Any Black Powder Shooters Out There?

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bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37

I picked up the muzzle loading hobby back in the mid 1990's. It very well may be my favorite discipline in the shooting sports. I started out with a modern In-line ignition rifle but in time my love of history drew me to the traditional style side lock longrifles carried by my American forefathers in the 1700-1800's.

A black powder shooter is both a rifleman and a re-loader. I like bringing the components and tools required out to the range and having the ability to adjust the power of my loads right on the spot. I find the step by step process of loading the gun almost as satisfying as pulling the trigger; touching off the charge and sending the ball flying downrange. The round shown in the picture above was cast by myself from lead wheel weights I pick up along the road while riding my bicycle.

Of the black powder guns I have this one is my favorite. It is a reproduction great plains style rifle made famous by the Hawken Brothers of St. Louis, Missouri. Made by Pedersoli of Italy my rifle has a .54 caliber barrel that is 34" long and 1.00" across the flats. It is fired by percussion cap and the furniture is all steel. (Which I prefer over the brass pieces more commonly seen.) This rifle is very close in specifications to what an adventure seeking individual would have purchased on his way west to work trap lines, hunt or carve himself out a little piece of the frontier in the mid 1800's.

 

smokeybear

Lifer
Dec 21, 2012
2,202
23
Brampton,Ontario,Canada
Very cool i have never fired a black powder rifle but i do use another piece of American history.
I got Marlin GBL 45-70 Gov. I took the Skinner sights off and put a red dot for eye relief. Also a picture of my Damascus Gut Knife.
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bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
Thanks Duck! The only problem I've found with the wheel weight material is that because it's not pure lead it doesn't shrink any as it cools and it is a bit harder than pure so getting the ball and patch started into the rifling at the muzzle is noticeable harder than with pure lead balls. Still can't complain in this day and age for something free I scrounged up off the road. I use a pretty thick pillow ticking patch so barrel leading isn't a problem.
Great looking .45-70 Smokeybear! The .45-70 was originally a black powder cartridge. Do you reload your own using BP? Beautiful blade too.

 

gtclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 3, 2013
512
3
I think black powder and pipe smoking have a lot in common - you have a connection to the ways of the past, there's a very satisfying ritual surrounding the process (load, tamp, and light - just like a pipe!) And it all goes up in smoke...
I'm not a black powder shooter, but I have been thinking about picking up a '51 Navy Colt just for fun. I've seen some nice ones at Cabela's for $200, which is in my price range. Any advice or experience regarding pistols?

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
gt my advice is go for it! Cap and Ball revolvers are a blast. I'm biased towards the Remington 1858 design myself. Having a topstrap over the cyclinder adds overall strength to the gun. What is nice about shooting black powder or one of the substitutes from any gun longrifle or pistol is the recoil. BP guns don't have the sharp kick like modern centerfire guns burning smokeless powder. (Well they can but it takes a big charge which is really just wasting propellant once you get to a certain point.)

 

smokeybear

Lifer
Dec 21, 2012
2,202
23
Brampton,Ontario,Canada
Yes the 45-70 was originally a BP Cartridge, if i do ever get a BP though i would buy the marlin Octa barrel Duck mentioned awesome piece.
I use this one for moose, black bear and deer but i think i want to get a 30-30 for deer with a scope the 45-70 is a bit overkill within 150 yards plus 150 yards is the most distance i can comfortably get with her.
I also always wanted a Paterson revolver in BP. Maybe one day.

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kb7get

Lurker
Nov 10, 2012
35
0
Try getting the ticking patch "damp" using black powder solvent. You only want it slightly wet not dripping. Will help like a lube to get the ball down the barrel. Also it helps cut the fouling down. Cleans the barrel a bit each time you load up.

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
Sounds good smokey. I agree the octagon barrel on the Marlin lever gun would be very cool. Isn't the 30-30 the cartridge that's responsible for bagging the most whitetails than any other? I thought I heard that somewhere. Good luck on your next hunt.
I have a Ruger Old Army cap and ball revolver. Stainless steel 7 1/2" barrel. Unfortunately Ruger no longer makes them. Many, myself included believe it to be the greatest BP revolver ever made. Built on the original 3-screw Blackhawk action that thing is buttery smooth. Stainless makes it easy to see and clean the BP residue too when it comes to clearn up time.
Duckfat -Agreed. I think it is the high cost of supplies that has got me away from my modern guns and back into BP. I just found the very first tin of Goex I bought and it still had the price tag on it: $8.98 I just bought a new can the other day and it was $22.
KB7GET -I lube my patch with Thompson Center Bore Butter or one of the other lubes. I've even tried the old fashioned spit patch method but thats kind of gross. I've also thought about picking up one of those small tubs of Crisco vegetable shortening. I've read that it works well.

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
Scrapy that's 50 grains short of a pound! A thumper for sure. I had an old friend who made his own cannon. it had a 2 inch bore and he loaded it with a 1/2 pound charge and that thing let out a nice boom. He would fire it with newspaper wad only at parties. I got to hear it that way a couple times. He could also load it with a small V8 can filled with talcum powder and he could see the puff when it hit way across the field from his cabin.
My .54 I load with 60 grains. As you can see on the paper it gives me decent repeatable accuracy. Very little recoil maybe similar to a .410 shotgun.

 

taerin

Lifer
May 22, 2012
1,851
1
And I was expecting to read a post about drugs... Funny how black powder didn't register.

 

canadianbacon

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 7, 2013
101
0
I like that marlin too. I have a plain old 1954 Marlin 336 that does the trick, but nothing fancy.
My first year hunting, I did not own any guns, so my friend gave me a modern black powder rifle to use. Not a great idea being a rookie. I did manage to get a doe at 150 yards, farther than I should have been shooting. I hit it in the rear quarter unfortunately. It didn't go far with the impact of a 50 cal slug thankfully and I was able to finish the deed.
Certainly a bittersweet memory, and a good learning experience. I may one day decide to get back into black powder, but I'm not there yet.

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
Thanks for the correction scrapy. My bad I was looking at the gram conversion: 453.66 grams = 1 pound.
@canadian, I carried my .50 cal deer hunting a few times but never connected. The one time I did see a deer the rifle was leaning against a tree while I was "taking care of business" :)
Hunting is a great sport and while I fully support it I'm just not able to sit still long enough. I never say never and might give it go sometime again in the future.

 

jkenp

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 5, 2013
202
0
NW Indiana
I built muzzle loaders. Used Dave Taylor barrels and then McLemore. The McL was gain twist. Still have one of his barrels that I never got around to stocking. It is 50 cal and a swamped barrel. Was going to build a Po' Boy but got sidetracked.
Used to go twice a year to the Nationals at Friendship. Shot a possible there one year. (All 10's) mine was 4x to boot. Miss a perfect by just a scotch. Lot of fun with a friend now gone. He did great leather work and I still have one of his bags. I also made horns and did scrimshaw.

 

gtclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 3, 2013
512
3
I also always wanted a Paterson revolver in BP. Maybe one day.
That Patterson is absolutely beautiful! Who makes that? I'm guessing it's not an Uberti...

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
That's interesting jkenp. I'd love to see some pictures of your work sometime. "Gain twist" Does that mean the twist rate gets faster as it progresses towards the muzzle end?

 

irish

Lifer
Aug 12, 2011
1,121
6
Texas
I used to but haven't in several years now. I still own a Thompson Center .54 with a Green Mountain barrel and iron furniture but my favorite was a custom built Jack Garner Southern Mountain Rifle in .50 cal flintlock. I no longer own it or doing any shooting but still have my powder horns and shooting bags as well as all my possibles. I miss it and seeing bentmike shooting his sure does give me the itch!!

 

phred

Lifer
Dec 11, 2012
1,754
4
I did some black powder shooting back when I worked for a Boy Scout camp during my college summers, and I've wanted to get back into it for years - now that I have a garage, though, I don't really have the time... :cry: I barely make it out to the range with my modern guns these days.

 

jkenp

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 5, 2013
202
0
NW Indiana
Yes, the gain twist is progressive -- not a lot though. Lot of the early Pennsylvania rifles used it. The big guns on battleships also have a gain and shot black powder. I'm guessing it has something to do with the slower burning characteristics of black powder.

 
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