A few years ago I started a journey to a new rifle. The plan changed a little as time went on, with international orders and COVID not helping much, but please join me as I go through how I ended up where I am.
I used to own a 45-120 Sharps in a Winchester 1885 reproduction which I enjoyed very much, but deciding that for a stalking rifle I wanted different things I sold it. For a little while I tried more convential rifles with a short 308, a Swedish Mauser in 9.3x57, and a 7x57 stutzen all gracing my safe, but they just didn't do anything for me. Touch too vanilla for my tastes.
The decision was made to have a Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) but address the perceived shortcomings of the rifles usually available in such chamberings. Some thought got me my requirements:
- Large deer legal, of course. 45-120 ballistics would be ideal.
- To run on blackpowder and substitutes
- .458" for the large range of cast, jacketed, and non-lead bullets
- Suitable for a modern bolt action
- Readily available good quality brass
I set to with QuickLoad and QuickDesign and came up with what I call 45-120 Rimless, usable case capacity almost perfecting matching the 45-120 Sharps.
With reamer, gauges, dies, and barrel ordered I sat back and looked for a donor. Expecting to find an agricultural but acceptable CZ 550, I stumbled across (on here) a good example of the famously strong Weatherby MkV Deluxe with quite lovely wood.
Off everything went to the terrific gunsmith, and all round good bloke, Steve Kershaw to put them all together.
Steve completed his work speedily, as is the norm for him, and I began the mildly infuriating process of getting it through proof.
Riflework complete by Steve Kershaw the rifle was sent to Chris at Spartan Refinishing to send to proof and cerakote when back. Of course the rifle wasn't proofed so I couldn't take possession of it, but I needed to work up a max service load so the proof house could formulate a proof load, but I couldn't take possession of the rifle, but I needed it, but couldn't have it. Do you see the issue?
Fortunately Chris is a phenomenally helpful chap and chambered some dummy rounds for me, reporting back on what did what. This sorted my OAL and usable case capacity.
I had Pyrodex at home but, lacking an explosives ticket, no black powder and of course the proof house required black powder data. So a drive from the far end of Cornwall to Hampshire got me to a mate who had BP sorted me out with what we figured to be a max load when compare to 45-120 Sharps data.
Settled on 109gr by weight of Swiss #4 under a 390gr cast bullet.
Filled out the proof declaration and sent it to Chris along with cases, bullets, dies and crossed my fingers.
Surprisingly shortly afterwards I got a call and the rifle was on it's way back to Chris. All proof stamping is hidden by the stock, except a tiny 'BP' under the muzzle. Exactly what I requested. Proof house were terrific all told.
To finish Chris did a fantastic quality job cerakoting all the metal graphite black, a colour I think contrasts well with the glossy walnut stock. Can't recommend Spartan Refinishing enough.
Finally I threw a Swaro Z3 on it, which is a decent scope but wanted a 56mm scope so got this Docter 3-12x on here. Almost looks like a sensible stalking rifle!
Higher end glass will go on eventually, but no rush just yet as the Docter is pretty damn good.
With rifle finally in hand I formed some cases just like I did for the proof rounds, seated the same bullets that were used for the proof rounds and set to the range. None would chamber, terrific.
Upon inspection the verniers showed me a barely visible donut at the bottom of the neck. Thinking that, as some of my expanders aren't very tapered, they may be causing it I decided that fireforming would be a good route.
Back to the range with a projectile-less fireforming load and I was ready to see what it would do. Turns out splitting the neck is what it would do, because I'd not annealed it. Tit.
Calling myself quite bad names I went home and loaded 3 fireforming loads just like last time, but now annealed. Back to the range, settled myself at the bench, pulled the trigger and, nothing. All 3 misfired.
Swear words happened.
At this point I was already fed up with fireforming and the toll on components and time it has, and though doubting my primers I didn't really have a choice due to the ongoing supply issues, amongst other things.
So manual necking up cases was returned to and with many a trial, wasted case, and dummy round I was confident.
Back to the range I returned with 3 cartridges good to go, settled in again pulled the trigger and they only went and worked! Struggling to post a video sadly. Been a while since I've used a proper rifle so recoil control isn't what I'd like, but I'll bed back in soon enough. Finally I'd about got it sorted and I was overjoyed. Swear words happened again, but happy ones.
Since then I've put more rounds through the rifle and though I don't have perfect reliability yet, those primers are still being tricky, I am much more confident in me having a functional Black Powder Cartridge Rifle for deer this summer.
Hopefully it shan't be too long till I manage to grass something.
Thanks for reading along.
I used to own a 45-120 Sharps in a Winchester 1885 reproduction which I enjoyed very much, but deciding that for a stalking rifle I wanted different things I sold it. For a little while I tried more convential rifles with a short 308, a Swedish Mauser in 9.3x57, and a 7x57 stutzen all gracing my safe, but they just didn't do anything for me. Touch too vanilla for my tastes.
The decision was made to have a Black Powder Cartridge Rifle (BPCR) but address the perceived shortcomings of the rifles usually available in such chamberings. Some thought got me my requirements:
- Large deer legal, of course. 45-120 ballistics would be ideal.
- To run on blackpowder and substitutes
- .458" for the large range of cast, jacketed, and non-lead bullets
- Suitable for a modern bolt action
- Readily available good quality brass
I set to with QuickLoad and QuickDesign and came up with what I call 45-120 Rimless, usable case capacity almost perfecting matching the 45-120 Sharps.
With reamer, gauges, dies, and barrel ordered I sat back and looked for a donor. Expecting to find an agricultural but acceptable CZ 550, I stumbled across (on here) a good example of the famously strong Weatherby MkV Deluxe with quite lovely wood.
Off everything went to the terrific gunsmith, and all round good bloke, Steve Kershaw to put them all together.
Steve completed his work speedily, as is the norm for him, and I began the mildly infuriating process of getting it through proof.
Riflework complete by Steve Kershaw the rifle was sent to Chris at Spartan Refinishing to send to proof and cerakote when back. Of course the rifle wasn't proofed so I couldn't take possession of it, but I needed to work up a max service load so the proof house could formulate a proof load, but I couldn't take possession of the rifle, but I needed it, but couldn't have it. Do you see the issue?
Fortunately Chris is a phenomenally helpful chap and chambered some dummy rounds for me, reporting back on what did what. This sorted my OAL and usable case capacity.
I had Pyrodex at home but, lacking an explosives ticket, no black powder and of course the proof house required black powder data. So a drive from the far end of Cornwall to Hampshire got me to a mate who had BP sorted me out with what we figured to be a max load when compare to 45-120 Sharps data.
Settled on 109gr by weight of Swiss #4 under a 390gr cast bullet.
Filled out the proof declaration and sent it to Chris along with cases, bullets, dies and crossed my fingers.
Surprisingly shortly afterwards I got a call and the rifle was on it's way back to Chris. All proof stamping is hidden by the stock, except a tiny 'BP' under the muzzle. Exactly what I requested. Proof house were terrific all told.
To finish Chris did a fantastic quality job cerakoting all the metal graphite black, a colour I think contrasts well with the glossy walnut stock. Can't recommend Spartan Refinishing enough.
Finally I threw a Swaro Z3 on it, which is a decent scope but wanted a 56mm scope so got this Docter 3-12x on here. Almost looks like a sensible stalking rifle!
Higher end glass will go on eventually, but no rush just yet as the Docter is pretty damn good.
With rifle finally in hand I formed some cases just like I did for the proof rounds, seated the same bullets that were used for the proof rounds and set to the range. None would chamber, terrific.
Upon inspection the verniers showed me a barely visible donut at the bottom of the neck. Thinking that, as some of my expanders aren't very tapered, they may be causing it I decided that fireforming would be a good route.
Back to the range with a projectile-less fireforming load and I was ready to see what it would do. Turns out splitting the neck is what it would do, because I'd not annealed it. Tit.
Calling myself quite bad names I went home and loaded 3 fireforming loads just like last time, but now annealed. Back to the range, settled myself at the bench, pulled the trigger and, nothing. All 3 misfired.
Swear words happened.
At this point I was already fed up with fireforming and the toll on components and time it has, and though doubting my primers I didn't really have a choice due to the ongoing supply issues, amongst other things.
So manual necking up cases was returned to and with many a trial, wasted case, and dummy round I was confident.
Back to the range I returned with 3 cartridges good to go, settled in again pulled the trigger and they only went and worked! Struggling to post a video sadly. Been a while since I've used a proper rifle so recoil control isn't what I'd like, but I'll bed back in soon enough. Finally I'd about got it sorted and I was overjoyed. Swear words happened again, but happy ones.
Since then I've put more rounds through the rifle and though I don't have perfect reliability yet, those primers are still being tricky, I am much more confident in me having a functional Black Powder Cartridge Rifle for deer this summer.
Hopefully it shan't be too long till I manage to grass something.
Thanks for reading along.
