BP-Getting started

[jkata]

Evening Chaps.

I've finally done it and filled the BP slot I had on my FAC and bought a Pietta 1858 New Army in (Stainless I think).

I've got a tub of pyrodex, balls and have a number of people happy to point me in the safe direction for getting started.

What else do I need, from what I've been looking at, wads seem to be a personal preference thing, caps, powder flask or vials etc.

Any hints and tips would be greatly appreciated. I have been reloading for a little while for my CF rifles but not really sure where to start with the pistol.

What weights of powder would you recommend I start with- work up to would be a good start.

Cheers in advance

John

[Chocchip]

In my kit I carry,

A decent capper that holds 100 caps - far far easier to use then the straight cappers that only hold 10 or so, and it never drops any. Straight cappers seem to drop half the caps. With this I can reload quite quickly.

A pair of needle-nose pliers for removing any spent caps that are left on the nipples after shooting.

A lolly stick for ensuring the caps are firmly in place on the nipples - don't be tempted to press them on with the pliers (if you just seat with the capper then you won't have the cap hard on the nipple, and a lose cap is asking for misfires).

A loading stand to hold the pistol vertical while loading the gun.

A flask to hold the semolina filler.

A bag of dry-lubed wads - far less mess than using grease.

Plastic food box full of lead balls so they don't escape.

Bag full of plastic vials with pre-thrown charges of H777.

Safety glasses - I cannot stress enough you need these. I've been cut on the face a few times this year from flying bits of cap and you really don't want that in your eye.

And thats it. I can happily shoot 100 shots in a 2 hour session with this sort of setup.

[Smokeless Coal]

Use wads with balls, always. It gives that much needed layer of protection.

Keep a penknife in your pocket, or better a small multitool. Keep a nipple pricker there too.

777 is cleaner and you can use alox with it for very little mess.

You will want between 12 and 30 gr of pyro measured by volume if its a .44 (you did noy say)

Light load and thick wad is good for accuracy into paper.
Hot load for lots of smoke and noise when theres noobs on the firing line, just for fun

Keep your fingers well back from the front of the cylinder when putting caps on.

Get hold of some of that high temp.copper grease as used on car brakes and give the nipples a little smear when you fit them.

Dont be disapointed at your first hundred shots, you'll learn same as we all did.

[Chocchip]

In my Ruger Old Army I use 30gr by volume of 777 - this is good whacking load and if rested off the bench will shoot a 1 inch group at 25 meters. Though I usually shoot standing so its quite a bit more than that !

One other bit to consider is the nipples themselves. The best thing I ever did was to stop using the ones that came with the gun and get some Treso nipples from America. These cost less than $20 for a pack of 6 and are a perfect fit for Remington caps. Also the hole through them is only half the width of normal nipples which results in a lot less back blast into the cap, then less jams.

Since I fitted these nipples I've literally shot over 1500 rounds with my Ruger and never had a single cap jam, misfire or anything. 100% reliable. I compare this to the other guys at the club who seem to have problems with every other cylinder of shots.

Treso caps are available from these guys,

http://thunder-ridge-muzzleloading.com/nip_x_ref.htm

[John Bedford]

John

Have a look at my club web site (HERE).

In the downloads section there's an introduction to BP revolver shooting.

In the links section there are some to sites covering muzzle loaders.

Have fun.

J.

[jkata]

Cheers Guys
Very informative

[luddite]

Clean the pistol as soon as you can after shooting John. I carry WD40 and squirt it all over before taking it home. Blackpowder and Pyrodex are extremely corrosive and will rust stainless in no time.
I also turn the revolver on it's side between shots to let bits of percussion cap fall out. If they get into the mech they can jam the cylinder.
And invest in a nice hankie as your nose will become clogged with crap from the blast.

[jkata]

Looks like I need to do a bit of extra shopping then, thats a shame

[John Bedford]

Another essential is a tub of those baby bum wipes (for your hands).

BP shooting is DIRTY fun.

[luddite]

Another essential is a tub of those baby bum wipes (for your hands).

BP shooting is DIRTY fun.

Forgot about that, I carry a flask of water, soap and a flannel. Faces also get grimy .

[Calibre44]

If you decide against wads make sure you use lard or Trex smeared over the ball to provide lube through the barrel, protection against chainfire and to help soften up the BP fouling for easier cleaning.

Have fun - you will love it!