Long Range Muzzle Loader

Long Range Muzzle Loader
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Long Range Shooting with the Percussion Small-Bore Muzzle Loading Target Rifle >> Bullets, Powder & Caps >> Sharps Long Range Bullet
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Message started by Brent on Jul 23^rd, 2007, 2:30am

Title: Sharps Long Range Bullet
Post by Brent on Jul 23^rd, 2007, 2:30am

Does anyone use a Sharps Long Range bullet in replica for 1000 yds shooting? This bullet has a very long nose with only the last 0.6" of a 1.5" bullet being straight sided and the rest is tapered very slowly - almost imperceptably to the nose.

Also, this bullet was shot in 16:1 alloy (probably because of it's long nose) and I'm curious if anyone uses an alloy that hard with this bullet or any other bullet in a muzzleloader.

Thanks, (and thanks David for making this forum).
Brent

Title: Re: Sharps Long Range Bullet
Post by David on Jul 23^rd, 2007, 10:37am

Don't know of anyone in the UK shooting such a bullet.

I've not tried a bullet as hard as 16:1 in a muzzle loader, nor so far as I am aware are any of the British shooters using such an alloy; 30:1 is a more typical. Those experienced in BPCR appear to have carried out more experimentation with harder allows for their discipline. 'Informed opinion' appears to be that they won't work with a ML, but I don't have first hand experience on the subject. I'd be interested too in any comments that others might be able to add with regards to 'hard' alloys in muzzle loaders and any correlation in powder charges necessary to get them to work.

David

Title: Re: Sharps Long Range Bullet
Post by Brent on Jul 23^rd, 2007, 12:57pm

David, I know they work in a breechloader from direct experience. I can see no reason why they won't work just as well in a muzzleloader. There really isn't any difference from the perspective of the bullet. I need to get out and try this myself but haven't had the time.

Brent

Title: Re: Sharps Long Range Bullet
Post by decapper on Jul 23^rd, 2007, 3:15pm

Brent,

I have not shot the alloy Sharps bullet you mention but I do shoot a 20/1 alloy swaged bullet in my Gibbs muzzleloader. Last year George Arnold (Jersey Islands) showed me a swage he had made using an arbor press and a simple lathe turned die. Over the winter I made a similar swage that yields a Creedmoor style paper patch bullet weighing about 560 grains.

The bullet seems to "bump up" well in the rifle and my scores are at least as good as when I was shooting pure lead bullets. I believe the harder bullet does help with nose slump.

If you look over the equipment lists from past matches at Oak Ridge you will see several people who have used alloy bullets, some with pretty good results.

Thanks, and thanks to you David for the forum.

Decapper

Title: Re: Sharps Long Range Bullet
Post by Steve_Oppermann on Jul 23^rd, 2007, 10:38pm

The only long nosed mold I have ( cheap Lee mold from odds & ends box, estate sale) proved unsatisfactory with pure lead bullets from my .451 volunteer, even at 100 yards. I'm pretty sure the nose was slumping based on the off centered holes in the target. The first perforation made by the nose initially penetrating the paper would be off center in the larger, circular tear made by the rest of the bullet. Interestingly, the few that performed best had that initial perforation centered. I really didn't have any expectations of happiness from the trial, but if you never try, you won't know, and the mold was basically free.

I cast a few more from what should be close to Lyman's #2 alloy, but I've not sized them down yet, and that may be too hard to work anyway. The mold is so hard to use with the way it misaligns and must be checked every time that it would almost be bad news if the bullets work well. Then I'd have to deal with that mold forever.

Steve