Snider .577: A Canadian Perspective

What do you mean indexed? I am not familiar with that term.

50 grains seems a bit low. I thought a person could go up to 85 grains.

What about reloading? You don't resize after every firing? I am a newb about reloading so I just figured this was necessary.

I actually haven't fired my snider yet. I am still trying to find the best way to make the ammunition.
 
answers

Indexed = I put a dot of nail polish on the base of the brass & always load the brass in with the dot at 6 o clock as it enters the chamber.

No I have never resized the brass yet. I keep the brass seperate for each rifle so resizing has not been necessary. At approx. $5.00 per case I want to get as much life as possible from each case.

The Snider military load was 70 grains +/_ 2 grains...so why would you use more than the military did?. I use 50 grains as I only shoot at 50 Yards (inside range) & it is just a waste to use more. It does mean a filler is necessary but filler is cheaper than Blackpowder.

Peter (In Burlington, Ont.)

sunborn said:
What do you mean indexed? I am not familiar with that term.

50 grains seems a bit low. I thought a person could go up to 85 grains.

What about reloading? You don't resize after every firing? I am a newb about reloading so I just figured this was necessary.

I actually haven't fired my snider yet. I am still trying to find the best way to make the ammunition.
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Jamison Brass

Jamison did go out of business last December but their machinery & equipment has been purchased by Captech International who now have the Snider & Martini Henry MH brass listed. It will probably gradually start coming through the pipeline soon.

Another source for Snider cases is to buy 24ga brass CBC Magtech shotgun cases & then cut down to length. Depending on your Sniders chamber you will probably have to size the brass down a bit at the neck as well.
Some people do use 24Ga plastic shotgun cases also cut down.

Peter (in Ontario)

sunborn said:
Budget shooting supplies says that he thinks Jamison is out of business. Anyone else know another source of .577 brass?
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Williams Arms in Port Perry did have some brass in stock a while back.

Paper patch may wear barrels, but so do J word bullets in all our modern rifles.
 
I use a unimat mini lathe ,before that I used to mark all the way around and used a bench grinder as it trims fast and wear gloves as they do get warm.Once tried a small pipe cutter but I couldn't get it to work
cheers Peter
 
What do you guys think of 60 cal round ball into the 24 Ga brass... without sizing... obviously the brass would be kept specific to the rifle... do you think the 60 cal would fit snugly into the brass mouth after a few firings?
 
i believe that the guys who use round ball, (I don't), usually cap off the brass with lube to hold the ball in the case (plastic or brass). But, unless your chamber is very generous I am not sure that an unsized case would fit without some down sizing.

Peter (in Brlington, Ontario)

ebruder said:
What do you guys think of 60 cal round ball into the 24 Ga brass... without sizing... obviously the brass would be kept specific to the rifle... do you think the 60 cal would fit snugly into the brass mouth after a few firings?
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My concern would be trying to push a .600dia ball down a .577bore. Thats a.023 oversize and depending on rifle condition and powder load could reap much higher pressure than intended.
I just bought 24 gauge brass from Buffalo Arms Company in the USA, 75 casings including ship just over $100.
They are simple to rework, cut down to 2", anneal the brass with a propane torch and a bucket of water. Run through my Lee sizer die and voila, .577 brass.
I use .575 minnies run through a sizer die as well and load 70g FFG. Beeswax lube and wad over powder or cornmeal filler.
 
I have done this many times, and it's a great and inexpensive solution. I needed to shorten the brass before it would chamber though. As for a 0.600" projectile being shoved down a 0.575" bore, remember that this is a lead sphere not a cylinder, so it's only the fringes that are sized down, perhaps 0.100" of longitudinal surface. As well, most Sniders I've seen have bores in the 0.590" range, so a 0.575" Mine needs to be paper-patched to fit.
 
I am just experimenting with paper patching .575" Minies & I am getting the best groups that I have ever shot. This Friday will be week #3 for me but the results are looking very promising, (so far).

Peter (in Burlington, Ontario0

Andy said:
I have done this many times, and it's a great and inexpensive solution. I needed to shorten the brass before it would chamber though. As for a 0.600" projectile being shoved down a 0.575" bore, remember that this is a lead sphere not a cylinder, so it's only the fringes that are sized down, perhaps 0.100" of longitudinal surface. As well, most Sniders I've seen have bores in the 0.590" range, so a 0.575" Mine needs to be paper-patched to fit.
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The Bore of the Snider is .577", The depth of one single groove is .012". The total groove depth therefore is .601" so use a .600" bullet just like you use a .308" bullet in a 30 cal rifle with grooves .004" deep.
Snider grooves taper from .012" at the breech to .007" at the muzzle. Measure the groove size at the breech.
Remember the bore size is the diameter of the longitudinal hole in the barrel. The groove size is the depth of 2 grooves plus the bore.
 
ebruder said:
What do you guys think of 60 cal round ball into the 24 Ga brass... without sizing... obviously the brass would be kept specific to the rifle... do you think the 60 cal would fit snugly into the brass mouth after a few firings?
Click to expand...

That should have read 24 ga brass made into snider brass but then not resized between firings. Trying to avoid full length sizing after each firing to extend brass life.
 
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