‘The Business Rifle’

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Idaholewis

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I recently recieved a package in the mail from a guy that is truly like a Brother to me, Mr. Idahoron. The package contained a VERY WELL cared for barrel that looks like brand new! The barrel is a Green Mountain 45 Cal 1:18 Twist, 451 Bore, .458 Groove, I chose to use 1 of my Set trigger Renegade Stocks with an Action lace up recoil pad, it currently has a Lyman 57SML tang mounted peep on it with an extra large Williams Aperture (this will change at a later date to a long range vernier sight, and Hadley eyecup) But the Lyman will do just fine for load development. I installed a .625 Lee Shavers front Globe sight with spirit level, and an ultra fine bead BPCR insert (i was gonna go with the taller .850 front sight, but Mr Shavers was confident i would be fine with the .625) I fashioned myself a Powder Drop Tube from an Aluminum shaft (the original OEM Ramrod) and a small funnel. I will pick up a new Delrin Ramrod over at Buffalo Arms and cut it to fit.

I did a bit of bullet fit testing to find out what feels the best in it? It’s gonna be the .444 Diameter bullets with 2 wraps of onion skin paper, that brings the total diameter up to .451, they load REALLY NICE! All i have on hand at the moment for .444 diameter bullets is the shorter 400 grain that i use in my 45 Cal GM LRH 1:30 twist, i will be getting some .444 500 Grain, and maybe even the 550s for this 1:18 twist, they also make a between at 530 Grain, these are Cupped base Swaged bullets, they weigh within a 10th of a Grain of eachother! I have 2 different powder charges pre weighed and ready to go, i am excited to play around with this critter!! If all goes well with short range load development, i plan to go LOOOOOONG range with her soon after! I recently gained access to 8 and 900 yard ranges.

Named ‘The Business Rifle’ Thank you Idahoron!! She has a good home, I promise that!!
 
Lee Shavers Globe with spirit level, and Shavers fine bead BPCR insert


The Bullets will look nearly identical to these, these are .451, i need .444


Patched
 
Can’t wait to see how it shoots. I’d love to someday build a fast twist Hawken.
 
If the barrel is 1" octagon, I've built 1/2 dozen in-lines from them (have 1 barrel left) - Omega's and Knight's (to show Knight it can be done) Jason Day and Bob Wetzler won the first 2 In-line National Championships with them. Jason used my 525 GG HP and Bob used a Buff Arms (BACO) bullet - same as you have shown. I've used BACO bullet the past year with good success.
I think you'll find you'll run out of elevation - British Sporting rifles of the mid-1800's with these .451's fast twist had a few leafs on the rear barrel sight usually along with a flip up vernier. The true LR rifles had a verniers mounted on the wrist - the longer sight radius, the taller the sight..
 
52Bore said:
I think you'll find you'll run out of elevation - British Sporting rifles of the mid-1800's with these .451's fast twist had a few leafs on the rear barrel sight usually along with a flip up vernier. The true LR rifles had a verniers mounted on the wrist - the longer sight radius, the taller the sight..

52Bore, I hope I don’t run out of elevation, i am going with the Shavers economy long range vernier, he has one for a Muzzleloader, Lee told me it was lower than any of his others, this is why he figured i would be fine with his .625 height Front Globe Sight. I didn’t ask him how far he figured i could get out tho? I figured it would be no problem? I am getting out to 500 yards with my Hotrod Hawken, Green Mountain LRH .45 Cal 1:30 twist barrel with a .404 height Globe front sight (Lyman 17AHB) The peep on my Hawken is a Williams FP Hawken with TK (Target knobs) and a Gib elevator lock. To get 500 yards i am at the end of adjustment. I figured This Shavers Vernier will get well above that?

Here is the Vernier sight i plan on getting from Shavers for this new rifle



And here is the Williams FP Hawken i have on my GM 45 LRH 1:30 twist that i am shooting to 500 yards, i made a permanent scribe in it for my 500 yard mark. As you can see I’ve squeezed about all i can out of it.
 
You'll be good on elevation with that site. I should have read more carefully.
Nothing Hawken about that setup - British
 
52Bore said:
You'll be good on elevation with that site. I should have read more carefully.
Nothing Hawken about that setup - British

Thank you 52bore, I’m hoping to make a monster out of this thing! Hopefully get to shoot it tomorrow morning after my Buffalo Arms trip. I am thinking I’ll go with the .444 500 or the 530 Grain bullets? I’m not sure the length of those? They should be in the 1.4 length? I can caliper the bullets over there, what length do you figure I’ll need to stabilize right?
 
They'll be close to 1.4". I asked Dave to make the 530's for me as he previously only had 500 & 550 (what was he thinking! ha).
I don't think you'll be able to tell any difference to 500yds with either of those weights, nor the difference between 1:20 or 1:18 twist..
You might try some with the other nose, slightly more blunt than the ones you show - which I think is the .444 only??
Good luck.
 
52Bore said:
They'll be close to 1.4". I asked Dave to make the 530's for me as he previously only had 500 & 550 (what was he thinking! ha).
I don't think you'll be able to tell any difference to 500yds with either of those weights, nor the difference between 1:20 or 1:18 twist..
You might try some with the other nose, slightly more blunt than the ones you show - which I think is the .444 only??
Good luck.

How far have you pushed the 530s? My goal is 800-900 yards in time
 
The one on the right..
 

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Idaholewis said:
How far have you pushed the 530s? My goal is 800-900 yards in time
1200 yards at Atterbury - my 530g PP bullet, but not BACO. 1000 with BACO at Oak Ridge.
 
The last time i talked to Dave we visited about globe inserts, (I don’t see Dave in there a bunch) i told him I preferred the Shavers finest bead, he told me I REALLY needed to try the circles, Dave is not the first one to tell me that, there must be something to them? I have a TON of BPCR inserts, i need to make myself take them along and try different ones
 
52Bore said:
Idaholewis said:
How far have you pushed the 530s? My goal is 800-900 yards in time
1200 yards at Atterbury - my 530g PP bullet, but not BACO. 1000 with BACO at Oak Ridge.


WOW! That’s a BUNCH of yard sticks!! I’m not sure my eyes will hold up that far
 
Idaholewis said:
The last time i talked to Dave we visited about globe inserts, (I don’t see Dave in there a bunch) i told him I preferred the Shavers finest bead, he told me I REALLY needed to try the circles, Dave is not the first one to tell me that, there must be something to them? I have a TON of BPCR inserts, i need to make myself take them along and try different ones
I like circles on paper targets - makes since as your eye can easily center the black bull within the front & rear circles of the sights.
 
52Bore said:
Idaholewis said:
The last time i talked to Dave we visited about globe inserts, (I don’t see Dave in there a bunch) i told him I preferred the Shavers finest bead, he told me I REALLY needed to try the circles, Dave is not the first one to tell me that, there must be something to them? I have a TON of BPCR inserts, i need to make myself take them along and try different ones
I like circles on paper targets - makes since as your eye can easily center the black bull within the front & rear circles of the sights.


That is how Dave described it as well, he felt the pin covered up to much target. I remember him saying ‘i like to see where i want to hit’ I will definitely try the circles at longer ranges
 
I have to say this is just cool stuff to read. I between crazy work travel and knee and achillies surgury in the past 9 months apart. I haven't spent much time here and less shooting. But this type of info is just fun to read, IL video would be awesome.
 
Now you have just the ticket for target and hunting. The .451" is such a great caliber in a muzzleloader.
 
I ended up getting the .444, 530 Grain bullets over at BACO this morning, I Got home and had to go test drive her! All went well, i shot a total of 10 shots, 5 i grouped, the other 5 were experimenting with different sight apertures and a stouter charge of powder (90 weight Grains of Swiss 2F) I actually like the circles, but think i will like them better at longer ranges, i have gotten so accustomed to the fine post bead that it’s hard to change. My homemade Powder Drop tube worked like a CHARM! Looking forward to messing with this again soon

The rifle again


The .444, 530 Grain bullets Patched


5 shots at 60-70 Yards, 70 Grains of Swiss 2F Powder, .060 Vegetable fibre OP Wad, the right shot was my first shot (cold clean bore) some of that could have been me anticipating this new 530 Grain bullet? The Shot felt good tho. She is showing good potential!
 
Wow! Nice looking rifle Lewis. This is getting good. I’ll be following this thread. Good luck with your load builds.
 

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