Costs?

ZVP · May 15, 2015, 05:33 PM

Even with todays inflated prices BP is still a great way to do some meduim and high power Revolver shooting
Yes it's slow and dirty but you get the true feeling of shooting a big gun!
Our forefatheres didn't consider themselves outgunned with BP
It served through many wars against various foes. I can see no reason for it misbehaving today!
Besides we neeed to slow down from spraying lead all over without proper aimed fire groups.
ZVP

**4V50 Gary** · May 15, 2015, 06:06 PM

It's very cheap if you can get lead and cast your own balls. It's much slower than center-fire and the camaraderie is great.

bedbugbilly · May 15, 2015, 08:10 PM

Hmmm . . . I don't know . . . .

I can shoot just as many and just as fast with BP cartridges that I load with the Holy Black as I can with those I load with smokeless . . . . just sayin'

BUT . . . I do agree with your philosophy!

DD4lifeusmc · May 16, 2015, 07:21 AM

technically not any slower if you also reload smokeless at home.
Takes quite a while to deprime, resize, reprime, dump powder, seat bullet.

It is faster at the range or firefight in reloading the chamber.

But for those that do paper cartridges, just about as fast there.

Magazine swap versus cylinder. magazine may be a tad faster.

Standard smokeless rounds normally won't penetrate a bullet resistant vest either, so about equal there.

Smokeless does have a flatter trajectory, but out to 150 yds or so, I wouldn't feel under gunned, although the smoke does give you away.

For an untruder in the house I'd prefer it. Even if you did miss, the loud boom, the smell, the fireball flash, he is going to wonder what the hell was that!

rodwhaincamo · May 17, 2015, 09:53 AM

At my old shooting range I became fairly well known by the staff because I shot BP. It sparked many conversations and plenty of questions. Loading it and handing it to them to try also solidified this relationship which turned out to add favors such as shooting my .50 cal rifle with light loads at a pistol range if I paid for the private booth as they trusted I'd use the light loads as claimed. It also gave me permission to do ballistics testing in the same private booth. Unfortunately we moved before I was able to do either.

I always shot at the 15 yd pistol range and typically noticed the guys with their bottom-feeders at 7 yds looked no better.

My father tried to interest me for many moons with BP. Wished I would have listened sooner!

I cast my own projectiles, make Gatofeo lube for my bullets and wads, cut my own patches, and occasionally make paper pistol cartridges. I'd like to try making percussion caps and knapping flint. It's just too much fun!

ZVP · May 17, 2015, 06:30 PM

Me too!
I discovered BP late in life, while awaiting delevery of my Vaquero during inventory time.
The 3 1/2 or so years that I have been dedicated to shooting BP, I have found a totally new and absourbing facet of shooting! So much to read and learn!
Remember, they shot the stuff a few hundred years before Smokeless...
ZVP

Jbar4Ranch · May 17, 2015, 09:28 PM

I buy black powder by the case.

maillemaker · May 18, 2015, 09:19 AM

I haven't priced out revolvers, but my muzzle loading rifles cost about $.30 a shot to shoot. More expensive than I would have thought.

Steve

Lee44ShooterCnB · May 18, 2015, 02:15 PM

cost per shot
tax cost w/tax
Power
1 lb of powder = 7000 grains
30 grains per shot
233.333 shots per lb.
30.229 cost per lb. 27.99 1.08 30.2292
0.12955 cost per shot

Balls
100 balls= 100 Shots
16.189 Cost per box 14.99 1.08 16.1892
0.16189 cost per shot

Caps
100 caps= 100 shots
8.62920 Cost per box 7.99 1.08 8.6292
0.08629 cost per shot

Wads
100 wads= 100 shots
10.7892 Cost per box 9.99 1.08 10.7892
0.107892 cost per shot

TOTAL COST PER SHOT 0.48563

maillemaker · May 19, 2015, 08:34 AM

Fun fact: If you recover your lead using a bullet bucket, you can cut your costs by quite a bit.

http://4thla.weebly.com/bullet-bucket.html

Steve

B.L.E. · May 20, 2015, 09:17 PM

Quote:

cost per shot
tax cost w/tax
Power
1 lb of powder = 7000 grains
30 grains per shot
233.333 shots per lb.
30.229 cost per lb. 27.99 1.08 30.2292
0.12955 cost per shot

Balls
100 balls= 100 Shots
16.189 Cost per box 14.99 1.08 16.1892
0.16189 cost per shot

Caps
100 caps= 100 shots
8.62920 Cost per box 7.99 1.08 8.6292
0.08629 cost per shot

Wads
100 wads= 100 shots
10.7892 Cost per box 9.99 1.08 10.7892
0.107892 cost per shot

TOTAL COST PER SHOT 0.48563

Sounds to me like you are getting your muzzle loading stuff from some big-box retailer.
Buy a cheap punch from Harbor Freight and make your own wads, or better yet, discover that wads are optional.
Every time I walk into my local big box retailer, it angers me to see how they are ripping off the muzzle loading community. $7.99 for a box of caps? Really? They went for half that just a couple of years ago. $7.99 for 100 "muzzleloading" 209 primers? Just a few isles over 209 primers for shotshell reloading are going for $32/1000. And most ironic of all, the "black powder" section of my local big box retailer sells everything but actual black powder.

My main thing is muzzle loading shotgun shooting and I'd bet that if the "black powder" section of my local big box retailer sold special "muzzleloading" #7.5 lead birdshot, they'd probably charge double what it costs people who reload modern shells to buy it at the same store, probably in pre measured blister packs instead of 25 lb. sacks for "our convenience"

.

Lee44ShooterCnB · May 21, 2015, 01:44 PM

That is why I put "Here with store bought per shot"
I :
recover my lead....(have my own small range in back yard)
cast my lead
make my powder
make my wads
buy my caps.....but I got enough for years

**4V50 Gary** · May 21, 2015, 02:47 PM

Nice breakdown Lee. I'm far too lazy to sit down and do all that high math.

Lee44ShooterCnB · May 23, 2015, 09:01 PM

no problem ...the engineer in me was showing.
Agree with your Latin about the "rights"

May 15, 2015, 05:33 PM	#1
ZVP Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2009 Posts: 1,102	Costs? Even with todays inflated prices BP is still a great way to do some meduim and high power Revolver shooting Yes it's slow and dirty but you get the true feeling of shooting a big gun! Our forefatheres didn't consider themselves outgunned with BP It served through many wars against various foes. I can see no reason for it misbehaving today! Besides we neeed to slow down from spraying lead all over without proper aimed fire groups. ZVP

May 15, 2015, 06:06 PM	#2
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,840	It's very cheap if you can get lead and cast your own balls. It's much slower than center-fire and the camaraderie is great. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 15, 2015, 08:10 PM	#3
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Hmmm . . . I don't know . . . . I can shoot just as many and just as fast with BP cartridges that I load with the Holy Black as I can with those I load with smokeless . . . . just sayin' BUT . . . I do agree with your philosophy! __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

May 18, 2015, 02:15 PM	#9
Lee44ShooterCnB Member Join Date: May 13, 2015 Location: Ga. Posts: 68	Here with store bought per shot cost per shot tax cost w/tax Power 1 lb of powder = 7000 grains 30 grains per shot 233.333 shots per lb. 30.229 cost per lb. 27.99 1.08 30.2292 0.12955 cost per shot Balls 100 balls= 100 Shots 16.189 Cost per box 14.99 1.08 16.1892 0.16189 cost per shot Caps 100 caps= 100 shots 8.62920 Cost per box 7.99 1.08 8.6292 0.08629 cost per shot Wads 100 wads= 100 shots 10.7892 Cost per box 9.99 1.08 10.7892 0.107892 cost per shot TOTAL COST PER SHOT 0.48563

May 21, 2015, 01:44 PM	#12
Lee44ShooterCnB Member Join Date: May 13, 2015 Location: Ga. Posts: 68	Here with store bought per shot That is why I put "Here with store bought per shot" I : recover my lead....(have my own small range in back yard) cast my lead make my powder make my wads buy my caps.....but I got enough for years

May 16, 2015, 07:21 AM	#4
DD4lifeusmc Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 2012 Location: Wyoming Posts: 351	technically not any slower if you also reload smokeless at home. Takes quite a while to deprime, resize, reprime, dump powder, seat bullet. It is faster at the range or firefight in reloading the chamber. But for those that do paper cartridges, just about as fast there. Magazine swap versus cylinder. magazine may be a tad faster. Standard smokeless rounds normally won't penetrate a bullet resistant vest either, so about equal there. Smokeless does have a flatter trajectory, but out to 150 yds or so, I wouldn't feel under gunned, although the smoke does give you away. For an untruder in the house I'd prefer it. Even if you did miss, the loud boom, the smell, the fireball flash, he is going to wonder what the hell was that!

May 17, 2015, 09:53 AM	#5
rodwhaincamo Senior Member Join Date: July 7, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 1,246	At my old shooting range I became fairly well known by the staff because I shot BP. It sparked many conversations and plenty of questions. Loading it and handing it to them to try also solidified this relationship which turned out to add favors such as shooting my .50 cal rifle with light loads at a pistol range if I paid for the private booth as they trusted I'd use the light loads as claimed. It also gave me permission to do ballistics testing in the same private booth. Unfortunately we moved before I was able to do either. I always shot at the 15 yd pistol range and typically noticed the guys with their bottom-feeders at 7 yds looked no better. My father tried to interest me for many moons with BP. Wished I would have listened sooner! I cast my own projectiles, make Gatofeo lube for my bullets and wads, cut my own patches, and occasionally make paper pistol cartridges. I'd like to try making percussion caps and knapping flint. It's just too much fun!

May 17, 2015, 06:30 PM	#6
ZVP Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2009 Posts: 1,102	Me too! I discovered BP late in life, while awaiting delevery of my Vaquero during inventory time. The 3 1/2 or so years that I have been dedicated to shooting BP, I have found a totally new and absourbing facet of shooting! So much to read and learn! Remember, they shot the stuff a few hundred years before Smokeless... ZVP

May 17, 2015, 09:28 PM	#7
Jbar4Ranch Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 1999 Location: Near Helena, Montana Posts: 1,719	I buy black powder by the case. __________________ Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets replaced... SASS 47015

May 18, 2015, 09:19 AM	#8
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	I haven't priced out revolvers, but my muzzle loading rifles cost about $.30 a shot to shoot. More expensive than I would have thought. Steve

May 19, 2015, 08:34 AM	#10
maillemaker Senior Member Join Date: August 30, 2010 Posts: 1,635	Fun fact: If you recover your lead using a bullet bucket, you can cut your costs by quite a bit. http://4thla.weebly.com/bullet-bucket.html Steve

May 21, 2015, 02:47 PM	#13
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,840	Nice breakdown Lee. I'm far too lazy to sit down and do all that high math. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

May 23, 2015, 09:01 PM	#14
Lee44ShooterCnB Member Join Date: May 13, 2015 Location: Ga. Posts: 68	Cost no problem ...the engineer in me was showing. Agree with your Latin about the "rights"