What BP load do you use?

[Mac42]

I appreciate that one should try various mix to see the results, I was just wondering what sort of load and type of load do various members use with BP or 777. Type revolvers ROA or Pedersoli or others that are available. My brief past experience was 18 BP Semolina pad ball and grease. All answers appreciated

[robpark]

In my ROA, I use 24gr 777, pre-lubed wad & ball. Works fine for me

Found this conversion chart very useful: http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

[Mac42]

In my ROA, I use 24gr 777, pre-lubed wad & ball. Works fine for me

Found this conversion chart very useful: http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

With 24gr of 777 what size pre-lubed wad and then what is the depth from face of cylinder to ball. Do you use grease to stop flash over.

[Mac42]

What is 777 like to clean is there any difference in cleaning methods between BP and 777 is 777 as corrosive as Pyrodex.

[tacfoley]

What is 777 like to clean is there any difference in cleaning methods between BP and 777 is 777 as corrosive as Pyrodex.

Just like the real thing, 777 washes off with plain ol' water. Pyrodex needs some careful cleaning, no matter what you hear. But ALL shooters of any of this stuff, real or subs, really need to get cleaning as soon as possible after shooting - on the spot is good if you can. The gun club to which I belong has loads of under-cover space to do this necessary chore.

My only downer with 777 is that it smells pretty odd - like a smell in a beet processing plant, and nothing like the mighty cow-fart of the real thing.

tac

[robpark]

What is 777 like to clean is there any difference in cleaning methods between BP and 777 is 777 as corrosive as Pyrodex.

Can't speak for BP, as I've never used it. 777 seems slightly easier to clean than Pyrodex (but I only used Pyrodex once - about 30 loads). I can't speak from experience, but all I've heard is that Pyrodex is slightly more corrosive than 777 and both are worse than BP. I clean my ROA as soon as I'm home, about an hour after finishing shooting, with hot soapy water and it's straightforward.

With 24gr of 777 what size pre-lubed wad and then what is the depth from face of cylinder to ball. Do you use grease to stop flash over.

I've just done a bit of measuring - the empty chamber is approx 32mm deep, 24gr of 777 fills 16.5mm, the wad is 4mm and I measured a .457 ball at 11.65mm. The ball seats approx 2-3mm below the cylinder face (I'll double check that when I shoot tomorrow night) so everything is snug, with powder and wad compressed by a couple of mm. I don't use grease and have never had a flash over. I fill the chambers from pre-measured glass vials and make sure there are no loose powder grains anywhere else. It works great and is certainly more accurate that me

Shooting it is here.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX6iKfznbs4

[Turnup]

With 24gr of 777 what size pre-lubed wad and then what is the depth from face of cylinder to ball. Do you use grease to stop flash over.

Nominal ball size for ROA is .457". Not much point in going any bigger as the excess will shave off as you ram it.

If using grease then no need for a wad. Grease is mandatory under MLAGB rules but that might not bother you. There is some debate regarding whether it stops flashover, but I know of no modern cartridge which does not have lubrication to the lead projectile, and the grease also helps to keep the fouling soft. Most indoor ranges prohibit grease as the mess accumulates, so then you really should use a wad. Some also coat the balls with Alox, but I don't see how that helps as the chamber will shave off the area which bears on the barrel as the ball is rammed.

Conventional wisdom is to seat the ball just below the cylinder face. I have had some success with balls seated well in, but it seems to be variable whereas shallow seating seems to be more consistent. Experiment.

[tacfoley]

I appreciate that one should try various mix to see the results, I was just wondering what sort of load and type of load do various members use with BP or 777. Type revolvers ROA or Pedersoli or others that are available. My brief past experience was 18 BP Semolina pad ball and grease. All answers appreciated

18gr is a VERY low load with any .44cal revolving pistol. The recommended load for a .44 cap and ball revolver by DGW and muzzleloading forum is something around 25 - 30gr of 3Fg or the sub equivalent, but don't let the opinion of about five million other shooters influence you in any way....

Mosts folks use either a Wonder Wad or grease cookie OR grease over the end of the chamber. Dunno anybody who uses two out of the three. But then, if you are only using 18gr, you'll need something to fill up the yawning chasm in there..

tac
www.muzzleloadingforum.com

[tim56]

Used to use 20grn of TS2 in the Rugers and 18 in the Rodgers n Spencer. Used this load topped up with semolina and a dollop
of wonderlube over the balls for years then swopped to a LePage for comp use so now tend to shoot 30 grns of b/p in the Rugers
and the poor old Rogers very rarely gets an outing these days. The Rugers shoot really nice with 30grn, plenty of smoke, flame
and umph.
Don't know about the Pedersoli Remington as mines a Uberti Anvil conversion which uses Herco. As tac suggests, start at 25
to 30 grns and work from there. Pyrodex and 777 are used by volume equivelent to b/p but the same principle applies if this is
what you will be using. Have fun. Tim

[Turnup]

Depends on what you want to achieve. The MLAGB published the powder and load combinations used by the winners in the 2002 championships and .44/.45 revolvers were all around 14 - 16 grains TS2 or Goex, with one I believe at 11.5 grains of Swiss #2. These would all be round ball as MLAIC rules mandate this for revolvers. Unfortunately that document appears to be no longer found on the MLAGB website so there is only my memory to go on.

It will depend to some extent on which powder you use as powder performances vary.

I find 16 grains of Vesuvit LC or 18 grains of TS2 (with semolina filler) to be about right in my ROA. 22 grains certainly opens out my groups and I have not tested higher loads for accuracy.

It is entirely possible that there are other loads which also give good accuracy, and like with smokeless, personal preferences also seem to come into play.

One thing we can probably agree on is that a full chamber (about 40 grains in ROA), while not dangerous, is unlikely to give best accuracy - it does however give a big grin

[tacfoley]

Depends on what you want to achieve. The MLAGB published the powder and load combinations used by the winners in the 2002 championships and .44/.45 revolvers were all around 14 - 16 grains TS2 or Goex, with one I believe at 11.5 grains of Swiss #2. These would all be round ball as MLAIC rules mandate this for revolvers. Unfortunately that document appears to be no longer found on the MLAGB website so there is only my memory to go on.

It will depend to some extent on which powder you use as powder performances vary.

I find 16 grains of Vesuvit LC or 18 grains of TS2 (with semolina filler) to be about right in my ROA. 22 grains certainly opens out my groups and I have not tested higher loads for accuracy.

It is entirely possible that there are other loads which also give good accuracy, and like with smokeless, personal preferences also seem to come into play.

One thing we can probably agree on is that a full chamber (about 40 grains in ROA), while not dangerous, is unlikely to give best accuracy - it does however give a big grin

40gr is great for hogs. I have to admit that I'm not convinced about such piddling loads in a ROA - a single shot pistol sure, but with that cylinder gap AND a deep forcing cone...hmmmmm.

TBH, I've never heard of loads as low as that in ANY .44cal revolver, but then I don't compete in international events either, so I guess my 80 average with 25gr is a complete fluke. I really must try your squeakpip loads and see what happens.

I'll let you know.

tac

[Mac42]

Thanks chaps for the replies. When my FAC turns up it's out to buy a new BP or S/H revolver. The cleaning is very therapeutic so they say. Like an idiot I spent two years writing down my various mixes and lost them when I stopped shooting. I always used semolina as a filler but never experimented with a larger load and wad.

[Turnup]

40gr is great for hogs. I have to admit that I'm not convinced about such piddling loads in a ROA - a single shot pistol sure, but with that cylinder gap AND a deep forcing cone...hmmmmm.

TBH, I've never heard of loads as low as that in ANY .44cal revolver, but then I don't compete in international events either, so I guess my 80 average with 25gr is a complete fluke. I really must try your squeakpip loads and see what happens.

I'll let you know.

tac

They are pretty wimpy. Never chronoed but from the sound I am pretty sure they are well subsonic - starts to sound supersonic around 25 grains IMO. I have never had one fail to arrive at the target (25m) and they splash the berm at 50m. Personal best is 93 (10 ex 13) on PL7 but I am happy if I can break 90.

I don't shoot competitions (apart from the fun Xmas type stuff) as I find that it spoils my enjoyment, however I do shoot alongside some former international shooters and they all seem to run very light loads in rifled repro handguns. Smooth is a whole 'nother matter - those guys really stoke 'em up!

I use an even lighter load in my Uberti Remington, but a previous owner had it "breathed on" in various ways, including cylinder timing, lapped barrel, and a very small cylinder gap, so I don't think that citing those loads would be very helpful.

Give it a go - the price of powder these days.....!