777 in a 2 band navy

[tim56]

Iv got half a pot of 777 left from trying it in my revolvers and just wondered if it would be ok for the .577 2 band navy. Cant see me ever using it again in pistols so wondering if i can use it up in the parker hale. Equivelent by volume to 75 grns of b/p would be my starting load. Tim

[slowcoach]

2FG or 3FG grade. If 3 download as it burns faster. Used it before but up to 20 grains by volume less in the big bores. Be safe

[harricook]

Hi Tim

There was a thread a while back about Triple 7 & 577/Enfields etc

http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=378897

Have a read

All the best

Roy

.

[tim56]

Many thanks for the advice folks. Had a look at the previous post and have also now looked on the Hodgdon web site. It does list .58 caliber showing bullet speed with 80 and 100 grns of ffg, doesnt list .577 though. Advice in the write up advices no air gap but without over compressing the powder.
For some reason my 2 band doesnt like minnie bullets, spits em out 1 in 5 shots tumbling sideways into the target so plan is now to use a patched round ball with equivellent by volume to 55 grns of b/p. The powder i have is fffg so this reduction is airing well on the safe side and having used 55 grns of b/p i know that the ball will be seated nicely on top of the powder.
What do you recon? Give it a go or forget it and stick to black powder.?
Tim

[harricook]

Hi Tim

What Minies have you tried in the 2 Band & what powder charge are you using ?

Cheers

Roy

.

[tim56]

Hi Roy, The minnie mold i have is a Lyman steel one with the numbers 575213AM 585 on it. At over 500 grns the bullet it produces is hardly "minnie". I started with pure lead and tried different weights and makes of powder. So far iv tried Kranks med, Kranks fine, TS2 and Swiss fine plus a load of old nutty slack that was going to be thrown out by a mate after his Dad had passed away. All starting at 50 grns going upto 80 grns in 5 grn increments apart from the Swiss which i only went upto 60 grns. Iv also tried different lubes including Wonderlube, water pump grease, petrolium jelly and some home made stuff someone gave me. Next will be to try a slightly harder mix of lead but to be honest i only shoot it for fun so it doesnt matter if a few go off and make odd shaped holes. With patched ball it shoots very well so if neads must i can always use them.
Tim

[harricook]

Hi Tim

Does the mold throw a shallow or deep base minie ?

My 3 band seems to prefer deep base - but Dads 2 band seems to like shallow base

Neither of them seemed to like the ones we cast from an RCBS mold

Stay with soft lead - are you lube/ base filling the minies ?

Roy

.

[tim56]

Hi Roy. Have measured the bullet and the base is .152" deep also measured dia and it comes out at .576".
Had a thought last night about leading. I always clean the bore with hot soapy water and several scrub outs with a jag followed by wd40 but have never scrubbed it out with a bronze type brush. I popped a bore light down it once and the rifling looked clean but thats not to say it doesnt have fouling, Will buy one and see what happens.
I tend not to fill the base of the bullet with anything, just lube around the sides and seat it directly on top of the powder.
Tim

[harricook]

I started base filling mine with a 'firm' lube - quite theraputic - even if messy (mind you just about everything associated with BP is messy !)

I don't think the base filling makes me a better shooter - but it seemed to bring a little more 'consistency' into the holes in the target

I am using 65gn of Starleys 'Medium' powder & a 'Lee' Minie at the moment (Added) weighed & pre measured into 35mm film cannisters

from this mold http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/cata.../blackpow.html

It gives quite a deep base Minie

Roy

.

[bryantanthonydp]

I might be an idea to read "Managing The Enfield" by W.S Curtis http://www.researchpress.co.uk/firea...management.htm

[bryantanthonydp]

Those of us who shoot Parker-Hale .577 should read "Bedding the Parker Hale" by W.S Curtis http://www.lrml.org/technical/gunsmithing/phbedding.htm
I have one point of issue with this excellent article .Will the water pump grease damage the wood work?

[steve medlock]

Just a reminder that the long and short rifles actually have different rates of rifling twist and I think this is maybe why they prefer different minies.

The 575213 is the favourite/standard mould for the 3 band ( the Lee is quite similar) but the 2 band and musketoon do seem to favour a heavier bullet with a shallower base. Bullets are normally sized to .575 for a .577.

Best powder is Swiss no 4 although some do use No 3. General opinion seems to be that No 2 is too fine for a rifle of that calibre.

Steve.

[Sergeant Possum]

Tim56...
I used a Parker-Hale "Enfield" 2-bander in NSSA competition for 5 years, and got it to shoot best using the Lyman 575213-OS (Old Style) minie, and 44 grains of FFg. I never used the Swiss BP in that gun, but use it in my current musket, and get very good results with it.
I notice in one of your posts that you were considering using a harder lead mix. For any accuracy at all with a minie bullet, you can only use pure, soft lead. The skirt on the back of the minie must expand in order for it to grip the rifling and give the rotation it needs. A bullet cast with hard lead will not expand properly, and will often keyhole when fired. Additionally, many of the Navy Arms Co. .577 Enfields have varying bore diameters. One of the fellows I shoot with has one with a bore that measures .580. He uses the same Lyman bullet I use, only where mine is sized to .575 for a .577 bore, he sizes his bullets to .578. So slug your bore and get its true diameter, and size your bullets .002 smaller.
For lube, I use a mix of 2 parts beeswax and 1 part lard. It works like a charm.

[steve medlock]

Should be no need to slug a Parker Hale - they were not made in Italy.

[Sergeant Possum]

Should be no need to slug a Parker Hale - they were not made in Italy.

If it's a Parker-Hale, you're absolutely correct. But if I recall correctly, Tim56 said he had a "Navy". If it's a Navy Arms product, you'll never know the actual bore diameter unless you slug it.