black powder cartridge rifles

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quaticman

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Westport, ON
Any one here loading and shooting black powder cartridge rifles? I have a Pedersoli 1874 Sharps chambered in 45/2.4" (45/90) and it is a lot of fun to reload and shoot. I'm just wondering what firearms other people might have, if you shoot competitively, whether you load black or smokeless and what bullets you use.
 
I load 577 and 577-450 with BP

Have also loaded cases for 32RF and 11mm again using BP and the French hand loading kits

I did up about 50 rounds of 44 special using trail boss for a Colt SAA but never got around to shooting any of them before I sold the revolver.

Currently, I am playing with reloading 56-50 Spencer RF using the re-loadable cases from DGW.

None of this is competitive though...I just try and make them go boom safely!
 
I load .45 Colt with 3Fg under a 260 grain LRN (soft cast) in an SAA replica; .45-70 with 55 gr (with filler) 2F under a 405 - 450 grain boolit in my Marlin (surprisingly accurate!); and .45-90 WCF in my 1886 although I haven't dialed in an ideal load on that one yet (bore is not good it'll take some time, which I don't have). I have loaded .32 RF in black as well.

I brought out the .45 Colt a couple of years ago at one of our informal steel matches, in a deeply bermed pit. The first shot I knocked the popper down, after a couple more the smoke was so thick I couldn't see the rest of the poppers and was just guessing, I think I shot 2/5 down. I can only imagine what the old battlefields looked like in the thick of it!

I also note that a full charge of BP in my SAA is brutal on the hands - far worse than light "cowboy" type loads. I use cornmeal filler to load it down and it becomes fun again.

I use a drop tube and (usually) over powder cards on rifle cartridges but for the .45 Colt I just compress with the Boolit and shoot. Works fine. I use a simple lube of roughly 50/50 beeswax and olive oil. I lube the whole gun with olive oil for this which actually works fine with smokeless too (so I don't have to switch all the time). The only thing I do notice is that olive oil alone doesn't protect over the long term, so if you're planning on putting it away for a few months or longer, do oil it with something better.
 
I have a Mauser Model 71 single shot,in 11X60R or 43 Mauser as I guess most people call them, that has been in our family for many years.I was gearing up to cast my own bullets away back when but got sidetracked one way or the other.I ended up buying several hundred 350+/- grain cast bullets from an individual out west to feed it with and have been slowly using them up over the years.I managed to get my hands on several boxes of Dominion ammo when it was still not super pricey stuff as well as several boxes of new old stock CIL brass cases and these have been my primary source to keep the old girl going.I also have some Brass Extrusion Laboratories brass as well.

I have never loaded any of these rounds with black powder,I have always used the faster burning smokeless powders up to IMR 3031 with decent results.I use data for the 45-70 cartridge that is specific to older rifles only as a guide when doing up loads.The rifle is a lot of fun to shoot,still has a very good bore and I can usually hit pretty close to my point of aim on most days.I did use up an ancient box of Remington rounds loaded with blackpowder that were an absolute hoot to fire off,I loved the cloud of smoke that they produced.One of my all time favourite guns in the herd,no doubt about that.
 
I recently got a Uberti 1866 Yellow Boy in .44-40 that I'll be using primarily with black powder loads for a more period correct cowboy action shooting. It's going to be paired up with an older Belgium double hammer sidelock shotgun as well. The shotgun will be shooting full brass Magtech casings with black powder and felt wads.

At some point I'm going to have a go at using BP loads in my old rolling block chambered in .38-55 as well. If they prove to be pretty accurate, and all the write ups suggest this is so, I'll be using it for the SASS long range side matches and general fun plinking days.
 
I have a Shiloh Sharps in 45/70 and a Cimmaron /Uberti 1876 Winchester carbine in 45/60 I load BP in.In fact I took this buck last November with the
76 carbine
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If you need brass, there is a guy stateside that forms CBC stuff. He is well regarded. Not sure re shipping to Canada but you could ask him

h t t p://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/16005/577450-MH-and-577-Snider-Unprimed-Cases?page=1#.VKsU6SvF98E
 
I reload more BP than I do smokeless. 43 Mausser, 45-70 highwall, 45 colt, 12g shotgun, .577 Snider, and just for fun the old 303 has spit some smoke
 
I load and shoot a 1887 .577-450 martini Henry. Had trouble finding brass for a while but solved that problem by resizing Magtech full length shotgun brass. I still paper patch and use a bees wax /lard mix lube and cardboard wafer behind the cast bullet.
 
If this is the fellow on the west coast, yes he does ship to Canada and he is a very good person to deal with. He reforms Magtech shotgun brass. I use and like it - especially the price.

CMichaud said:
If you need brass, there is a guy stateside that forms CBC stuff. He is well regarded. Not sure re shipping to Canada but you could ask him

h t t p://britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com/topic/16005/577450-MH-and-577-Snider-Unprimed-Cases?page=1#.VKsU6SvF98E
Click to expand...
 
Did a trade with a buddy and somehow ended up with a Chiappa Creedmoor in 45/70

Gathered all the supplies to load for it now just need some time.
Between minimal days off and the never ending rain last year it remains unfired. :redface:

guns002_zps1d51833b.jpg
 
Have a few,.577 Snider Cadet, .41 Swiss Vetterli and my newest, a 50-70 Swedish rolling block..Once you start casting your own bullets and reloading your own rounds, the world of Black Power cartridge shooting opens up. You can Take a Firearm that may have not been shot in 80 years and make it come to life. Just do it safely and have every gun checked out for safety sake.
 
I shoot Sniders Martini Henerys, black powder cartridge shotguns , and just sold a few 47/70's
i also shoot 38/55 High Wall and 8.15x46R Haenl shuetzen rifles
Cat
 
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