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Kev18 said
Thanks for the kind words. If anyone is interested in what the Brown color looked like before I decided on making it darker, I have the pictures. It looked like a dark orange and yellow outside. Not a huge fan.
I agree, definitely looks better darker. I’ve never seen anything like that before color. I was thinking regular rust, then putting that CLP on it. The gun I did it on made it go almost black. But yeah, if I had that orange, I’d do something. I like the way it turned out.
TXGunNut said
Kev-I’m glad you pulled the trigger on Williamson’s book. A couple of things to keep in mind: it’s an older book and some powders have changed a bit. Also In my experience his max loads are MAX. They are not a good place to start. If your bore is a bit in the rough side jacketed bullets may be a good idea.
I haven’t had the opportunity to experience the 40-82, care to tell us a little about your adventures loading for this rifle? FWIW I think you made the right call with the receiver on this rifle, all things considered. I have a few high condition guns but none of those have the character of my shooters, or the ones I call “beaters”. Your gun’s got character, Kev. If you like it, I like it. Shoot it and have fun with it. That’s what it’s all about, IMHO.
Mike
The 40-82 is extremely picky. Its based off the 45-90 but it is very hard to reload for. its one of the first calibers I learnt how to reload for, and everyone told me I would have trouble. I posted alot on Cast Boolits and have an in depth thread on the leverguns section somewhere. Took me two years to get a good load. I have every article possible on reloading this caliber.
When I started for example, I ordered BP rounds from Buffalo arms. I couldnt hit a piece of paper 10 feet away. The bullets would key hole and fly off.
Now I use 3031 and/or 4198 with cornmeal filler and it shoots nice. There are alot of articles that express how hard this caliber is to reload for.
The barrel twist isnt great either. Its slow, so you can only shoot 300 grain bullets max. I got a custom mold made, and have right about every vintage relaoding gear I could have for 40-82… Molds, Ideal tools, etc…
If someone tells you to just treat it like 45-70, don’t listen, they never shot or reloaded that caliber.
If you have questions, ask away 🙂
Have you ever slugged the barrel? Maybe you need a different diameter bullet? That is what was probably wrong with the Buffalo Arms ammo. The twist rate for the 40-82 was designed for 265 gr. bullets. Heavier bullets need a faster twist.
Ive done everything. And the barrel is the standard .406. As were the bullets I bought. Just the powder charge messes everything up.
November 7, 2015
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Kev18 said
The 40-82 is extremely picky. Its based off the 45-90 but it is very hard to reload for. its one of the first calibers I learnt how to reload for, and everyone told me I would have trouble. I posted alot on Cast Boolits and have an in depth thread on the leverguns section somewhere. Took me two years to get a good load. I have every article possible on reloading this caliber.
(Snip)
If someone tells you to just treat it like 45-70, don’t listen, they never shot or reloaded that caliber.
If you have questions, ask away 🙂
No specific questions, Kev. Just curious. In years past I spent quite a bit of time on the CB site and quite honestly that’s how I got here. The 40-82 sounds like a cartridge with great potential handicapped by poor barrel dimension choices. With a proper barrel it might make a nice BPCR cartridge but I need to avoid projects like that. As you know, conventional CB wisdom is to slug the barrel (as you have), order the appropriate mould from Tom @ Accurate (probably did that as well) and work up a load. I don’t know if you’ve tried 5744 but cases like this one seem to be what it’s formulated for. I didn’t believe it when I read MLV’s accounts about how many cartridges do well with 5744. I’m a big fan of 3031 and other powders in that range but many times I wind up with 5744 in spite of my best efforts.
Mike
I have tried that powder, i only went with tested loads from articles i got. So far everyone uses 3031, saying that it shoots nice but 4198 has better groupings overall. I have yet to shoot 4198 out of it, but i have a bunch of cartridges ready.
I also ordered a nice mold from accurate. Drops perfect bullets. Great quality.
May 3, 2020
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Just had 90gn Sierra .32 bullets arrive ?? waiting for brass powder and primers now
BASC member
Kev18, I have been shooting 40-82 for 27 years in several 86’s. My approach has been old school, 32grs 3031, cast not sized in the original 265 Winchester mold, at 1466fps. I had to use corn meal as a filler to keep velocity consistent and achieve accuracy. When more speed was required I used Reardon 265 JFP with 40grs of 3031, corn meal filler, achieving 1700fps accurately. The Reardon bullet is no longer available, not sure of the diameter, I think they were .407. I have since bought .406 from Bufflalo Arms but haven’t used any yet. My guns had barrel lengths from 26″ to 36″, from standard oct. to exhvy., from good to excellent bores all achieved accuracy. The extra heavy barrel guns had the poorest bores from use but did not lack accuracy. These loads are not a recommendation, they are simply what I do. On this forum there are members that shoot a lot and know far more than me, I simply repeat what works not what doesn’t.
I believe Winchester made a lot of barrels and some shot better than others. T/R
I just want to emphasize what Mike said. When using old data for reloading always reduce the loads by about 10% for a starting point. Modern powders, even if they are called the same, are hotter than the old powders. I have proved this many times while shooting across a chronograph.
Chuck said
I just want to emphasize what Mike said. When using old data for reloading always reduce the loads by about 10% for a starting point. Modern powders, even if they are called the same, are hotter than the old powders. I have proved this many times while shooting across a chronograph.
Thanks, for the info. Now im more comfortable with higher velocities. Iv’e been told it wrecks barrels.
Be careful with the velocity. A lot of 86’s have been beat up by too much velocity and I am not talking about the barrel.
Yeah I know. The receiver on mine is good. Im just worried about the barrel. I’ve always been told il shoot it out. And end up with no riflings.
I have seen 86’s damaged three different ways. (1) Barrel rings and splits due to bullets, case pieces, and gas checks lodging in barrel. (2) Chambers bulging downward and cracking the receiver in the thin area between the barrel threads and the hole for the magazine tube, possible shaped charge of smokeless powder in those large black powder cases. (3) Receiver splitting top to bottom in the locking bar groove at the back of the receiver, probably a forging flaw or hardening problem. I have only heard of this once.
The barrel rings are common sense and easy to avoid, but the chamber bulging is problematic with smokeless powder in big cases. Many older smokeless powders need to have fillers to hold the powder up against the primer. I have personally seen 86’s, 76’s, and even a 73 damaged this way. Know your powder. T/R
Yeah, these days theres so many powders to choose from people get overwhelmed and don’t do enough research.
TR said
I have seen 86’s damaged three different ways. (1) Barrel rings and splits due to bullets, case pieces, and gas checks lodging in barrel. (2) Chambers bulging downward and cracking the receiver in the thin area between the barrel threads and the hole for the magazine tube, possible shaped charge of smokeless powder in those large black powder cases. (3) Receiver splitting top to bottom in the locking bar groove at the back of the receiver, probably a forging flaw or hardening problem. I have only heard of this once.The barrel rings are common sense and easy to avoid, but the chamber bulging is problematic with smokeless powder in big cases. Many older smokeless powders need to have fillers to hold the powder up against the primer. I have personally seen 86’s, 76’s, and even a 73 damaged this way. Know your powder. T/R
There are many articles out there about what bad things can happen when a small amount of smokeless powder is allowed to lay across the bottom of the cartridge instead of all of it being up against the primer. I use toilet paper, much easier to find, well usually.
I load only moderate velocity loads in my older rifles.Use toilet paper when loading for my two .50-110 rifles.Seems to work very well .
Corn meal works for me until I get to the 50 caliber cases then I switch to tp. T/R
The only other really big bore calibres that I load for, other than the .50-110 are the .45-70 and the .405.In the loads I have been using for them,I have not had to use any filler.
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