Loading for my 8-bore

[matt85]

Stage 1: Cast a batch of 85 caliber round balls.

My basic casting equipment:

The fruit of my labor:

 

[matt85]

Stage 2: Prepare the brass for loading.

Here I have punched out the old primers in my cases and seated new ones in their place. The small steel threaded punch screws into the large brass tool in the center of the image for this. The short solid brass cylinder on the far left with a small hole in it is for depriming. The I remove the threaded steel punch and use the brass tool, a hammer (really a lead ingot), and the square steel plate to drive in the new primers. Set a new primer on the steel plate, set the case on top of it, insert the brass tool into the case and hammer on the brass tool to drive the case down onto the primer.

Note: the brass "tube" to the right of the depriming tool is a guide for pressing wads into the cases in the next step.

 

[matt85]

Stage 3 (current final stage): Measure out a charge of powder, press in four 0.5", and then seat a freshly made ball on top.

All the supplies laid out before making the cartridge.

Here is everything put together. The brass guide is placed on top of the case, and the brass tool pushes the wads down on the powder.

 

[Piet Brood]

Interesting. Please post a pic of the final product along with something for scale.

 

[matt85]

As is, these cartridges shoot great!

But "Stage 4" is a work is progress... I haven't found a way to seal up the cartridge that satisfies me. I've tried overshot wads and wax but neither of them are great. With the 1200gr conicals, I put a small amount of glue around a driving band to hold the bullet in place.

Here is a 375 H&H next to the 8-bore cartridge for reference:

I found this picture I took a little while back. (45-70, 270 win, 416RM, 500 NE, 505 Gibbs, and the 8-bore with a conical.)