Some BP questions

[RanchRoper]

I see Pyrodex powder mentioned for beginners. A little more user friendly by the sound of it. Thoughts? Who uses it?

Also, anybody shooting .45 caliber, or most doing .50 or .54?

I quite like both of these...just sayin'....

https://marstar.ca/product/pedersoli-al ... cussion-2/

https://marstar.ca/product/pedersoli-cu ... n-model-2/

...appreciate any input.

[Mistered]

I tried Pyrodex a couple years ago when I ran out of 'real' BP and it was the weekend, I wanted to go shooting and no BP was available so I went to my local variety store and they had Pyrodex so I bought a can and went shooting - I'll never return to the "Holy Black' as some call it. Accuracy was incredible with Pyrodex and I could shoot much longer between bore swabs. It also seemed to ignite faster and have a sharper 'crack' on report as opposed to a slightly 'hollow' BP 'boom' report. It was also easier to clean than BP.

My first ML was a homebuilt CVA .45 but what remained of it went away on Ebay for a $100 a couple years ago.

I currently have a Euroarms .58 Springfield 1863 'Zouave' , the .54 T/C 'Renegade' I restored a couple years ago and a CVA 1851 'Navy' Colt .36 cal.

[PT7]

"At the beginning" for me last August, RR, I got suggestions/recommendations from a number of sources on what powder to use. And I read a lot of stuff, too. My choice was Hodgdon Triple Seven, which is a sulfurless black powder substitute. Pyrodex is also a substitute offered by Hodgdon. I've only used 777 in my 50cal Trapper pistol, so don't have any comparison to Pyrodex. One thing I've read is that 777 is a little bit more of a spirited powder "generating stronger pressures and muzzle velocities" than Pyrodex.

I like how my Trapper shoots with 777. Whenever I use up my couple of pounds in stock, might try something else. Good for now. BTW, the water clean up of 777 is pretty easy to do.

Guess I'll point you to a Chuck Hawks article written by Randy Wakeman back in 2004. Talks about black powders, Pyrodex, 777, and some other related ML stuff. Not overly lengthy, but interesting info. Article also talks about pellets, which I've not used. I think it was a good beginning article for me as I considered using 777. https://www.chuckhawks.com/triple_seven.htm And I bet you'll get some good direction from the more-experienced BP shooters here.

And those are nice Pedersoli rifles.
PT7

[Mistered]

Pyrodex was the 'original' BP substitute and while there are now many to choose from a lot are recommended only for modern 'inline' rifles using 209 shotgun primers as traditional percussion caps will not reliably ignite some of them.

I might try the Triple 7 next.

[RanchRoper]

Good info, thanks all. .45 caliber round ball would be consistent with my other guns, and probably ok for target shooting. We'll see, still waiting on my high wall....hopefully soon and a fun summer ahead.

[dasmoeturhead]

I think since BP isn't as popular as it once was, the major companies are starting to slow or even stop making anything other than .50 cal round balls. I know absolutely nothing about Conicals. Never shot them.
I started out shooting Pyrodex. It worked great, and was very accurate. Today I use real BP. The problem with BP is its hard to find a supplier locally that carries it. It's considered an Explosive. Which means your local supplier has to account for every single grain of it every day. It's a PITA,for them, and most everybody has quit carrying it. You can order it if you don't mind all the sur charges. You can buy Pyrodex anywhere. When my supply of BP runs out I'm buying Pyrodex again. It burns cleaner, it's more accurate and you actually use less of it. I did contact a fellow mountain man who belongs to the Overmountain Men reinactors here at Sycamore Shoals, who told me they buy BP in large kegs, and then split it up to there members, and he offered me some. I really don't want 8 lbs. So if you really want some fairly cheap, it can be done that way. Save yourself the hassle, and go with a .50 cal with Pyrodex.
I shoot a rifle that was made to shoot round balls only. It shoots BP or Pyrodex equally the same, and has for over 40 years. I've never shot a BP pistol or shotgun, so I can't help ya there either.
Watch yer Topknot.

[mlrifleNY]

50 cal. is much easer to find at most gun shops, around here anyways. 45 is a great cal. for target shooting and there are many here that use it. You can't go wrong with a 45. As for powder I only use 3f black powder in all my rifles. All but 1 are flintlocks so I have to use only black powder. Back when Pyrodex powder came out I used 1 pound and it took me a couple of years to use it up. It felt to me like it had lost some of it's power so I never bought another pound of it. I have heard that it does have a shelf life. Black powder is just as strong 100 years after it was made as the day it was made. I would get what ever is the most convenient for you where you live. Have fun and be safe. Read all you can on the safety precautions when shooting muzzleloaders as there are some that you don't use when shooting centerfire rifles.

Jim

[North Country Gal]

Speaking of needing to use 209 primers, I used Blackhorn 209 in my TC Encore muzzle loaders. It's expensive, but pretty amazing stuff. Never have to swab and you clean it just like smokeless powder when you're done. Shooting Blackhorn 209 in the Encore was no different than shooting a smokeless powder gun other than you have to load through the muzzle. Accuracy with Barnes sabots would give any lever gun shooting cartridges a run for the money. Really chuckle when folks call these in-lines primitive weapons.

[Vaquero]

Nice shootin' there NCG.

RP

[PT7]

I quite like both of these...just sayin'....

https://marstar.ca/product/pedersoli-al ... cussion-2/

https://marstar.ca/product/pedersoli-cu ... n-model-2/

Add-on to your ...just sayin'... likes, RR.

If I could shoot a rifle (the biggie issue due to my eye challenges), I wouldn't hesitate getting this Traditions 50cal Hawken Woodsman and shoot round balls. I like the Traditions pistol I already have, and think this company has fairly well-made products. Would be a hoot to add this one into my gun cabinet. Saw one of these Hawken models available today at an online gun shop in IA at a decent price with no shipping fee.

https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/data ... R24008.jpg

PT7

[dave77]

Good info, thanks all. .45 caliber round ball would be consistent with my other guns, and probably ok for target shooting. We'll see, still waiting on my high wall....hopefully soon and a fun summer ahead.

My rifle was a .45 and my single shot pistol was a .44. Only used for target shooting and I would say that out to 100 yds.it was about as accurate as the .54 I started with. The range I shot at had a big steel plate, probably 6ft tall (called the barn door) at well over 200 yds. out, with my .45 (sighted in at 100yds.) I had to aim at the very top to hit at the bottom.

[RanchRoper]

Question: A .45 cal muzzle loader would use the same size cleaning supplies as the 45 Colt guns I already shoot? Same size bore correct?

Just curious, I am looking at a flintlock but likely go .50 cal if I do due to availability of supplies. thks

[JEBar]

I believe that for the most part you are correct about using standard 45 cleaning equipment .... there are some supplies that might need to be substituted to deal with black powder .... if you go with a cap system a special tool is needed to remove the nipple .... I believe that some of the bullets you use should be OK for both but please do some checking first .... in black powder rifles, I really like a 50

[RanchRoper]

I would only shoot round balls. Thks

[JEBar]

round balls are all we have every fired in our black powder rifles and revolvers but I've often though about trying sabots and other regular bullets .... just never got around to it

[RanchRoper]

Maybe plain lubed lead would work. Don't know.

[JEBar]

with your experience using lead bullets, it would sure pay to check

[BigAl52]

Blackpowder requires a softer lube to keep the fowling soft. That lube in the groove of those 200’s isnt soft enough to work. Also RR if you are thinking flinter BP is the only way to go. You will have issues with a flintlock using the substitutes. Lots of guys use 3 f for both pan and in the barrel. Me I use 4 f for the pan. Flints are tough to shoot. But as good of shot as you are maybe you can master it quickly. Love flinters myself but I not very good behind the butt. Which one are you looking at

[RanchRoper]

Something along this line...

https://www.davide-pedersoli.com/scheda ... model.html

[BigAl52]

So if you were to acquire one like that in the US what would be the issues of trying to get it into Canada.