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Thread: .58cal loads???

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    Chesterfield
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    22

    .58cal loads???

    Hello everyone, A few years ago I inherited a very nice bernardelli copy of a percussion 58cal 1841 mississippi that's smoothbored.I'd love to be able to shoot targets with round ball but it's impossible to get into a club where I live so can anyone help me out with recommending black powder shotgun load recipies for it.I'm new to BP and see a lot of conflicting info on the Web and and find it even more confusing when people argue about measuring in grains,drams,volume etc.Also does anyone know of any shops that stock black powder near Chesterfield?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
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    camberley
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    Hi. Have a chat with your local gunshop. If they have a trade account with Lee or Lyman they can order a bullet mold for you. You can see them on that bays .com website. Most gunshops will stock black powder.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Aylesford
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    253
    Could be worthwhile considering pyrodex as a propellant (no need for a black powder licence) and later on if it lives up to expectations go to the expense and "hoop jumping" of a black powder licence.

    Regarding loads I would suggest contacting the Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain.

    Make sure that whatever recommendations you get are for single round ball / smoothbore and not "shotgun" load, and start light and work up.

    There is also the can of worms of licencing if your gun is on a shotgun cert!

    Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    leeds, west yorkshire
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    The guru of anything bp is bill Curtiss
    He says smoothbores can be quite accurate but needs a good stiff charge of bp .
    We are talking anything from 90 - 120 gns
    He reckons a big felt disc of around 10mm thick then place loose fitting ball with a dollop of lube plus another equal sized disc on top .
    Push this down altogether on top of your chosen powder weight.
    This should slide down easily and not be a struggle.
    Please clarify this load with more experienced bp shooters as I do shoot bp cartridge and not musket.
    As always make sure all this settles on top of the powder and no air space between powder and ball etc

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Manchester
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye18 View Post
    Hello everyone, A few years ago I inherited a very nice bernardelli copy of a percussion 58cal 1841 mississippi that's smoothbored.I'd love to be able to shoot targets with round ball but it's impossible to get into a club where I live so can anyone help me out with recommending black powder shotgun load recipies for it.I'm new to BP and see a lot of conflicting info on the Web and and find it even more confusing when people argue about measuring in grains,drams,volume etc.Also does anyone know of any shops that stock black powder near Chesterfield?
    Hi Deadeye18,

    Hopefully I can give you an insight into the weights, grains and Drams. All the weights used in shooting are Avoirdupois.

    Forgive me if I tell you something you already know.

    There are 16oz to the pound (Lb).

    7,000 grains = 1Lb.

    1oz = 16 Drams = 437.5 grains.

    1 Dram = 27.343 grains.

    2-1/2 Dram = 68.35 grains.

    3 Dram = 82.02 grains.

    3-1/2 Dram = 95.69 grains.

    The .58 is a little bit bigger than a 28 bore and smaller than a 20 bore.

    In the .577" Enfield I shoot a 1oz minie bullet with a 60 grain powder charge. I would think you will be ok using a similar weight of shot and starting at about 50 grains of powder. I have gone up to 80 and 90 grains of powder in the Enfield so you should be able to work the load up.
    Shotguns tend to need a bit more push than a solid projectile so I would be comfortable going to about 70 - 80 grains of powder.

    You will need a wad over the powder and it needs to sit on the powder with no air gap. You will also need a wad over the shot to stop it rolling out of the barrel.

    If you have it on your shotgun certificate as a BP muzzleloader you can request an Explosive license. This does not usually cost anything and you will need to apply for an RCA document to transport the powder. You will also need a box to store your powder in.
    If you had a muzzle loading rifle or pistol on an FAC yu would automatically receive an Explosive License.

    Have a look at Henry Kranks, (if you do not already know about them), you can get a free catalogue that will give you an insight into what is needed and the price of the components.

    http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=index

    I hope this helps.

    Atb.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Chesterfield
    Posts
    22

    Thumbs up

    Thankyou for all your replies gents.I got my bp/rca licence and storage box last year.This gun is on a shotgun cert which is why I tried my local clubs but unless your a family member or friend of an existing member then they don't want to know you so no round or minie ball shooting for me,the farm I shoot on only allow shotguns and airguns to be used so only shot loads for now as I don't want to fall foul of the law or landowner.
    Enfield2band thanks for the information it's come in really handy!Ive ordered a loading/cleaning kit,wads,powder/shot measure, overshot card punch from Henry krank and will try and source some caps and powder locally.I can't wait to shoot this!
    Thanks again gents

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Huntingdon
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye18 View Post
    Enfield2band thanks for the information it's come in really handy!Ive ordered a loading/cleaning kit,wads,powder/shot measure, overshot card punch from Henry krank and will try and source some caps and powder locally.I can't wait to shoot this!
    Thanks again gents
    I hope it all works out for you, but BP and musket caps are not the usual fodder of the average gun store in UK. Bite the bullet - so to speak - and get over to Kranks. ANY kind of powder costs at least £25 delivery here, and musket [aKA Top Hat] caps the same - if, indeed, you can find any kind of delivery service for them these days.

    Anybody help this guy out with Derbs gun dealers? The silence on this subject is so far deafening....

    tac
    Last edited by tacfoley; 31-08-2016 at 08:34 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Chesterfield
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    Thanks tac,well after a couple of fruitless phone calls and scouring the Internet it looks like I'll be having a trip to Henry krank.I'd rather make the trip than pay the sky high transportation fees!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Macclesfield and Ely
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    1,065

    Pyrodex

    Pyrodex RS. Uses normal brass measure for BP. 50 grains is fine no more needed at 50 yds. Maybe 60 at 100yds if you have an old door as Target!! Just split a No3. 12g cart if you want to use as a shotgun, Powder soft wad. Shot then card over shot or another soft wad.

    I used. 6 x. .36 Cal balls in mine just to try. That's the min you can put in a shotgun for size and amount of ball. if using on a permission. Watch your backstop though !!!!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Chesterfield
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    22
    Series2a
    Cheers for that I bet those .36cal balls go with some wallop!ill give that a try.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
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    Manchester
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye18 View Post
    Series2a
    Cheers for that I bet those .36cal balls go with some wallop!ill give that a try.
    I hope Series2a is referring to a BLACKPOWDER shotgun cartridge?

    DON'T DO THIS with a modern cartridge containing smokeless powder.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Chesterfield
    Posts
    22
    Aye I recon he was saying use upto 50 grains of bp substitute then the measure of shot from a cart.I had a look at an American bp site and wrote a long list of do's and don't s of bp shooting down and no1 on the list is don't use nitro!!:-)

  13. #13
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    Jun 2010
    Location
    Manchester
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye18 View Post
    Aye I recon he was saying use upto 50 grains of bp substitute then the measure of shot from a cart.I had a look at an American bp site and wrote a long list of do's and don't s of bp shooting down and no1 on the list is don't use nitro!!:-)
    Fair enough, what you did was a good idea.

    I didn't want you to blow yourself up.

    Atb.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Chesterfield
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    Cheers enfield2band,you've all been a big help on here and im sure ill be picking your brains with more questions!I've read some real horror stories of people blowing fingers eyes and lots worse off with bp guns.I don't know if you have read it but my better half has ordered me a book off amazon called black powder guide by George C.Nonte,Jr so looking forward to reading that before I take the gun out which I plan to do in 2 weeks.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Macclesfield and Ely
    Posts
    1,065

    Shot!!!!

    Use the shot from the cartridge not the powder !!!!???? Or make your own. V easy

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