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  1. #31
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Gert, if you paperpatch your bullets, you can seat them with a small mallet. The primers you can remove with just a lee primer pin and a piece of wood with a hole for the spend primer to go in. Seating the primer can be cautiously done by hamer, if you want to do it in the veldt without the Lee Factory Dies.

  2. #32
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Thank you Finkelstein, the informative reply is much appreciated. I am just wondering if I do seat the paper patch bullets using a mallet, what influence will it have on the accuracy of the bullet when firing it ?

    A press/seating press can be manufacturing quite small and fixed to a wooden table to ensure concentric rounds and better accuracy? I am currently turning a primer punch on the lathe to punch out the primer.

  3. #33
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Gert, there is a Martini Henry group on FB. Have lots of info and even photos of authentic reloading tools. Have you load your cases?

  4. #34
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Hallo Finkelstein
    Good to hear from you again!!! No, I will get to it coming December when I have more time on my hands.
    Currently busy building kitchen cupboards for my wife.
    Still busy working on the knife belt sander and then making the 404 Jeffery rifles feed and cycle properly, those that Johan Greyling is building...meanwhile I am tuning my bow for hunting warthogs... this is an item that needs a lot of practice with...

  5. #35
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Update:
    I worked on S335 loads for my MH today. This got me to a starting point to commence with a black powder load. This smokeless load is 40% of a 80 gn ffg black powder load. I used .462 soft lead bullets I received from Doc Wallace Vosloo in Stellenbosch ....
    I now have the correct diameter bullet, .462 and correct weight bullet 480 gn soft lead bullet...here is a target with the results...the distance was 50 meters,I will start shooting from 80 meters at my next load development.
    The target on the left side is with a load of S 335 , 35gn, .458 bullet weighing 550gn. also at 50 meters...



  6. #36
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Originally Posted by Finkelstein
    Gert, its a known crime to shoot smokeless powder in a Martini Henry.
    Problem is not the volume, but the higher pressure curve and peak pressure. Having said that, shooting a MH with blackpowder is way more fun anyway.
    Glad your groupings improved. Suspect its due to the correct size bullets.



    Finkelstein, you are correct, it is much more fun to shoot the MH with black powder....although it is a schlep to clean the brass...
    Standard volume to use smokeless powder is 40% of the black powder loads.

    It does not matter where the pressure curve peak, or the pressure peak occur , as long as it is within the 25000 psi or 175 Mpa parameters.(CIP specified 175Mpa)
    ( African Dangerous Game Cartridges- Pierre van der Walt)

    As pointed out by Pierre vd Walt, if a nitro propellant capable of generating 1, 350 fps with a 480 gn soft lead bullet with pressures below 25,382 psi (175 Mpa ) from an original Martini Henry barrel is used it seems a good reason to use nitro propellant .

    Keep in mind the higher the load density in the case the less problematic the hand-load.( Pierre van der Walt- African Dangerous Game Cartridges is the best book about calibers you will find..no other book compares with this book)

    The key to shooting a MH accurately is the correct diameter to your MH bore soft lead bullet...as pointed out by Pierre van der Walt and other knowledgeable MH shooters, take a look at this forum....
    http://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.c...1#.WOnNF4h97IU

    These members will always be glad to assist you when getting the MH rifles to shoot properly. There are suppliers of MH molds/bullets as well.

    When a few MH owners place an order for bullets or molds and devide the cost of shipping it make sense to order from abroad..I usually as a visiting hunter to bring me the components I bought from X-Ring Services ..Marty is the owner and he really goes out of his way to assist you.I will be working on a black powder load today using the same .462 dia bullet.
    What I did noticed is by using large pistol primers I noticed several hang fires ..withing a mili second of pulling the trigger there was some type of lag....I think I will from now on use large rifle primers..maybe members can give more insight into this phenomenon...

  7. #37
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Important issues I learned from re-loading the Martini Henry:

    Correct bullet diameter is crucial. Any cast bullet ( soft lead) weighing 480 to 520 gn , diameter .462-.472 diameter work .
    I have paper patched a .458 dia bullet to .472 dia and will see how it perform tomorrow.

    Smokeless powder: 35 gn S 335 work in my MH as well.

    Black powder: FFg , 75-80 gn.

    These are the few facts I have learned . Will probably learn more tomorrow.

  8. #38
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Ism there any sign of the aperture sight pattern arriving yet Gert?

  9. #39
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Von Gruff, I will take a look again today..last week nothing has arrived yet. South African Post services really is not that efficient ....I wonder how many thousands of parcels have not reach their destination in our country...I am still waiting for the gas checks to arrive..I think that is nearly a year now.....

  10. #40
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    Default Re: Re-loading data for the Westley Richards Martini Henry .450/577

    Update:
    After my initial success using S335 smokeless powder I substitute the smokeless powder with ffg black powder. Today I did shoot these loads without any success. I am back to square one where I need to get the MH to shoot accurate with black powder loads. I am running out of time...

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