Springfield Trapdoor

[poules'deau]

In his book on Springfield Trapdoors, Spence Wolfe noted:  The Springfield is a negative rifle......with the lighter bullets and/or powder loads it shoots higher than expected.

Does anyone know why this is so?

Thanks
Jim

[Rangr44]

I would opine that the longer barrel time of those loads gives the barrel more time to rise during recoil, throwing those shots higher than speedier ones - but then, what do I know?

[NickSS]

I have shot between 8 and 10,000 rounds of 45-70 loaded with everything from a round ball through 535 gr bullets with both black powder, smokeless powder, synthetic black powder and combinations of both.  Most bullets of between 300 gr and 535 gr will be on a one foot square target paper at 100 yards independent of the bullet used.  I can't remember whether they were higher or lower on the paper.  So I really can't confirm or denigh Wolfs book.  By the way he does have some good points about making loads that work in the trapdoor.  When I tried out his ideas with a 500 gr bullet and 70 gr of compressed black powder my 1884 trapdoor tracked the sights all the way out to 600 yards and I have no reason to believe that they would not do it further just no oportunity to try it.

[Castaway]

The old military rifles generally shot high to the point of aim at 100 yards.  The point was to hold on the belly impact would be in the chest area.  Spent a couple of hours at the range helping a buddy file down an over high front sight he'd made to compensate for the original sight.