Black Powder Cartridges

[Rigmarol]

I Shoot Cowboy Action at a couple of clubs. Been doing it for just over 2 years now and loving it.

I have always shot smokeless and want to move to Black Powder cartridges.

I recently tried using Cap n Ball but the shooting pace between stages is too fast for me to help with range duties and reload my guns, even with a press.

So, I sent my Colt's Sig. Dragoons off and had Kirst Konverters installed and have been testing them out with great success using smokeless rounds.

Now i'm ready to load up some BP rounds and give it a go.

I'm thinking of getting a "Big Lube" bullet mold in the hopes that sending more lube down the tube will minimize the need to swab out fouling between stages?

I have to make rounds for 2 revolvers and 1 rifle (all 45colt). I'd prefer to not have to taylor rounds specific to handguns and rifles but rather one round to work with either.

http://www.biglube.com/

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Side note out of curiosity, can round balls be loaded in shells with any expectation of success?

[Doc Hoy]

I load .45 LC in two pistols and one rifle.

The pistols are an Uberti Cattleman and a Ruger Vaquero. The rifle is a M92 from Rossi with a 16 Inch barrel. I use about 28 grains of powder behind a 220 grain RNFP from Lee. The bullet has two grooves. Lee calls this bullet (IIRC) a 200 grain bullet but mine consistently weigh 218. I was sizing with a .462 Lee sizing die and it was sizing very consistently and accurately. I originally loaded 35 grains but the recoil was excessive.

I top off this light load with a card which I punch out from an irridescent color poster board. I like to see how far downrange the cards are going so I use this hi-vis stuff. Then cornmeal to the rim of the case and compress it with the bullet.

This round shot consistently and cleanly in the revolvers. But when I bought the rifle I got severe leading in the barrel. My hardness was 12 to 14 and the speeds were right at 1100 fps. So I don't think the lead was too soft. I slugged the barrel on the rifle and got a diameter that was too large for the bullet. I think the bullet was skidding down the barrel and galling the lead off into the grooves.

I have moved to a larger sizing die but I have not yet had a chance to use it.

When I do, I will try the rounds in the revolvers as well.

This should be a start until a smart guy comes in and gives you the straight skinny.

[Rigmarol]

Sounds smart to me sir!

What lube are you using?
I have great luck using FELIX homemade lube so far with Smokeless. It seems almost indistinguishable from SPG I had on hand for comparison.

[Doc Hoy]

I use Liquid ALOX and also my own home brew which is a nice stiff concoction of either Crisco and toilet donuts or a stick mix of Crisco and bees wax.

I am getting ready to try lard in place of the Crisco.

[Bishop Creek]

For my 1858 Remington with a Kirst Konverter, I put 28 grains of FFG Goex into a .45 Schofield case, put a card on top of the powder then a beeswax disc on top of that punched out of a sheet of wax with an empty .45 shell case, then seat a .451 round ball on top and crimp. Very accurate and the beeswax lubes quite well; can shoot three cylinders full before needing to clean the cylinder pin.

[Doc Hoy]

I am thinking that the lube pill on top rather than cornmeal might help.

I haven't tried it yet but that may be on the list of projects

[LeadZinger]

on having the forthought to keep your reloading down to a single caliber.:D

Wish I had thought that far ahead. I'm reloading .38spl, .44 Colt and .45 Colt for three revolvers and a borrowed Henry rifle. My '58 Remmie conversion and the Henry are both in the .45 Colt. A really fun round to shoot and one that you can really experiment with. I load light since I only punch paper at 25 and 100 yds.. Started out with the same load, 25 gr. BP, fiber card, .451 dia. 200 gr. RNFP bullet. This worked fine in the Remmie, but at 100 yds the accuracy fell way off with the Henry so I now load 28-30 gr BP, which has given marked improvement. Know it would be nice to reload one round for all but I think you will find that keeping all components the same and varying your powder for the rifle round will work best for you.

The lube pill sounds like a great idea when using a card between it and the powder. Must try that myself. Really get great stuff on this forum.

[Bishop Creek]

To the original poster: in addition to loading round balls with a lube cookie, I have tried the Big Lube bullets and they perform as promised.

[Bishop Creek]

Doc Hoy: I forgot to mention that my like you, my beeswax cookie is a mixture of Crisco and beeswax melted in a pan then cut into cookies.

[Rigmarol]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the comments.

I like the idea of using round ball because it's the bare minimum of lead possible sot can stretch out my supply. But I also really like the concept behind Big Lube bullets. Being able to have more lube going down the pipe makes me thing it has to make fouling a bit less.

I found out on their web site that you can order a sample pack of bullets for $15 and pally that to buying a mold if you do it within 30 days. I just might do that to try them out.

[Doc Hoy]

Thanks for the response.

Right now I have a coupla tubs of lube which is Crisco and toilet donuts and a coupla tubs which is Crisco and Beeswax. The beeswax is stiffer.

Both of these lubes are fine for cap and ball revolvers where the lube is just schmootzed over the ball in the chamber. But the Crisco and toilet donuts does not seem to get stiff enough for making the pills.