doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Beginner needs BP shotshell advice?

Ok, I printed out the advice, checked out the Illini Shotgunner's suggested site, ordered overshot and overpowder cards and the cheap plastic "Sabot Technologies" roll crimper from Precision Reloading. No shortage of strait-walled hulls at the range and if I'd thought about it a month sooner I could have got a lot of 3 and 3.5 inchers from the deer sighting-in out of the barrels at the rifle range. Not sure if the slug rounds are pie or roll but saw somewhere that long hulls cut down well below the old crimp area. Looks like I can get started for about 40$ outlay. Have to find my oven mitt, water bottle for this "moose milk" and whatall. I didn't order any books or data; maybe I'll see something locally. Thanks again!

jack

Rabbit,

I'm back after some technical difficuties! Thank you, David.
Like I said, I use a 2.5" hull because my 75 gr. bp, .125 card,.5 fiber wad, 1 oz. shot and .7 overshot load fit great in that length of hull. I will run into minor fitting when dealing with differant interior base wads. Remington offer the most challenge.

I have cut down 2 3/4" hulls to some success but prefer 3" or longer hulls.
Hulls I have tried are:

Win Universal and super speed. Super speeds are better because of the 6 point crimp, both don't roll crimp very well. They will work and you can find them by the bucket full at my public traprange.

Federal Game load are the same deal.

I love the Federal Premium loads, Win Supremes and Drylock and Experts. Remington can be a chanllenge though as they tend to customize each load they do. Old Rem mohawks are differant than nitro steel ect. I make it a point to look for hulls every time I'm out. I keep bags of Win,Rem and Fed separted and ready for loading.
Since I reprime on a Mec 650 I am considering a super sizer and possible even running my completed shells through the sizer die of my press.

Good Luck and have fun! I thing you will find this is addicting!

Jack,

A bit off the topic of good loads and methods, is considering the type of gun you'll use them in. Most every gun WILL work to fire them obviously, but clean-up of some action types (like a boxlock) can seem more daunting when the same BP gases that foul your barrel work their way into the frame and locks.....which they will.

The most easy mechanism to clean is that of the hammer guns, as any blow back passes out the striker holes, through the nipple hollows and beyond.....to where occasionally cleaning the striker works is sufficient.

For the hammerless sidelocks, an occasional removal of the locks and thin coating of the exposed metal surfaces of lock and frame with something like RIG grease (following cleaning) will do the trick handily.

Tougher are the boxlocks, that should be stripped downed and similarly coated on their interiors at some point to ward off that thin film of surface rust that will form when hygroscopic gases and particles are deposited and left to sit on unprotected metal.

Some of this blow-back can be mitigated if you don't mind an extra step while loading your black powder rounds.....and that is by lacquering in your primer with clear fingernail polish immediately before seating it. Makes for a nice, airtight seal that minimizes gas flowing past the battery cup. I load the Federal papers with the slightly larger dia. Fiocchi primers, lacquer them in, and have no problem with escaping gases.

I even enjoy the slight tedium of putting black powder loads together as it gives me time to reflect on how things used to be done back in those days. (I think you'll find that those shooters gravitating toward loading their own BP rounds are not the impatient types.) But by all means, give it a whirl as there is nothing quite like it.

Robt.

P.S. Be sure to check out: http://www.republicmetallic.com

as Terry Harper has a great 'must-read' section explaining cleaning and chemical reaction when using black powder.

Thanks Robert. Very interesting comments vis a vis unseen corrosion in the action via firing pin holes. Have only one hammergun (Remington) but had intended to shoot in damascus Lefever. I don't relish removing the sideplates and am going to give some serious attention to your recommendation of sealing primers. I've used fingernail polish recently to do some filling of minor dings in Superposed stock and have it right at hand. Precision Reloading held my order for a couple of weeks as the roll crimper was out of stock. Not in a colossal big hurry. Thanks again!

jack

I usually shoot black powder in my hammer gun. I will wipe the action and firing pins. Fortnately the locks are isolated from the firing pins. With my modern box lock guns I will disassemble and check them ocationally.

I really have not had much blow back into the firing pin holes, the breach face is usually just slooty and cleans up with warm soapy water on a damp rag.

The barrels are another story, I am from the old muzzleloading school, so it is hot soapy water and a bucket.

As regards an earlier comment, when I am shooting more than a round or two of skeet, I use a spray bottle of soapy water to keep the fouling soft. It looks funny with a spray bottle hanging from you back pocket but it works. 100 rounds of black powder can really coke up a barrel.

I think black powder is either an interesting experiment or a mind set. I am addicted to the the smoke and stink so the clean up hassle is just part of the game.

Good luck
RPr

I've found a dry brushing about every 25 rounds with a tornado brush cleans up just as easy for me.
I still go the hot water route for my muzzleloader but for my Black powder cartridge gun Balistol a good brass brush and the garden hose followed by patches and a good high pressure blow job is hard to beat.
Balistol must be working because it makes those brass brushes look like new.
L.F.

Joe, I'll start getting my janitorial supplies together. Got a 12 gauge tornado brush on a handled rod. No danger that the stainless is harder than those old taffy-pull barrels?

jack