75 cal brown bess loadouts

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I am new to black powder shooting so there is a few questions I have about it for you guys.
i just bought a 75 cal matchlock musket. i believe this is the same cal as the brown bess.

i was just wondering what type of loads you guys are using? how much powder and brands of powder and size of ball(ball mould?). also how you set your powder and ball in the barrel to keep the ball from sliding out?

any help i would appreciate it.

Trevor
 
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Paper cartridges keep the ball firmly atop the powder, I think thats the simplest path for you to follow.

Goex black powder ffg, 69-70 cal lead roundball and your shooting, a good rough frame of reference is powder amount = the ball size 69 cal atop 60-70 grains of ffg.

lets see photos of the matchlock!!!
 
I don't have a Brown Bess, but I'm involved with groups that shoot them.
I have a Lee .690 round ball mould, and a Pedersoli .715 round ball mould.
Depending on our source of lead, we start shooting the .715, and when the bore starts getting cruddy, switch to the .690 ball.
The Brown Bess is a flintlock, but you state a matchlock. Could you confirm which you have?
 
I will for sure take pics as soon as I get it. I ordered it the other day from a place in Canada so shipping should be fast but then I read they ship out muskets wendsdays and thrusdays so it probably wont be here till the week after next.

it is a matchlock. I'm just comparing to the brown bess because of the .75 cal barrel and I am sure there is more people who shoot them then matchlocks.
 
Another good place to look for information is the muzzleloadingforum.com site. They have a section that covers early firearms, including matchlocks et al. Here in UK, where the Sealed Knot re-enactment organisation is VERY large, most shoot matchlocks, although officers also have the occasional wheellock pistol.

This is from Youtube - also a .75cal like yours - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiI_b88sr1k

tac
 
Go buy a copy of the Lyman BP Handbook and Reloading Guide. I think there are matchlock loads in it. Absolutely unsure though. No Internet at home these days. Otherwise, one of the re-enactor group sites(English Civil War, 30 Years War) will likely have data.
 
Go buy a copy of the Lyman BP Handbook and Reloading Guide. I think there are matchlock loads in it. Absolutely unsure though. No Internet at home these days. Otherwise, one of the re-enactor group sites(English Civil War, 30 Years War) will likely have data.

Look up 'The Sealed Knot' Society, as noted in post #6.

tac
 
Would love to see pics, do you mind me asking who you purchased it from?

I use a .735 round ball patched with either cloth or shop towels currently. Going to start using denim patches though as per some members on here.

I use 75 grains of Goex 2F black powder and 3F in the flash pan. My gun mics between .752 and .755 at the muzzle.

Here's a video of me using that load:

[youtube]ISO0h3i30DM[/youtube]
 
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I will for sure take pics as soon as I get it. I ordered it the other day from a place in Canada so shipping should be fast but then I read they ship out muskets wendsdays and thrusdays so it probably wont be here till the week after next.

it is a matchlock. I'm just comparing to the brown bess because of the .75 cal barrel and I am sure there is more people who shoot them then matchlocks.



I have always loved the look of the Loyalist arms matchlock with the tiller style trigger.
 
I seen that one but its just not finished any were near the military heritage one. or at least we will find out once it arrives.

 
I will have to check it out.
one of the movies that got me interested was Matthew Hopkins the witch finder general. it was just neat to see them. I wanted to get the dog lock pistol they use in the movie but the darn things are restricted. I am getting rid of restricted guns right now not getting more.
how can the government justify restricting a firearm that is 400 years old technology?
 
I don't know anything about military heritage but I have had nothing but good experience with loyalist arms.

The indian guns may be a little on the crude side but I proof loaded mine with 150 grains of 2F 3 times in a row measuring it and it never changed.

I have fired the gun 25 times now with round ball and shot loads and it works great. The frizzen produces great sparks every time, the lock work is pretty smooth and fast and the springs are strong "likely a little too strong actually".

I'm going to purchase a 1777 charleville next from them, no regrets.

India made, depending on the supplier.. a very good bang for your buck. I would love to have a collection of pedersoli's but I'd rather spend those big chunks of money on true antique arms ect. and buy the functional safe shooters for half the price.
 
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I mite take the plunge with a Indian made trade gun in the near future I getting sick of all the BS lately and kind of want to go with all antiques. plus id feel bad cutting down a pedersoli
 
Are you supposed to use a Bic lighter or rub sticks together??? Those look like a lot of fun, I just got a 54 cal and can only imagine what a 75 cal is like.
 
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