I wrote this several years ago and update it now and then. Would welcome input. I have been using only Goex “cartridge grade” for the last few years and plan to stick with it as long as it’s available. I have heard lots of good things about “Swiss” but it’s not available locally. Corrections and additions welcome.
MP mjpetrov@acsalaska.net
Black Powder Ramblings:
Safety:
If your unsure about the safety of your gun have someone who is knowledgeable about Damascus and BP look it over for you. If it has Belgium proof marks it was proved with 339 grains powder and a 525 grain bullet (shot if it was choke bored). English 350 grains powder and 535 bullet. There is only so much room in a shotshell for black powder wads and shot. I do not know how to make a black-powder shotshell that has too much pressure.
Burning:
It is my belief that when black powder is ignited it starts burning from the back by the primer. The pressure climbs until the projectile starts moving, then the whole mess goes down the barrel with the back part of the powder burning. If you have enough barrel all the powder will be burned. When I first started shooting a muzzleloader I found that when you use too much powder it leaves the barrel unburned. Those of us who live where there is snow learn this lesson early. Any primer that fits the hull you are using will work fine, BP is very easy to ignite.
Brass Shot Shells:
Some shotguns were made for brass shells and the outside dimensions of the shells are the same as paper. The inside diameter is much large do to the thin brass. However the bores of the shotguns made for brass shells were not the same as ones made for paper, some of these are 11-10 gauge. Brass shells have been used for years in shotguns made for paper shells by using oversize wads. Wadding or wads should fit the barrel not the shell, hard to do when using brass in a gun made for paper. Now having said that, many people shoot brass with oversized wads and have no problems, might try them and see how your gun handles them.
10-14-2002
I talked with the people who bought the brass business from Ballard and they will make brass cases the same thickness as paper if asked. But be prepared to pay for turned brass at $4.20 (11-2003) each or $105 for a box of 25 with drawn brass at $14 per 25.
http://www.rockymountaincartridge.com/index.htmlSmaller Grain Powder:
In most every modern book on the subject 2F is recommend for 12 gauge.
The phrase most often repeated is "3F is to fast and will blow the pattern".
In actual use I have found this to be false. If you convert many of the last century loading information to our F grading system you will find that they were using both 3 & 4F in shotguns. 1 & 2F will both work, I just happen to like 3F and the way it performs. I use a steel powder measure (Lyman No.5) and have found that setting it at one half the amount that is needed and throwing twice is much more consistent. Equal amount of powder measured by volume (dipper or measure) 2F will weigh more than 3F. 1 Dram = 27.4 grains
GOEX: Measure set at 3 Dram, average of ten
Cart………….92.31gr
ff………….…..86.85gr
fff………….….86.04gr
f…………….….81.18gr
Dissected Commercial Shotshell: (S)
Headstamp 12 RWS/Geco 12 Rottweil
Red plastic shell 2.490" OAL w/roll crimp.
Hard plastic overshot wad .050"
1 1/8 oz number 6 shot
Fiber wad with paper ends .450" long
85.2 grains of 4F (or smaller)black powder
From a BBS contributor:
I dissected a 2.75" Gamebore black powder load labeled as follows: 12 caliber, 7 shot, 28 gram load, 65mm length, felt wad. Back of the box states "... cartridges are suitable for use in : 70mm case length guns with a chamber length of 2&3/4" (70mm) or longer, nitro proofed to a service pressure of 3&1/4 tons per square inch (900kg per square cm)...".
My measurements were: 2.40" OAL, .150" roll crimp depth, 72.4 grains (approximately 1.25 teaspoon) of black powder (size unknown), 1 ounce of shot, .095" shot diameter, .60" over powder fiber wad (wad ends are paper coated), .125 over shot cork wad (plastic coating on ends), and a plastic base wad. The case is paper with a plastic coating on the outside. Headstamp is just the number 12 stamped four times with a star between each of the 12s.
Compression & Duplex:
Black powder performs best when compressed. In BP cartridge rifles, long drop tubes are used with/or a compression die is used. I have witnessed shot strings fired over the chronograph with black that varied no more than 5fps. For clean shooting in cartridge rifles we use a 10% smokeless duplex charge. I have tried this in shot shells with no luck. It may be the lower shotgun pressure is what’s keeping it from working. Seat the wad firmly on the powder.
Wads:
As a general rule I find that if the chamber is cut without lead or forcing cone that felt wads work best. If there is a forcing cone than the longer fiber wads are better. Always use a hard card on top of the powder. Wads soaked in grease may help in a muzzle-loader but serve no purpose in a shotshell. The older wads did have grease on them but only on the edge. If fouling is a problem I suggest a pea size bit of Crisco on top of the shot before you close the shell. When shooting a lot such as trap or skeet you will need to wear a leather glove on the left hand, the barrels get very hot. Last time out I took a water bottle with a "Snap" top a poured about a cup of water down each barrel after it got to hot to open.
Cases:
I like Federal paper but plastic will work just fine. Remember don’t use plastic shot cups against the powder. If you want to try them use a hard wad under the shot cup. I have a jig for my lathe and cut paper to 2.6" and use this length in several different guns. There seems to be as many lengths of chambers as makers of shotguns. The best way I know of to see what chamber you have is with a cerro-metal cast, put a wad and inch or so in front of the chamber and pour your cast up to the rim. After shooting inspect your cases for pin holes just at the top of the brass, discard the ones with holes. I lose about 10% each time to holes. Some burn through the first time, others take several reloads.
Loads:
A good place to start is equal parts shot and powder by VOLUME original loads were from 82-110 grains powder and up to 1¼ oz shot. My favorite is 70 grains 3F or 75 grains 2F or the new “cartridge” and 1-1 1/16 oz shot. I only shoot at the clay variety of birds so you may need more of both for game loads. 3-25-2000 Have shot around 150 rounds using 75 grains Goex "Cartridge" grade powder and it's working fine, does not seem to foul the bore as much as FFF or FF.
Crimp:
The crimp will depend on the load. If there is room, use the modern star crimp if not, roll crimp. Many of my loads are star crimped but they leave a small hole in the center so before I close I place a thin overshot wad then crimp. You have to be very careful of this hole in the crimp in a double barrel shotgun. If the recoil of the first barrel dislodges shot in the other barrel the shotstring can overrun the loose shot and make tinny bulges in the barrel. This works OK and the patterns are fine. At any given time there are 10-20 original roll crimpers for sale on e-bay, many can be bought for less than the new drill press POS they sell.
Cleaning:
After shooting I pour a cup or two of water down each barrel then take about ½ of a paper towel wad it up and push it out with a shotgun rod with a mop on the end. Be sure to wipe out the firing pin holes. When I get home I run a few patches with Hoppes No. 9 through the barrels until clean. Because you’re not using shot cups the bigger problem is lead in the bore. I soak with No. 9 and come back for several days and re-wipe. If the gun is going to be put away for a long time I run a patch with RIG on it and coat the bores. I started shooting BP shotshells 30+ years ago with a 20 gauge Remington rolling-block and have never pitted a bore. If you are using brass shotshells they need to be de-primed and scrubbed out with hot soapy water then dried, on the day they are used.
From Bret Adams 12-18-99:
Several years ago I wanted to see how much powder was useful in a 62cal. 30" flintlock round ball gun. With the chronograph at 30 ft. to eliminate patch/smoke interference, I loaded from 100gr. to 180gr. of GOEX FFG with a .610 patched round ball. Velocity increased up to 150gr., to about 1800fps. 160gr. produced about the same, with 170 &180gr. Charges progressively decreasing in velocity. This tells me that Black is progressive burning, and in this bbl., over 150gr. is only adding to the projectile weight. I think this coincides with your notes on the subject.
