How about a Black Powder gun pic thread?

[jrbfishn]

Pepper bowes are neat. I ain't shot one in about 30 yrs but i think i could remember how. If you are coming, bring it to Hicksville. Gonna bring a Rem. .44


Sent by a idjit coffeeholic

 

[Moonpie]

My pair of Walker-Colt's

 

[itchin]

You shut up you face.
It's toothbrushes and hot water for you!

I ain't got no toofbrush.

 

[Moonpie]

Cleaning the BP's today.

Thought I'd post a pic.

 

[benenglish]

I've shot but don't own any BP arms. I've lusted after a Davis model from Dedinski for years but I can't justify the cost. Maybe someday.

 

[motorcarman]

View attachment 32870 View attachment 32871
1851 Colt

About 30 years ago my Granny gave me this old Colt. She said it was her grandpa's but she didn't remember much else except that A U.S. Marshal's widow from Colorado or Wyoming gave it to him.
I have loaded it with Pyrodex and some aluminum foil 'bullets' and it DOES make some noise!!!!!
I also have some .36 cal lead balls but I don't think I want to blow up a 150 year old relic.

bob

 

[jrbfishn]

Nice

From an idjit coffeeholic

 

[robertc1024]

One month - BP at Hicksville will be revived. Anybody got some #11 caps?

 

[jrbfishn]

I have plenty. I'll bring you a can.

From an idjit coffeeholic

 

[duckknot]

I've always wanted a BP pistol....guess I should make that a priority!

sent from wait...where am I!?

 

[rodwha]

New guy here who loves BP too!

This is what I have so far:

This is my .50 cal Lyman's Deerstalker.

These are the .490" RB and patch, as well as the 250 and 320 grn REALs. I haven't tried the lighter one but the heavier one does quite well.

These are my .44/.45 cal pistolas and the custom bullets I had a mold made for. There's a 170 grn that's only .400" long, a 195 grn that's only .460", and a 285 grn that's designed to increase the pressures a bit since it takes up powder capacity. It's intended for the Ruger that can handle that. Can you tell I like a wide meplat?

I had Accurate Molds design me a 245 grn bullet similar to the 285 grn so that it ought to fit in the Remington.

 

[rodwha]

I've mostly shot my rifle with 70 grn charges of Pyrodex, which I greatly dislike, but my father gave me several pounds of it with the Ruger pistol so I used most of it up breaking in the rifle.

I've yet to work with any other patch lubes than the grape seed oil SWMBO would let me use as the olive oil she uses is fairly expensive, and when she caught me rummaging through the pantry and looking at it you should have seen the scowl!

I bought some cast 320 grn REALs to try out mostly being curious about the recoil. The first shot was well left about a foot and low, and had keyholed. I had read that these often require a felt wad and happened to have punched some. The next two shots were nearly touching and just below the bull (these are 50 yds shots). I was impressed enough that I bought a mold! My typical groups seem closer to 3" at 50 yds with a PRB so there's work to be done there...

I cut my own patches from pillow ticking, punch my own felt wads, make my own Gatofeo's #1 lube for bullet and wad lube (old recipe used for outside lubricated bullets), and cast my own projectiles.

My Remington 1858 has had the chambers reamed to .449" from .445-6" and chamfered. It also required a bit of smoothing up as the edges on the hand and stop were eating my cylinder from the git go. I also had to modify the loading window as Pietta didn't truly follow the originals and though there's an opening designed for conicals the frame stands too proud to allow them in. I had to open it up for even my short but wide 170 grn bullet.

The grips didn't have a great fit and I couldn't stand the reddish finish, and were a bit large, again not following the original. So I pulled them and sanded them down and refinished them.

I've been meaning to see about having the projectile ram ground flat as it puts a stupid little kiss and my flat nosed bullets. I just don't shoot a ball much at all and wouldn't care much if it had a flat spot in the center...

From what little testing I've done (my powder measure is for rifles and is graduated by 10 grains), and going by 5 grain increments, my Remington does best (I don't use sissy loads with cereal grains as filler) with 30 grns with either the 170 or 195 grn bullets.

I use both Olde Eynsford by Goex and Triple 7 3F powders as I sought .45 Colt performance so as to feel good about using them for hunting. Most other powders, other than Swiss, seem to lack oomph and give maybe 300 ft/lbs. From what little chronograph results I've seen using those powders above can easily net you over 500 ft/lbs.

The 30 grns and 170 grn bullet, from my estimation comparing choreographed results, would likely produce 325-375 ft/lbs.

My Ruger does better with 35 grns of powder with either of the smaller bullets, and with the 195 grn bullet I estimate about 400-475 ft/lbs.

I've yet to try out the 285 grn bullet which I designed for hogs were I to need to track one.

 

[rodwha]

For my Lyman rifle I intend on buying a few barrels to give me some versatility like a T/C Contender.

I'd like the longer Trade Rifle barrel in .50 cal to have reamed to a 28 ga. If I can find someone who does jug choking on a smaller bore I'd probably want to do it after I see if it patterns well enough beyond 25 yds.

Being a muzzle loader I wouldn't be contained to a shell and so I can easily up the shot to about 1 1/4 oz. In .54 cal it can certainly take a 450 grn conical with a 90 grn charge of 3F.

I'd also like to have a barrel lined to a smaller caliber (.32-.40) for use as a small game rifle. To offset the additional weight I figure I could just have the barrel shortened a bit.

And then I'd also like a barrel meant for hunting fields that has a Malcolm style scope attached. I'd likely try paper patched bullets as the 320 grn REAL has a .189 BC. But I've also looked at the various aerodynamic bullets from Hornady to use in a sabot. I do prefer casting though...

 

[rodwha]

I thought the pics of my pistol bullets came through better. Here's the dimensions from the mold maker:

170C:

Accurate Molds: Custom Bullet Molds

195C:

Accurate Molds: Custom Bullet Molds

245C:

Accurate Molds: Custom Bullet Molds

285C:

Accurate Molds: Custom Bullet Molds