Humor Me. Blackpowder Shotshells...

[SOMDSHOOT]

30 years ago I went to a duck and goose calling seminar in Middle River. It was in a high school gym.
They showed a movie of an OLD guy that would shoot birds with a Side By Side. After he fired, he would take a hammer and punch and remove the primer, Pound in a new one and then pour in SOME black, no measure just pour in a little. Then he would stuff some dry grass in and pour in SOME shot. Stuff some more dry grass in to compact the shot and beat it into the side by side with the palm of his hand. He was killing geese with these shells, in the movie.
Sometimes we make things way too complicated

Man you have no idea how too complicated guys can make thing trying to be so overly technical in explaining themselves. Loading a Muzzleloader is not rocket science. Shotshells and other reloaded ammo can be as simple as you need it to be to do the job.

 

[BaltimoreKid]

Wad selection is the most critical piece here.
I shot a Model 24 16 ga in SASS with BP for thousands of rounds, and i can tell you DO NOT use plastic wads. I made my own out of newspaper, then procured some of the wire in fiber. BP/sub temps are much higher, and melt the smokeless wads.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Wad selection is the most critical piece here.
I shot a Model 24 16 ga in SASS with BP for thousands of rounds, and i can tell you DO NOT use plastic wads. I made my own out of newspaper, then procured some of the wire in fiber. BP/sub temps are much higher, and melt the smokeless wads.

I do have 1/4" fiber wads over the powder because I was using some old short skirt wads, so, it doesn't really matter about the plastic wads since the plastic is not in contact with the powder.

 

[phidelta308]

There's a video on Dave Canterbury's youtube channel where he uses a 12 gauge shell and primers in conjunction with black powder.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85LMFWKwTo

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

There's a video on Dave Canterbury's youtube channel where he uses a 12 gauge shell and primers in conjunction with black powder.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F85LMFWKwTo

I saw that video many many months ago. He was actually one of my inspirations for the reloads. I made about 20 of the 12 gauge shells and have about 8 left. It was fun for the ones I shot, but, I have no desire to load anymore in the future. I used 30 grains of Pyrodex RS behind a 7/8 oz. shotcup with #7 shot. It was really neat, but, it's not over exciting and not something I'd do very often. It's more for entertainment than practical value. I was rather impressed with excellent patterns and the extremely low recoil though.

 

[Bolts Rock]

Back in the day someone gave me 1000 paper hulls and a footlocker full of felt wads. I had a Springfield 311 side by side so why not load BP shells? I forget the exact load in grains but it was 2-3/4 dram BP, 1-1/4 ounce shot with full felt wad under and half wad over. Was a crapton of fun, used to scare the crap out of Neal Know at Damascus IWLA, sounds like an artillery piece going off. Skeet doubles is a challenge with BP loads and the first round smoke cloud!

 

[coopermania]

Back in the day someone gave me 1000 paper hulls and a footlocker full of felt wads. I had a Springfield 311 side by side so why not load BP shells? I forget the exact load in grains but it was 2-3/4 dram BP, 1-1/4 ounce shot with full felt wad under and half wad over. Was a crapton of fun, used to scare the crap out of Neal Know at Damascus IWLA, sounds like an artillery piece going off. Skeet doubles is a challenge with BP loads and the first round smoke cloud!

Was that back in the early 80s when there was a woman caretaker there ???

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

Back in the day someone gave me 1000 paper hulls and a footlocker full of felt wads. I had a Springfield 311 side by side so why not load BP shells? I forget the exact load in grains but it was 2-3/4 dram BP, 1-1/4 ounce shot with full felt wad under and half wad over. Was a crapton of fun, used to scare the crap out of Neal Know at Damascus IWLA, sounds like an artillery piece going off. Skeet doubles is a challenge with BP loads and the first round smoke cloud!

LOL yeah I said the thing. Sure wouldn't want to try Goose hunting with these shells. The smoke would make it rather complicated.

 

[John from MD]

As an FYI - Im not a stranger to blackpowder or muzzeloaders. But I do not want that stuff in any of my gas semi auto shotguns, or any gun not designed for it. Its a pain in the ass to clean out, and add the petro based preservatives and lubes - which are NOT supposed to be used with black powder - Id rather not deal with that. There is a reason smokeless powder was developed, and I'll stick to it, unless Im firing a muzzleloader, or an older black powder cartridge gun, that was intended to fire it.


+ 100. The smoke leaves residue all around the gun not just in the barrel. This residue is hygroscopic and will cause corrosion to start. If you use a Mossy 500, wash the whole thing with soapy water not just the barrel.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

As an FYI - Im not a stranger to blackpowder or muzzeloaders. But I do not want that stuff in any of my gas semi auto shotguns, or any gun not designed for it. Its a pain in the ass to clean out, and add the petro based preservatives and lubes - which are NOT supposed to be used with black powder - Id rather not deal with that. There is a reason smokeless powder was developed, and I'll stick to it, unless Im firing a muzzleloader, or an older black powder cartridge gun, that was intended to fire it.


+ 100. The smoke leaves residue all around the gun not just in the barrel. This residue is hygroscopic and will cause corrosion to start. If you use a Mossy 500, wash the whole thing with soapy water not just the barrel.

I certainly did clean the 500 good. Though it was not as bad a having to clean one of my many Muzzleloaders. I would have no problems shooting a few of those reloads, but, I most certainly would not make it a full time habit now would I shoot hundreds of rounds at clays or something like that. It was really interesting and fun for those few rounds, but, I think that fun wore off fast.

 

[John from MD]

Twenty years ago when I was a Marriotsville Muzzleloader member, we had a group of guys who would shoot trap with BP shotguns. I had a 10 gauge with rabbit ear hammers. Dang, it would take you an hour to get through 25 birds with those things and you stunk like heck afterwards.

Sure was fun though.