Lightest loads used in black powder pistols?

scotjute · June 19, 2002, 01:50 PM

Just started shooting .22lr subsonic no powder ammo and was wondering, has anyone ever tried to pop out a lead ball out of a C&B revolver with just the cap? If so what happened?

If not what is the lowest powder load you've used and what were the results?

(I've got .36 cal. Colt Navy, Italian replica)
Thanks.

WINTERVILLE WILL · June 20, 2002, 11:01 AM

Never tried it, but i'm bettin' that you'll stick that ball halfway up the barrel with just the cap...minimum load?...why?

scotjute · June 20, 2002, 04:30 PM

The why for lightest load would be to use the black powder revolver as a very light plinker, sort of the same reason they make
no powder .22lr.
The lightest load I've ever used has been 15 grns. of FFF in .36
cal shooting roundballs. What happens if you just load 5 grns. of
FFF? Is it enough to send out the ball or is it likely to get stuck?
Just curious if anyone has ever tried it. Rather than experiment myself would like to know if someone else has tried it an d results.

Cap n ball · June 21, 2002, 10:16 AM

It's embarrassing but when I first began shooting BP there were a couple of times that I missed loading a shot with powder and mistakenly rammed a ball into the cylinder. The ball when fired with just a cap will usually clear the cylinder but stop short of the muzzle and have to be pushed out or worm-jagged out.
Dumb thing to do....lets not get into chain fires either ok? I think we have a couple of threads here already about doing stuff like that.

jjmorgan64 · June 22, 2002, 07:54 PM

bought a 36 cal pepperbox, and didn't have any 36 cal balls, so I shoved a lead 38 bullet down the tube, over a 9 mm case load of powder. Mild pop, and could actually watch the bullet in flight, was pretty neat. They looked like you had tossed them underhand.

June 19, 2002, 01:50 PM	#1
scotjute Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Location: texas Posts: 260	Lightest loads used in black powder pistols? Just started shooting .22lr subsonic no powder ammo and was wondering, has anyone ever tried to pop out a lead ball out of a C&B revolver with just the cap? If so what happened? If not what is the lowest powder load you've used and what were the results? (I've got .36 cal. Colt Navy, Italian replica) Thanks.

June 20, 2002, 11:01 AM	#2
WINTERVILLE WILL Member Join Date: April 6, 2000 Location: Winterville, Ga. USA Posts: 50	Never tried it, but i'm bettin' that you'll stick that ball halfway up the barrel with just the cap...minimum load?...why? __________________ NRA Life SASS Life SBSS Life DAMFOOL #64 45-70...reach out and thump somethin'

June 22, 2002, 07:54 PM	#5
jjmorgan64 Senior Member Join Date: August 8, 2001 Posts: 519	bought a 36 cal pepperbox, and didn't have any 36 cal balls, so I shoved a lead 38 bullet down the tube, over a 9 mm case load of powder. Mild pop, and could actually watch the bullet in flight, was pretty neat. They looked like you had tossed them underhand. __________________ The Forty-Four spoke and it sent lead and smoke And seventeen inches of flame. -Marty Robbins JM

June 20, 2002, 04:30 PM	#3
scotjute Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Location: texas Posts: 260	The why for lightest load would be to use the black powder revolver as a very light plinker, sort of the same reason they make no powder .22lr. The lightest load I've ever used has been 15 grns. of FFF in .36 cal shooting roundballs. What happens if you just load 5 grns. of FFF? Is it enough to send out the ball or is it likely to get stuck? Just curious if anyone has ever tried it. Rather than experiment myself would like to know if someone else has tried it an d results.

June 21, 2002, 10:16 AM	#4
Cap n ball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2000 Posts: 247	It's embarrassing but when I first began shooting BP there were a couple of times that I missed loading a shot with powder and mistakenly rammed a ball into the cylinder. The ball when fired with just a cap will usually clear the cylinder but stop short of the muzzle and have to be pushed out or worm-jagged out. Dumb thing to do....lets not get into chain fires either ok? I think we have a couple of threads here already about doing stuff like that.