I've never been able to come up with a suitable black powder load for my E. M. Reilley in 500 BPE. I've made several efforts but the loads either shot apart, most of them, or were all over the place. The rifle is a shooter as the smokeless loads with both hard cast and Hawk jacketed bullets will hold between 2 and 3 inches at 50 yards with the Hawk bullets sometimes beating that a bit....when I'm having a good vision day. I THINK I have it narrowed down to the bullet.
The rifle has Henry rifling. From what I've been able to gather the Henry rifing prefers paper patched bullets and I have not tried them.
I have a considerable background in shooting BPCR in Sharps, Ballards, RB's, the occasional Martini and a few I've probably forgotten. I think I have let my experience there bleed over into loading for this rifle. I have been using bullets cast 1-25 and I have come to believe that's too soft for the Henry rifling. The store bought cast bullets that came with the rifle are considerably harder.
Bullet weights have been 340-380 grs. The last load I tried was essentially from Grahme Wrights book, a duplex load, except that I dropped back on the SR-4756 to 10 grains and used a lighter bullet. If I remember correctly the BP charge was 110 grains. It was scattered at best.
Given the above info, and I hope it's adequate, if barely, does anyone have any suggestions or is there any agreement that the bullets are too soft? I'm not lazy....well, not much, but I've never had to paper patch before and really don't want to now. But, if I must to get a load, I suppose I must. Oh, as the number of rounds loaded for each load has been small, 6-8, and the accuracy was miserable I never ran any across my screens but I would think the last load, the duplex, would have enough velocity. Of course one never knows until the chronograph tells you. Thanks!!
Vic