Thinking about building a dedicated bench-rest target rifle for 200 yd paper punching, looking for the ultimate in accuracy at that range. This is the criteria: between .40 cal and .35 caliber, fixed ammunition, Heavy barrel probably round or half octagon or full octagon. No flat bottom butt or forend. Would like to hear your learned thoughts on actions, barrel makers, bbl profile etc. etc. Bullets, I have had very good luck in matches using paper patches.
Thanks guys
Richard

Thanks for weighing in Randy. Firs let me say I enjoyed and learned from your book and very much enjoy your artwork. I shoot at an informal 200yd match in Johnson City Tn. Using 200yrd NRA bullseye targets. I shoot black powder and like the more traditional rifles. We have a few more shoots before the end of season shooting and I’m either second or first overall, shooting a .45-70 with 535 gn PP bullets and 83gns of powder. My lead and powder mine is slowly petering out so looking for something more lighter. Like 38-55 maybe. We don’t have any Schuetzen matches here.

I'd also go with a .38-55.   Mine have been easy to make shoot well with black powder, and if you ever want to shoot smokeless the .38-55 will do very well there too.  If you have a gunsmith you trust then you could get one built on a highwall, otherwise I'd go with a CPA.  Even with paper patched bullets it's worth having a look at breech seating.

Chris.

  i love my 40/50ss  same powder as a 38/55 similar weight bullet  and deadly accurate   art

40_Rod wrote on Sep 3^rd, 2021 at 10:14am:

Perhaps the 38-40WCF, which is a necked down 44-40WCF?
The 35-40 is a very accurate round and several folks campaign one with BP.
I've stopped working on my 38-40Rem-Hepburn due to the difficulty in finding primers. Savings them for next season. It is a shortened 38-50Rem-Hepburn and is a small step down from the 40-50SS recommended above. I've got a 307gr PP bullet to try in it as well as a 247gr & 265gr GG bullet.

OP also ask about barrels. My 40-65 GrnMtn 'X' barrel is almost as slick inside as my stainless Bartlein 38-40RH barrel and both are very accurate. Either of them or a Shilen or Douglas or Kreiger would be an excellent choice. 

For a rifle, C. Sharps offers several choices (1885 High Wall or Hepburn for the bench), DZ Arms offers a Hepburn, Montana Vintage Arms offers an 1885 High Wall action (no barrel or wood - need your own gunsmith) with a DST option. And, CPA's Stevens 44 1/2 has DSTs. All are excellent choices. You take your pick and pay your money. Have not mentioned any side-hammer actions as their slow lock-time is not conducive to the best benchrest sscores. If you are never going to shoot silhouette, then you could also look at a Ruger No.1 and Borchardt action.

If you are going to shoot BP, then the 35-40, 38-55, 38-50, 40-50 or 40-65 will also get you into both BPCR (Dawsonville, GA, Ashland, KY & Friendship, IN are not too far from you) or BPTR (Oak Ridge, TN & Camp Atterbury, IN). For Schuetzen think Etna Green, OH and Columbia, MD might be the nearest. Also look for CBA (cast bullet association) matches. They are cast bullet benchrest matches at 200yd. There are a couple of 200yd ram matches near Richmond, VA & Washington, DC.

One additional thought concerning the 40-65 is, that if you decide to sell it later there is a bigger market for it compared to and smaller calibers as it is quite suitable for sillywet competitions.
Mike.

Realizing that each rifle is different, is there a particular GG bullet that is seen as a best overall 200 yard match bullet, any particular alloy ? What about a paper patch bullet. I see a lot of short range bullets as having a large diameter flat meplat. I guess the Schuetzen folks have a handle on accurate .38 caliber rifles from their vast knowledge of 40 rod shooting. From the little I understand traditional Schuetzen was from the offhand position but noe ‘Schuetzen’ is shot from a bench too. What are those fellows shooting?
Thanks Richard

Regarding what bullet to use try and scrounge some from your friends before lashing out on a new mould that may not work ( don't ask how I know this ).  After  "investing" in about 12  .40 cal moulds I found that my two Baco Money Bullets worked the best ( for me in my rifles ) one is mould #JIM409400M4 and the other is #JIM409420M4, all cast in 20-1 mix. YMMV.
Mike.