Trapdoor Plinking Load

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  • Last Post 08 September 2018
beagle6 posted this 06 September 2018

I have a Trapdoor Springfield with a groove diameter of .462. It shoots the Lee 405 grain hollow base, cast 30 to 1 well enough but I have been trying to create a plinking load with a round ball or collar button bullet without success. Does anyone know of a mold or have one they would like to sell that can cast a light bullet to accomplish this? In other words, cast at .462 or larger.

Thanks

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onondaga posted this 06 September 2018

Look at Accurate Molds they have  variety of collar button and light molds. You specify diameter and alloy and they will make it based on their molds. you can specify .462" for any of their .46 models. Here is one you may like:

http://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=46-145PB-D.png

 

Gary

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Larry Gibson posted this 06 September 2018

I have been shooting light plinker loads in my 45-70 TDs for many years.  I started off with RBs and never found them to be good except and very short range.  I tried the "button bullets of Lyman design and also found them to work very well in my H&R 458 groove TDs but not so well in my 1884 TD with its .461 groove diameter.  I then got 3 different moulds from Rapine; 460210, 460250 and 460500.  All three of those bullets proved excellent in the original M1884 barrel and the H&Rs. 

Unfortunately Rapine is out of business.  Both Accurate and NOE make suitable moulds that can cast light weight bullets of .462 diameter.  Accurate makes a mould similar to the Rapine 260250. 

I quickly found years ago that Bullseye and Red Dot were the best powders to use with the light weight cast in the 45-70 (290 gr and under) for plinking loads in the 700 to 1050 fps range.  I found no filler or wad is necessary.  The two light weight Rapine bullets I use are the two left ones in the photos.  A month ago I was shooting my H&R OM TD at a tire/rim at 700 yards with the 460250 loaded over 8 gr Bullseye (1050 fps) and did surprisingly well.  The 260210 ( "shuttle cock" type of bullets with a very large HB) over 6 gr Bullseye at 950 fps shoots into 1 1/2" at 50 yards out of my M1884 and is deadly on small game. 

  

LMG

Concealment is not cover.........

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Ed Harris posted this 06 September 2018

Larry,

Good info!  Thx. for posting.  Brings back memories of Frank Marshall's Berkshire's Carbine.  IIRC he used 8 grains of Bullseye also with an Ideal #457191 flatnosed bullet which had been shimmed to cast larger, back in the days before we called it Beagling.

 

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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bullshop posted this 07 September 2018

There is an old Ideal mold #450229 that I have and often see available very reasonably priced on ebay that is for a light hollow base at if I recall correctly 180gn   Anyway it is a 45 caliber hollow base for ML but drops at .457"/.458"

These cast soft and loaded with a light charge of Trail Boss make a fine gallery load.

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beagle6 posted this 07 September 2018

Thanks for everyone's help. I found an Ideal 450229 on Ebay and made a bid. Let you know how it turns out if I get the mold. Once again, thanks to all of you.

beagle6

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frnkeore posted this 07 September 2018

Another thing that you can do, is use a .490 RB. They are usually very cheap, if you don't already have one.

Size it to .463-.464 or what ever size will still chamber. Load it in the case, even with the case mouth, then fill in the edges, with your favorite lube.

Use 8 gr of B'eye or Titegroup or 9-10.0 of Unque.

I use this style of loading in 45 Colts .454 groove and the .490 RBs.

An advantage of sizing RBs this way, is you gain a lot of bearing area and can shoot at higher velocity. Your wide 3 groove rifling is better but, if you shoot groove size RBs, the velocity has to be kept in the under 800 fps range to keep from stripping the rifling.

Frank

 

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 08 September 2018

i have been plinking with the Lee old army 220 grain.  ( ruger 3 )  reminds me of the 22 short bullet .... 12 grains of unique is ok, but slightly dirty, probably bullseye would be better.

    so far i haven't had predictability with hornady round ball ... using fast pistol powders.  i believe those are too small for a good fit, they also still burn very dirty .

these light plinkers are great on pop cans .... they kind of carry them along .... need a good backstop though...

ken

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beagle6 posted this 08 September 2018

I won the bid for the Ideal mold on ebay. I think the hollow base will do the trick. I'll report on progress. Thanks all.

beagle6

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