Snider Reloading

[H Wally]

Hi All,
I've started the hunt for snider components. Wondering where people are finding their components (hollow base molds and brass) and how they're finding the products?

With the average snider I've read that they usually have oversized bores so I'm wondering if that's been the experience on here? I'd be expecting to cast with pure lead to bump out to fit the bore as best as possible, but it'd be interesting to hear how others are dealing with it?

With brass I see that formed 577 snider brass is quite expensive, but how does reformed Magtech 24 gauge brass compare? Is fire forming effective instead of forming with dies?

 

[mr.e moose]

Magtech brass works for me.You need a set of dies as snider brass has a slight neck to it. Trim your brass to 2", anneal and run them through the sizing die slowly and without too much case lube.The Lee .578 minnie cast in pure lead performs satisfactory for me with the base filled with 50/50 beeswax and crisco and a milk carton card.

Forgot to mention;Magtech brass from Buffalo Arms or Will Blizor,Dies from FS Reloading and a .578 Minnie mold from WSS. Black powder I usually get at the Red Deer gunshow for $22.00 a Lb.

 

[bearhunter]

Sniders respond really well to hollow base bullets. that's what they were loaded with originally and luckily, it is one of the few molds still available with the hollow base option.

I use 20 guage brass shot shells rather than 24 gauge. I found the 24 gauge to be on the small side in the chambers of both of my Sniders.

I no longer fool around with smokeless powder in firearms built for black powder. Stick with original components or close copies and things just come together with a lot fewer variables.

I hand load for BP cartridges in 5 different big bore rifles. Nothing beats the original black powder loads. As far as trouble goes with BP over Smokeless, it's six of one and a half dozen of the other.

When it comes to Sniders, don't try to reinvent the wheel. Read up on the original loadings and you will also see they had a wooden plug in the base of the bullet so the pressure would push against it, forcing the skirts to fill the rifling grooves. BP will do this well, smokeless can be hit and miss.

Some chambers on Sniders are on the small side and won't accept some bullets, depending on diameter. This can lead to some serious accuracy issues. That's why they used hollow based bullets with the plug.

 

[mr.e moose]

Sniders respond really well to hollow base bullets. that's what they were loaded with originally and luckily, it is one of the few molds still available with the hollow base option.

I use 20 guage brass shot shells rather than 24 gauge. I found the 24 gauge to be on the small side in the chambers of both of my Sniders.

I no longer fool around with smokeless powder in firearms built for black powder. Stick with original components or close copies and things just come together with a lot fewer variables.

I hand load for BP cartridges in 5 different big bore rifles. Nothing beats the original black powder loads. As far as trouble goes with BP over Smokeless, it's six of one and a half dozen of the other.

When it comes to Sniders, don't try to reinvent the wheel. Read up on the original loadings and you will also see they had a wooden plug in the base of the bullet so the pressure would push against it, forcing the skirts to fill the rifling grooves. BP will do this well, smokeless can be hit and miss.

Some chambers on Sniders are on the small side and won't accept some bullets, depending on diameter. This can lead to some serious accuracy issues. That's why they used hollow based bullets with the plug.

The original Snider rounds actually had a clay base plug to expand the skirt.I have never used one since I personally would never put a abrasive in a bore of rifle that I am trying to preserve for posterity.

 

[bearhunter]

I got the wood plug from a commercially loaded Kynoch round that was in really bad shape I picked up at a gun show and made a poor judgment call. Thanks for your information, makes more sense.

Right now, I use automotive Bondo. Much less abrasive than clay and it works well. A mentor, loaned me a mould to form the plugs. Doesn't take a lot of time but just one more bit in the process that is unnecessary. Now, I just use a flexible paint scraper to smear it into the hollow base. Works well.

 

[Clotho]

I was lucky enough to purchase a Snider a few months ago. It came complete with Magtech 24G brass, Dies and an Italian .580 hollow base mould. I was told that paper-patching to .590 was required if I wanted accuracy. I don't think the original owner tried plugging the base so I will give that a go with the bondo first. I had planned on purchasing a custom .590 mould from Accurate Molds but his are not hollow based.

Thank you for the bondo idea. I hope that does the trick.

 

[Clotho]

double post...

 

[goldidig]

All I use is a crazy simple "paper patch" method to up size the cast hollow base bullet. 3M yellow automotive masking tape and leave an edge overhang the base. How many turns depends on bore size. Then you roll the overhung edge into the hollow base and fill with beeswax based homemade bullet lube. Slug the bore and measure, then play with the tape and a cheap digital micrometer to determine what you need. My MkIII Seargents rifle uses 2.5 turns of tape exactly to fit the grooves perfectly. I then load with 70 grains of 2F Goex with a milk carton wad and then corn meal on top to the right level and press the bullet in the case. Shoots absolutely amazing!