patched 485 grn Henry (Custom Bullets) in NDFS cases, with shirt card overcharge disc and 50:50 beeswax/lard grease cookie and lubing. This is accurate (close to the service load), clean burning (and quite lively!) and I have not had any noticeable corrosion problems. It is also very unpleasent to shoot in a Mk 1 MartiniHenry because of the flat buttplate. The same ammunition in the AH is much less shoulder damage. Pyrodex is more corrosive than BP, but disciplined cleaning will avoid it anyway. If you can't get hold of those articles, I could send/fax them to you if I am in the right mood <g> I hope this is (a) helpful, and (b) not too scrambled by the mysterious workings of the internet.... Tim Jeffreys. -- Hmm, let's see if that table can make it through the listbot without being totally garbled! Steve. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________________________________ T O P I C A The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16 Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics
