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.)

 

[Piet Brood]

Very cool!

 

[Leadwood]

Please send some pictures of your stunning double @ Matt85.
I remember an article in Man Magnum many years ago by Brian Marsh featuring Bill Feldstein's 8-Bore H&H Double.
He said it was the most effective calibre on buffalo that he ever used.
And he went on more safaris than most.
Ps: have you used your 8-Bore in Africa?
Regards

 

[matt85]

Please send some pictures of your stunning double @ Matt85.
I remember an article in Man Magnum many years ago by Brian Marsh featuring Bill Feldstein's 8-Bore H&H Double.
He said it was the most effective calibre on buffalo that he ever used.
And he went on more safaris than most.
Ps: have you used your 8-Bore in Africa?
Regards

I haven't hunted anything with this double yet.

Here is an old post where I put some good pictures up: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/finally-got-my-w-j-jeffery-8-bore-shooting.79529/

 

[50Gunner]

Hey Matt,

PM Buckstix and see if he has any star crimp dies left for your 8-Bore, if not, he may be able to make you one.

They give a very nice multi sided star crimp that closes the case mouths holding the round balls very firmly in place.

 

[matt85]

Hey Matt,

PM Buckstix and see if he has any star crimp dies left for your 8-Bore, if not, he may be able to make you one.

They give a very nice multi sided star crimp that closes the case mouths holding the round balls very firmly in place.

He made one for me a while back. Unfortunately, my brass is too thick to be easily crimped. The one case we crimped took considerable effort and eventually cracked along the crimp indentations (despite annealing). It does work... but it basically turns the brass into "single use". At nearly $30 per case with a roughly 1 year turn around, I decided not to do that anymore.

 

[analog_peninsula]

@matt85 Did you find learning to cast troublesome? I've got a couple of rifles that I "should" cast for, but I've been afraid to go down that rabbit hole. Can you really produce decent results with minimal equipment?

 

[matt85]

@matt85 Did you find learning to cast troublesome? I've got a couple of rifles that I "should" cast for, but I've been afraid to go down that rabbit hole. Can you really produce decent results with minimal equipment?

Casting isn't difficult and good results can be had with minimal equipment. It's about finding a "rythem" and sticking to it. It will take some trial and error when starting out. Be patient and don't expect immediate results. As you learn, you will produce more and more good quality projectiles.

A good powder scale and calipers will sort out poor quality bullets. Also, usung a good lead alloy will keep things consistent. I use random scrap lead... But im not as picky with these large caliber balls. Especially if they are just for close range targets. With hunting loads i will use premade specific alloys.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

When I was making slug rounds for my 12 gauge I poured warm ( not hot, was just enough to sort of flow) wax on top of the slug in the brass case, stuck an over shot wad on top and then when it had all cooled down I put a thin bead of hot melt glue around the inside of the case to stick the overshot wad in, I stopped using slug rounds and haven’t made any for a while. If you are using mixed scrap lead, how does it go with weight variation and accuracy?
Gumpy

 

[Sarg]

Casting isn't difficult and good results can be had with minimal equipment. It's about finding a "rythem" and sticking to it. It will take some trial and error when starting out. Be patient and don't expect immediate results. As you learn, you will produce more and more good quality projectiles.

A good powder scale and calipers will sort out poor quality bullets. Also, usung a good lead alloy will keep things consistent. I use random scrap lead... But im not as picky with these large caliber balls. Especially if they are just for close range targets. With hunting loads i will use premade specific alloys.

Have you tried the 8Ga industrial cases ?

I have hundreds & use in both rifles & shotguns, I just roll crimp them, your turned cases are too hard even if annealed to like a crimp.

I have only Winchester cases but hear the Black Remingtons are better, probably look cooler to but never as Cool as Brass !

I used the same of course in my big 12bore 3in Magnum Double Rifle it is a 9-10 Dram gun at 15lb

 

[matt85]

Have you tried the 8Ga industrial cases ?

I tried some brass 8g shotgun hulls and they didn't work. I have never tried the plastic ones.

8 Gauge 3 1/4

These new production 8 gauge shotgun hulls are 3 1/4" long and are turned from solid brass using large pistol primers. The thin wall case should allow the use of 7 gauge cards and wads.Item number CFOS for Overshot WadUse Item number CFNITRO for Nitro WadsItem CFFIBER for Fiber Wads. Priced per...

www.buffaloarms.com

 

[Sarg]

Please try the plastic industrial cases bud, it’s the way if you can get them, makes shooting your 8bore cheap as with caste balls for fun or any game in the US.

Unfortunately my shells are in Aussie & NZ both now harder to send from but if you get stuck I’ll try ?

 

[matt85]

@Sarg A google search didn't show any for sale. I also checked gunbroker and gunsinternational.

Id consider them if I could find some.

 

[BayouRobert]

Couple of 8 bore targets from my youth:

 

[matt85]

@BayouRobert Thank you for sharing! Interesting data and results.

I get around 1350fps using 67gr of bluedot under a 1200gr bullet sized to 0.849". My barrel measures at 0.847".

I use the same powder charge with my round balls and get roughly the same velocity. I dont size the balls, they drop between .850-.853 depending on the lead used. I figure the bearing surface is so small with these that it wont make much difference in pressure. The "balls" drop more like "ovals" from my mold anyway. It might be 0.853" on one axis but 0.849" on the other.

Accuracy has been extremely good using this 67gr charge with either projectile. I've also had decent luck with 260gr of Schuetzen FFg black powder.

 

[BayouRobert]

Yes sir,
Cool stuff…
Wish I hadn’t sold my bore rifles!