ASSRA Forum › General › Reloading the Single Shot Rifle › 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
(Moderator Group: Moderator)
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1 Send TopicPrint
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) 38-70 Black Powder. It got better. (Read 247 times)
bpjack
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 4150
Location: East Olympia, WA
Joined: May 18th, 2008
38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Oct 29th, 2026 at 4:22pm
Print Post  
Today I tried some new bullets including some of my go to Saeco 571 303 gr  cast 30-1 that I sized down to .377 so they would slip fit into the cases.  55 gr of Swiss 1.5f with iron sights at 200 yds.  The first 4 shots went into 2-3/4"and shot 5 opened the group up to 4". Much better than the 18" group I got last week with a different bullet.  I only had 6 rounds loaded with this bullet.  Shot 1 was to the right and I adjusted the sight.

And yes the target was upside down. 
« Last Edit: Oct 29th, 2026 at 5:04pm by bpjack »  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
gunlaker
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 2739
Location: lower mainland, B.C.
Joined: Dec 13th, 2010
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #1 - Oct 29th, 2026 at 8:36pm
Print Post  
Much better.  Good that you had the target upside down.  I was going to ask if you were doing some trick shooting and holding the rifle upside down   Smiley
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
bpjack
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 4150
Location: East Olympia, WA
Joined: May 18th, 2008
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #2 - Oct 29th, 2026 at 9:56pm
Print Post  
I always shoot the German ring target upside down. Easier to score a 250 if the center is a 52. 
I was thinking about your advice of annealing the Starline brass and remembered that I did that when I first got them. I did clean between shots with one patch wet with Simple Green. I hadn’t made a proper blow tube. I am going to go ahead and order some additional brass and donate an existing one for a blow tube.
  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
gunlaker
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 2739
Location: lower mainland, B.C.
Joined: Dec 13th, 2010
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #3 - Oct 29th, 2026 at 11:23pm
Print Post  
You know I've never been a big believer in blow tubes.  Except for maybe the first year of shooting black powder, I've always wiped between shots.  I believe you get a more consistent bore condition, better accuracy, and certainly higher velocity.  I think blow tubes became popular because people thought it was faster for time restricted matches like silhouette. In matches where there is more time given ( like midrange and long range ), I've never seen anyone use a blow tube.  It's always wiping, or the new Buffalo Arms bore pigs.  I like a Tipton nylon brush and 2-3 patches damp with 10%water soluble oil and 90% water. ( not dripping wet patches, excess water in the bore isn't great and causes leading).   

I do have a bunch of blow tubes but they just sit in a box.

Chris.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
bpjack
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 4150
Location: East Olympia, WA
Joined: May 18th, 2008
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #4 - Oct 29th, 2026 at 11:44pm
Print Post  
I just had a thought.  Ouch!   
What would make cleaning between shots easier would be a spring loaded telescoping cleaning rod.  Maybe 12" long when compressed.  Load a patch and trigger the extension and it pushes the patch out the front.  Withdraw and recompress.  Much easier to manage.
  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
westerner
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


deleted posts and threads
record holder.

Posts: 12643
Location: Why, out West of course
Joined: May 29th, 2006
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #5 - yesterday at 2:50am
Print Post  
When I was a kid I had a fishing pole like that. Got laughed at a lot but I loved it. It was a deluxe full size rig and I could carry it on my trail bike real easy when collapsed. 

You come up with some neat ideas Jack.
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
beltfed
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 1862
Location: Central Wi
Joined: Dec 20th, 2007
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #6 - yesterday at 10:31am
Print Post  
Jack
how would you recompress while lying there prone and holding your rifle? 
SImilarly, I had thought about blowing patches or bore pigs thru the barrel with compressed air or CO2. or with blanks..
Not!
beltfed/arnie
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
bpjack
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 4150
Location: East Olympia, WA
Joined: May 18th, 2008
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #7 - yesterday at 11:06am
Print Post  
I am working on how to reset the rod. Thinking a cord you can pull.
  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
JKR
Full Member
***
Offline



Posts: 173
Joined: Nov 2nd, 2021
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #8 - yesterday at 11:52am
Print Post  
Jack,
Stick with plan A. With only 55 grains of powder you’ll easily be able to manage fowling with the blow tube if used correctly.
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
bpjack
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 4150
Location: East Olympia, WA
Joined: May 18th, 2008
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #9 - yesterday at 12:40pm
Print Post  
I will be doing a blow tube vs cleaning test next week with this load. 
I have some older Goex 2f to try just because as well but will wait until I get more brass.
  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
westerner
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


deleted posts and threads
record holder.

Posts: 12643
Location: Why, out West of course
Joined: May 29th, 2006
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #10 - yesterday at 1:24pm
Print Post  
JKR wrote yesterday at 11:52am:
Jack,
Stick with plan A. With only 55 grains of powder you’ll easily be able to manage fowling with the blow tube if used correctly.



Jack...  Tongue
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
bpjack
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 4150
Location: East Olympia, WA
Joined: May 18th, 2008
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #11 - yesterday at 1:54pm
Print Post  
I have been a black powder blow hard ever since I started shooting years ago.
  
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
westerner
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline


deleted posts and threads
record holder.

Posts: 12643
Location: Why, out West of course
Joined: May 29th, 2006
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #12 - yesterday at 3:10pm
Print Post  
You blow hard but are you doing it correctly for 55 grains of GOEX. Details to consider Jack.
  
A blind squirrel runs into a tree every once in a while.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
MartiniBelgian
Frequent Elocutionist
*****
Offline



Posts: 1738
Location: Aarschot
Joined: Jun 7th, 2004
Re: 38-70 Black Powder. It got better.
Reply #13 - yesterday at 3:58pm
Print Post  
bpjack wrote yesterday at 1:54pm:
I have been a black powder blow hard ever since I started shooting years ago.

Sometimes you don’t have a choice- military rifle matches here prohibit cleaning between shots.  Nevertheless, it will work well.
Last Trafalgar meeting at Bisley, shot a potential 44/50 at 200 with military rifle, the 5-ring is 2 moa . PP bullets and blowtubing.  Well, it would have been a 44 if I hadn’t crossfired a 4 on the adjacent target….🙄
  
Back to top
WWW  
IP Logged
 
Page Index Toggle Pages: 1
Send TopicPrint
‹ Previous Topic | Next Topic ›
 
  « Board Index ‹ Board Top  

ASSRA Forum » Powered by YaBB 2.6.12!
YaBB Forum Software © 2000-2026. All Rights Reserved.

Valid RSS Valid XHTML Valid CSS Powered by Perl Source Forge

Page completed in 1.4125 seconds.