Black Powder firearms discussion

[Delmar]

Thanks for all the replies but I think I will just take it down to Friendship and get it fixed up there. Not really into mailing a 200+ year old gun with sentimental value. I love my postman but I have no idea who is loading what on the trucks.

+1
That looks like a great event. Why not give yourself a good excuse to attend?

 

[Wabatuckian]

Thanks for all the replies but I think I will just take it down to Friendship and get it fixed up there. Not really into mailing a 200+ year old gun with sentimental value. I love my postman but I have no idea who is loading what on the trucks.

Those folks is great down yonder.

They've been trying to talk me into attending. Just subtle hints over at Traditional Muzzleloading Forum Flintlock Musket Reenactor now and again.

You might pay that site a visit. They'd be glad to have you.

Josh

 

[savage 1212]

I for one would welcome it. Having shot ML since buying my first one at 14 with garden produce sales and mowing yards, a TC Hawken and then in '81 a custom flintlock that I have shot many deer with and competed with for years. Because of aging eyes I currently use a scoped Savage MLII that I have taken 4 deer with in the past 2 years.

 

[the buckskinner]

passing along a little info. buckcreek muzzleloaders in Linton,IN is having a indoor trade fair at linton city park, roy clark comm. building this weekend. jan 22. 9-5. jan 23, 9-3. 3$ add. traders and craftsmen selling goods of the colonial/mountain man time periods. flintlocks,caplocks,bags,horns,knives,camp gear,cloths. there will be several knowledgable folks to help and answer any question you may have. thank you.

 

[Wabatuckian]

passing along a little info. buckcreek muzzleloaders in Linton,IN is having a indoor trade fair at linton city park, roy clark comm. building this weekend. jan 22. 9-5. jan 23, 9-3. 3$ add. traders and craftsmen selling goods of the colonial/mountain man time periods. flintlocks,caplocks,bags,horns,knives,camp gear,cloths. there will be several knowledgable folks to help and answer any question you may have. thank you.

Hey Buckskinner,

Thanks for the info, and welcome to the board! It's always good to see a new face!

Josh

 

[Ashkelon]

I went to the expo referenced by Buckskinner. Excellent! Lots of interesting stuff and I even found a gunsmith who could give me extensive information about the old muzzleloader I had previously asked about. He is taking the gun to his shop in Vincennes for a couple small repairs and hopefuly within a couple months I will be shooting a piece of history! Thanks for the heads up.

BUT I almost bought a reproduction flintlock. Some of those guns are so pretty its hard not to impulse buy. I used to sit on barstools and take things home on impulse --my how things change.

 

[the buckskinner]

thanks for the welcome josh. just found this board last week. some good stuff on here.

 

[the buckskinner]

ashkelon...glad you made it to the trade fair. good choice on getting your rifle fixed, it will be right. i have 3 of his rifles and he is just getting started on the fourth. its a 54 cal. early virginia flintlock. another heads up for you. conner long rifles living history show at noblesville near st. rds. 37 and 32. hamilton county 4-h grounds. feb 19 & 20. sat 9-5. sun. 9-3. 240 tables. several tables of custom made and original flintlock and caplock rifles and shotguns. also i think they get into cowboy action time period.. its an excellent show too.

 

[Burr Head]

I like the idea of a black powder forum. I started out playing the black gun game shooting three gun and combat matches. Then I found coyboy action shooting and became a member of SAS. I met a fella' there with an old flintlock and fell in love with steel and iron. Now I walk around in my breechs and longhunter shirt and drive the ol' lady and kid nuts! I've built a couple of guns, a Jacob Dickert style in .40 caliber rifled barrel and an English folwer in .62 cal. smooth bore. Both flints and use only the real thing. Look for me and my partner at Friendship's Lore of the Loughery in May and Mississinewa 1812 in October. It's opened up a whole new world for me.

"Nipples belong on a woman's chest, not on a man's rifle..." FLINTLOCKS FOREVER

 

[Flyfishtrip]

I'm for a dedicated forum. I'm currently building a long rifle I bought from Pecitonica River down in Friendship last year. It's a lot of fun, I can't wait to shoot it!

 

[straight-shooter]

I'm for a dedicated forum

+1 but i think it might require a ammo load/casting sub-forum.

 

[Wabatuckian]

+1 but i think it might require a ammo load/casting sub-forum.

Yeah, but let's not make Fenway think more than one step at a time!

 

[Wabatuckian]

This is an awesome time, folks, to buy used sidelocks. With all those going to inlines and only a few states requiring traditional style guns for hunting, sidelocks are being sold at a loss.

My first muzzleloader, a CVA Bobcat, was had for $60 from a GUNSTORE!

CVA KY rifles can be had almost as inexpensively, and I know of one going for $250, never fired.

These can be fired with Pyrodex. I find that mixing 5gns of 2Fg black to 50gns of Pyrodex RS will help ignition even more. (I don't necessarily recommend pre-mixing; Pyrodex says a 5gn booster charge will help flintlocks and it's safe, but they say dump the 2Fg in first, at least that's how it's generally understood. However, you do that and they're going to mix to some extent. I've had no problem with it, but I can't recommend it, either. Do so at your own risk (I hate having to put disclaimers down!)

Pyrodex P is the same as 3Fg. I have no experience with it, though.

Some say that Pyrodex is more corrosive on a barrel than is black; my uncle, whom I recently found worked at Crane once and never missed test firings , then taught as a chemist, told me that the perchlorates in Pyrodex would probably make it slightly more corrosive. Whether that translates to the real world, he didn't know -- he seemed to feel that the modern steels were protected well enough that, if you didn't let it sit overnight, you'd be fine.

When going from 2Fg to 3Fg, reduce the load by about 15%. The weight will be the same. You'll have, in effect, a faster powder. Be about like comparing Bullseye to W231.

I have seen BH209 and Triple Se7en fired through sidelocks, and I've personally used Shockey's Gold granules in a sidelock. No misfires. Shockey's Gold is not the most powerful or consistent stuff, though. However, it's vitamin C based. Not nearly as corrosive as the others.

A T/C sidelock .50 will take 110gns of powder max, mount a modern 'scope, and has a 1:48" twist for conicals or round balls.

I personally prefer the open sights and round balls, but if you want to put a sidelock side-by-side with an inline, a T/C would do it.

Regardless of rifle, inline or sidelock, the general rule of thumb is 3Fg for up to, and including, .45, and 2Fg is for .45 and up (.45 can use either). Minimum charge is the barrel caliber, 50gns for .50 caliber, and max is half the weight of the ball: 90gns for .50 caliber. Max accuracy is usually found around the average of those two; my T/C .50 New Englander likes 70gns 2Fg.

Just some thoughts.

Josh

 

[cowboywitek]

YES!!! thats all I shoot is BP. YouTube - TheIndianaKidd's Channel
adios

 

[Delmar]

YES!!! thats all I shoot is BP. YouTube - TheIndianaKidd's Channel
adios

What did that grapefruit ever do do you?

 

[cowboywitek]

haha.... hey, I was curious

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Josh's comment about sidelock prices is right on. I cruise GB fairly regularly, and some of the prices I'm seeing are pretty low.

 

[Delmar]

So you shoot BP in your shotgun too?

 

[huntercam]

I think with more and more Indiana folks using powder for deer that you will get more posts. most of us, myself included only use it though for deer. just my opinion.

 

[Grizhicks]

45 Colt Loads

Back in November I was looking for an 1866 (Uberti) in either 44-40 or 45 Colt. One of the guys here had one for sale, and at a 'heck of' a deal. In addition to the rifle (45 Colt, 20" barrel), he included:

• 250 rounds 45 Schofield
• 300 45 Colt brass (new)
• Lee dies for the 45 Schofield
• 1500 lead bullets (Meister's: 500, 200gr RNFP; 500 250gr RNFP; & 500, 178gr SWC)

I purchased the rifle for cowboy action shooting, and plan on shooting blackpowder, but after some reading at CAS-City, I have some questions:

1. will these bullets carry enough lube in them to be effective in getting the barrel half-way clean?
2. if not, and I go to big lube bullets, can I use these in 45ACP loads (target/IDPA shooting)?
3. for CAS, how much BP do I need to use in the 45 Colt? and in the 45 Schofield?

BTW, just need rifle loads; using 1860 Army C&B pistols.

Thanks, Greg

PS: Posting this in both the "Black Powder" thread and in the Ammo/Reloading area.