I recently posted this to another forum:
I've been reading Paco's articles and, of course, Leverguns, for several years. I have also read the writings of C.E. "Ed" Harris, who has done some load experimentation similar to Paco's. I've been especially intrigued by the idea of quiet loads in centerfires. I've been shooting the excellent CCI Long CB Caps in long-barreled .22s for years. Their low noise level allows me to practice at the range in the early morning without annoying the neighbors. That load has also accounted for a few rats with well-placed head shots, over the years.
Finally, I couldn't resist any longer. I bought a .45 Colt Rossi M92, with a 24-inch barrel, as well as a .357 Magnum single-shot Handi-Rifle. My intention was to work up some low-velocity loads and see if I could combine low-noise, short-range accuracy and a useful power level into one load.
For the .45 Colt, I already had a Lyman 255-grain SWC mould, and I added two Lee moulds for the .45: a .454 round ball mould, and a 300-grain flat nose mould. For the .357, I already had wadcutter and SWC moulds, but I added a Lee .360 round ball mould and an excellent Lyman 195-grain round nose mould.
With the .45 Colt levergun, I started with .454 round balls, in an attempt to make a quiet load. I was working with Bullseye powder:
- 1.5 grains Bullseye - Very quiet, but there was a noticeable delay between the "Phfft" of the report and the "Spat" of the bullet hitting the target. At 25 yards, bullet drop was about 1 foot.
- 2.0 grains Bullseye - Still quiet, but accuracy seemed erratic.
- 2.5 grains Bullseye - Noise level similar to .22LR, with improved accuracy. It seemed like there was still some erratic behavior. Perhaps I loaded the wrong charge in the very windy conditions, or maybe the position of the powder in the case is affecting velocity. I tested this load with the "Board O' Truth." It completely penetrated four plastic milk jugs full of water (24" in total) and dented the fifth. The ball appeared undamaged.
I also tried the Lee 300 grain .452 WFN bullet. In front of 3.0 grains of Bullseye, recoil was light, and the noise level was again comparable to the .22LR in a rifle. This load penetrated the six remaining jugs of water (I only brought ten!) and kept on going. The first three jugs were split open by pressure.
Finally, I tried the Lee WFN bullet in front of 9.0 grains of Blue Dot: the starting load from Richard Lee's Modern Reloading. There was noticeable recoil, but nothing punishing. Noise was also increased, but it was -- subjectively -- much lower than the report of a high-powered rifle like the .30-06. Accuracy, at least in my first impression with a few rounds, was good. Further testing is called for.
The .357 Magnum testing started poorly and got better. The .357 Handi-Rifle comes without sights. I'm planning to shorten the barrel to about 16.5 inches, so I installed an NDS ghost ring rear and a wood-and-kydex front sight for load testing. The makeshift front sight did not provide the best accuracy test, and serious testing will have to await the barrel cut-and-crown and a new front sight.
With the .360 round ball, I had inconsistent ignition and accuracy when I tried to reduce the load enough to lower the noise level. Several balls had to be tapped out of the barrel. I suspect that the position of that tiny bit of Bullseye powder in the large .38 Special case was at least part of the problem. It may also have been that I needed a larger round ball for the bore of the rifle.
The Lyman round nose bullet was a huge improvement. I started at 2 grains of Bullseye, with the bullet crimped in the groove closest to the bullet nose. Noise levels were perhaps comparable to a .22LR, and accuracy seemed good. As I dropped the powder charge to 1.5 grains of Bullseye in .1 grain steps, the report dropped to air rifle levels, and short-range accuracy remained good. Position sensitivity didn't seem to be a problem like before, but I made a point of pointing the ammo nose-upward just prior to inserting into the chamber. I kept the rifle level while closing the action.
Conclusions
I'm very pleased with the heavy Lyman bullet in the .38/.357 rifle. I hope that even with a shorter Handi-Rifle barrel, I'll be able to get the report down to .22LR or even air rifle levels. In any case, the very mild recoil -- combined with a quieter noise level and very low muzzle blast -- gives us a great training round for beginning shooters and for short-range plinking.
The .360 round balls were an initial disappointment, but perhaps I could crimp the case mouth over the "ogive" of the ball a bit more and increase pressure enough for good ignition. A bulkier powder may also help, as it would be less affected by powder position in the case.
The .454 round balls show some promise, although very windy conditions made at-range reloading difficult and limited the amount of testing that could be done. I suspect that something around 2 grains of Bullseye (or the equivalent load of Trail Boss, or something similar) might be just the ticket to short-range accuracy, low noise, and enough power.
The .452 Lee WFN is a very useful bullet. Cast soft, over a light charge of powder, it showed impressive performance, with a .22 rimfire noise signature. Perhaps further trials may bring the sound down to airgun levels or lower?
I plan to try another fast powder: Trail Boss. This very bulky powder should address any issues of powder position within the large .38, .357 and .45 Colt cases and may be an even better choice than Bullseye for low-noise rounds for rifles and is designed for light charges and low pressures, with lead bullets. It might turn out to be the "perfect" powder for cat's sneeze loads in centerfire rifles. Careful testing is in order.
I recently picked up some Trail Boss to try, to see if I get better ignition in larger cases. I think that heavy bullets are definitely the way to go for cat's sneeze loads. I just haven't had time to devote to it in the last coupla' weeks.
I love the heavy Lyman RN bullet for the .357. Lubed with Lee Liquid Alox, it's been a winner, so far. I have hopes of standardizing on a useful, quiet load with this bullet.
I've yet to try a SWC bullet for this, but I suspect they may be a winner, as well.
Whatever you use, don't bother with hard lead. I'm using air-cooled wheelweights and range lead, with a bit of tin to help casting. I'm convinced that a soft bullet lubed with LLA is the way to go for light, quiet loads. Simple to cast and lube, and cheap to shoot, as well as fun!
I'm also considering trying this in a 22-inch Pardner 20ga., with .575 round balls. Could be lots of fun!
All my best,
Dirty Bob
