Your most accurate ROA load?

[ctriley1]

I'd like to quickly find the most accurate load for my ROA so I can start making paper cartridges (range time is very limited for me and I want to make the most of it). I know that guns seem to have "personal" preferences, but I would bet that your most accurate load in your ROA probably would shoot well in mine, too. I've got 451, 454, and 457 ball molds, as well as the Big Lube mold from Dick Dastardly, and the famous hollow-base 450229 Lyman mold. I've got pyrodex, swiss, and 777, all in FFFG. I've got pure, soft lead, and some in a slightly harder alloy. As you can see, the variables make for an enormous number of combinations. Thanks for your input.

[curator]

25 grains of Goex FFFg and 15 grains (measure) of cream of wheat with a .457 round ball of pure lead. 50/50 bee's wax/lard used over the ball as lube, and CCI #11 caps. I don't know how you'll get this in a paper cartridge, but is is a winner for me.

[howdy doody]

I am using a new setup lately. I bought a cylinder loading device that will load a cylinder out of the ROA. The reason is that I am now casting a bullet that has a big lube groove. I am casting of wheelweight lead. This is so much different than the round 457 balls of pure lead I had been shooting. I size these new style bullets to 454 and when loading I put in 30gr of 2 F Goex and then the bullet. No wad or anything. The loading stand presses the bullet down for good compression. That is quite a ways down for a ROA chamber. I noticed that I was getting good accuracy and of course getting a ding on steel that I was not used to getting with the pure lead balls. After the second match I decided to load up again and see how accurate and where the POA was. I was surprised to have a good group of maybe 2" at 15 yards with each of my pistols. That is off hand and not very scientific, but there you have it. The lube bullets weigh in at just under 150grs, versus the pure lead balls at approx 148gr. 30 gr has always been my load and maybe if I was after ten X type accuracy, I would play with the powder, but I have filed sights and I shoot cowboy action, which really isn't about great accuracy, but I think I am sold on the big lube bullets and being of wheelweights is advantageous for the ding and the ready availability of wheelweights. 

[blhof]

I haven't had my ROA very long, but I've gotten 3" groups off hand at 25 yds with the Lee 457 cast bullet for the ROA, casted with soft lead.

[blhof]

I forgot to mention the powder, I've used 30 gr 777 as well as 3f black powder with equal accuracy.  I've also loaded up to 35 gr with both and was still in the 3" area, 40 gr is the max and seat the bullet, but my group got larger. Be sure to use a good Bp lube, my first try was with alox and it left a gummy deposit, requiring some elbow grease to clean up.  With Bp lubes; soap and hot water cleans them up nicely.

[howdy doody]

Pards, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words (from me anyway) and I know Flint is always sorta interested in what kind of crazy stuff I am up to now. Well, I went out to the shop and took a few pics to show what I was describing about the special bullets I am casting of harder wheelweights and shooting in the ROAs. I took one of the stand that allows me to ram the harder bullet down onto the powder.


The first picture is of left to right, a loaded 45spl cartridge (basically a 45acp with a head or rim) and a lubed up bullet sized to .454 and a unlubed one and a regular 45lc and both the 45spl and 45lc have the new bullet I have been casting loaded up. In the middle of course is a regular pure lead .457 ball.





Here is a picture of the loading stand mounted to my guncart. I pull the cylinders, dump 30gr of Goex in there and top off by ramming the well lubed bullet on down. No wads, no over ball lube. Makes it fast and simple. Cleanup is a breeze as the fouling stays really soft and even though my ROAs have not had any mods done to the throats, there is no evidence of lead spitting and no leading of barrels either. I clean just with Windex with vinigar.





And this is the stand with a cylinder mounted in it. I stuck a bullit on top of a chamber to show how it goes.





Back to the topic in hand, I am having very good accuracy. Casting of wheelweights is economical and I can readily get all I need, versus scrounging for pure lead to cast balls of. I hope you find it at least interesting.

Flint, why did you have to go and move on me? I was looking forward to many more shoots with you and afterwards talking about all the neat mods you have done and best yet, getting to check out your great gun collection of old west style shooters. Hope we can get together again soon pard.

[Flint]

Howdy, Howdy.  Why don't you try to get in the 2007 Bordertown shoot,  which
this year on Oct 25-28, will be in Tombstone.  Contact Quicksand at 
Thunderstick Traders, 1125 N. Jefferson Ave, Tucson AZ 85712.  Phone  520-290-8599. 

We have a guest room, you can camp out here for a few days, I'm about 55 
miles from there.

I don't know if the shoot filled up yet, it goes fast, but I got on a 
waiting list last year in June and got in.

Interesting collection of loads.  I have a bullet mold very similar to  that
in my collection, I believe.  Had it for over 40 years, so I'll have  to check
what caliber it is.

Did you make that loading stand?  I have a Pietta, but haven't used it  much
yet.

Other SoCal shooters probably going, are Kansas City Jack, Joe Pepper and 
wife, maybe Doc Holiday, Frederick Jackson Turner and a few others who have shot
it in the past....

[howdy doody]

Well, Flint, I would love to go to Border Town and since this year it will be in Tombstone it would be even better, but I have this durn thing holding me back. Work. There I go with that four letter word again. My good pard Taggart always does well at that shoot and has asked me to go many times, but it will have to wait two years until I retire. It is waiting list now anyhow. I sure thank you for the invite and of course if you can get over this way for a 5 Dogs match, which this year will be the CA State Championships also, but sold out, then I also have a spare bedroom for you pard. Just holler. I haven't run into FJT for a while. I kind of miss his singing around the campfire and KC Jack I haven't shot with for a number of years, since we possied up together in NV for the Western States Championships.

About the stand, I bought it. Emule me if you want to know where. Same one I got the Lee 6 gang mold for those boolits from. It will load any kind of cylinder, because it is adjustable and you get 3 of the brass screw in studs the cylinder revolves on. That covers three different diameter base pins. Then you bring the rammer down and adjust the sliding plate by moving it in the slots and then tighten the two locking allens. The tip of the rammer is changeable too so you can have one that fits your ball or bullet without too much distortion. It is a well thought out device and I sure wish I had thought of it, as it really makes loading hard bullets easy and fast. On my ROAs I don't even twist the pin lock, the loading lever spring keeps the cylinder pin right in place, even with full house loads.
You didn't ask what the silly jar lid is for on my cart. Well, before I mounted that loading device I would stick the butt of my C&Bs there and I had so much trouble loading powder and wad and then finding that my ball had rolled off somewhere, that I mounted that jar lid and put a piece of period correct deerskin on the bottom and the balls don't run off and hide on me any more.

[Flint]

Well, maybe we can get you over here in a couple years then.  I'll think about the 5 Dogs match.

Interresting loader, send me the maker information.  rcflint@aol.com.