The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Round Ball in 308/30-06????

CapeFear · November 17, 1999, 10:55 AM

While working just outside the Smokies a couple of weeks back I had a chance to talk with a gent in his eighties about hunting and guns in the mountains. I've heard stories that some of these guys never quit hunting with muzzleloaders so I asked him about it. He laughed and said no that wasn't true but they still used black powder and round lead balls though. It seems his family owned a 30-40 Krag bolt action and used it for everything. The factory ammo was used for big game hunting and then the brass was deprimed with a nail and the new primer pushed in. Then the brass was filled with black powder and a round ball pushed in on top of the powder. These rounds were used for small game hunting and plinking. Has anyone else ever heard of this practice? Would it be safe?
I know my manuals show this being done with the 45 Colt with black powder and with a measured charge of red dot. What do you guys think? Wonder if its worth loading up five rounds for the heck of it? I won't try this until I research it a while and thought this would be a good place to start. Thanks.

November 17, 1999, 10:55 AM	#1
CapeFear Member Join Date: April 8, 1999 Posts: 92	While working just outside the Smokies a couple of weeks back I had a chance to talk with a gent in his eighties about hunting and guns in the mountains. I've heard stories that some of these guys never quit hunting with muzzleloaders so I asked him about it. He laughed and said no that wasn't true but they still used black powder and round lead balls though. It seems his family owned a 30-40 Krag bolt action and used it for everything. The factory ammo was used for big game hunting and then the brass was deprimed with a nail and the new primer pushed in. Then the brass was filled with black powder and a round ball pushed in on top of the powder. These rounds were used for small game hunting and plinking. Has anyone else ever heard of this practice? Would it be safe? I know my manuals show this being done with the 45 Colt with black powder and with a measured charge of red dot. What do you guys think? Wonder if its worth loading up five rounds for the heck of it? I won't try this until I research it a while and thought this would be a good place to start. Thanks.