black powder reloading

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danyboy

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I have a question: I only have smokeless powder reloading experience and I want to reload with black powder for my Mauser 71/84. How much more precautions will I have to take, do I really need to worry about static like plastic funnel or scoops. Is it that much more dangerous to use than smokeless ?
danyboy
 
I reload thousands of B.P. rounds per year and have never had any trouble with using plastic funnels etc.....I do believe you must avoid causing sparks by using a B.P. Powder measure and copper or brass for your pans, drop tubes, etc. An alum. or brass funnel would probably be better.....Just as important is to make sure you have no air space in loaded round as this can damage your gun, thus the reason for use of the drop tube! I can provide full loading procedure if you like!
 
danyboy: black powder ctg. is as good as it gets....Here goes...... using an empty case and your bullet of choice(soft cast)...determine ctg. overall length by seating bullet in the case with just enough give that the bullet will move but not easily.....seat it well out....then chamber round so that the bullet seats itself down into case when it hits the barrel lands....write down the Oal.!!!! Fashion a drop tube out of 3/8" tubing 3-4 ft. long with a funnel at the top.....experiment throwing charges of diff. weights so that it fills the case up to where your wad and bullet seat on top of powder snugly...no air space....no crushed grains of powder!!!! you're good to go!!! P.S. the diff. levels of powder in the case are best measured for depth with the bottom end of a vernier, it will equal the bullet seating measurement at the other end of the vernier!! Confused? I think I am!!!
 
BP reload

Thanks,
I never used wads for I always filled the air space with cotton wab. Measuring OAL is a good idea and I like your drop tube, I'll make one up with copper tubing. Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks,
danyboy
 
Filler wads are more for use with smokeless...for black you are just trying to protect the bullet base....you want to put in as much powder as possible without crushing it......Veg. fibre wads, soft cast bullets, BP lube are all avail. in Canada from M.T.Chambers Supply......including Paper patch, target designs from the 1800s, etc.
 
BP reloading

I searched for M.T.Chambers Supply on Canada411 and couldn't find it. Would you have a phone number ?
danyboy
 
One thing I forgot to mention re: drop tube.....you have to pour the powder into the funnel slowly....it should take 30 seconds to throw each charge!! If this all sounds like alot of work try this.....pour say 60grs. of black into a case directly from pan or powder measure...see how far from the case mouth it comes up to...then empty case and throw same charge slowly with drop tube.....you will see that you have gained alot of case capacity!!!
 
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