Burnside bullet load

[EPPS1919]

Hi I was wondering what loads are working good in the Burnside carbine? I bought my first Burnside 5th model and having Mr. Hoyt reline it. The bore was a little ruff, I'm going to use the Rapine Burnside Mould .556 bullet 360 gr. with plastic and brass cases. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks Dave

[Timmeu]

I have one as well with an original bore and I am interested in loads for it too!

[Carolina Reb]

You'll get a lot of opinions on this one! I have tried the Rapine Burnside bullet in 3 Burnsides, all with nice bores, and never had decent results. Some folks swear by 0.560 round balls. My current Burnside will put 4 of them almost down the same hole, then throw one completely wild, like off the paper. My best results have been with bullets over 400 grains. Try the Accurate Molds 56-450B with 32 to 34 gr. of Swiss FFF. If your breech won't close on it, take out the guide screw. That allows the block to drop down lower.

[ian45662]

I would get fliers with mine also until I started using a grease cookie. I was shooting the roundball in mine though. 38 grains of Old Eynsford 2F. In order to have enough room to get a wad and cookie I had to use a drop tube. What kind of twist is hoyt putting in the carbine? Will it be a gain twist?

[ms3635v]

One of my teammates is shooting a Burnside and uses a .560 round ball with the white nylon cases. He was using Rapine's bullet but the round ball shoots much better.

[EPPS1919]

Thank'sfor the help. I don't know what twist he is using I will try to call him and find out. I guess I will have to get some round ball .560 and try them too.

[EPPS1919]

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[Hal]

I've tried .562" round ball and the little short Accurate Molds 56-340. The round balls shot better than the little short bullet, but still not good. I recently bought the 56-450B that Carolina Reb suggested. It shows much more potential. I don't have all the bugs worked out just yet, but I think I'm homing in on something. I'm trying 32gr of Swiss 1-1/2F and a 0.7cc Lee dipper full of Cream of Wheat under the bullet with a wax paper "Wad" between the powder and COW just to keep them from intermingling. These did "OK" in a backyard test. Gonna try them at the next skirmish and see how I do. One thing I do want to try is a lube cookie. The grooves just do not hold a lot of lube. I'm thinking a lube cookie instead of the filler might be the ticket, but I haven't tried it yet.

[ian45662]

my first 4 or 5 shots would be great then things would really open up. I was dipping the roundballs in lube but I guess that wasnt enough. Once I started putting a lube cookie in the groups stayed tight. I have only shot it at one skirmish and that was a few years ago but If I remember correctly my hit time for the shoot was in the mid 20s. Right after that I got an original gallager and decided to shoot that. I have scratched that itch and I may give the burnside another go. Where does everyone get their cones at? I am out of freash burnside cones. I cant remember where I go these but they dont last very long

[EPPS1919]

Logewood sells the cones or tubes plastic or brass. The plastic are $.75 each and they seem to be tuff stuff. They say they shot one 20 times and it had no damage. I will find out as soon as I get my barrel back.

[ian45662]

I have the nylon cases and I love them.

[efritz]

I have two questions on these burnsides.
How does the RB work at 100 yds. off the bench? None of this off hand stuff.
The only way to tell accuracy is from the bench and with 10 shot test loads. Not 5 shots. I have shot too many 10 shot test loads only to find 8 touching each other and 2 way way outside that group. That would make a really nice looking 90 + target wind up being 70-80 something. That doesn't cut it for me. Anything that groups at 100 will group at 50.
And how does Winchester wind affect RB's? Any more so than a mini?

[Jim Wimbish, 10395]

The Burnside, in my opinion was OK during the Civil War, but it was not made for the kind of target shooting that we do today. It has a gain twist which is finicky for load development. I know of no other carbine in which anyone tries to shoot roundballs and I wouldn't even waste my time trying them. I played around with a Burnside years ago and liked the plastic cases but not the gun. With a lot of work you can get it to shoot OK, but you will have much greater consistency with a lot less work with a Sharps, Maynard, or Smith. Now if you just enjoy being different, go ahead and shoot a Burnside or a Gallager. This sport is supposed to be about having fun. That is why I have shot a Maynard for the past 17 years.

[efritz]

Jim,
I agree with you on all counts. Although I did toy with a Ballard sleeved to 45LC and RB's. Got it to shoot very well at 50 and pretty decent at 100. EXCEPT 100yd. in the wind in Winchester. Then I was looking for just paper. Loading a metallic cartridge with a RB was delicate to say the least too. That's why I'm curious how a .54 will do in Win. wind at 100.

I've had my fun shooting toys. I shot a Greene bolt action for a couple of years. But I think I got that out of my system.

[Charlie Hahn]

I don't know. A .550 ball works pretty nice in a stabdard size Sharps and a .562 in an ArmiSport. Half the lead, and reduce powder.......just saying Charlie