loading BP Sharps
- Thread starter mackillan
- Start date
What kind of bullets do you wish to shoot, cast, paper patched, or jacketed? Black powder, or Smokeless? Do you wish to shoot silhouette?
Different requirements, for different games.
Lyman has a Cast Bullet Handbook that covers a fair bit on loading and casting bullets.
If you can stand to read him, Mike Venturino has a bunch of info in his books. I ended up with a copy of his Buffalo Rifles book, and it does contain some good load info, and a lot of other good information about feeding a Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, as well as some tips from some winning silhouette shooters.
At the very least, you need a set of reloading dies for each caliber. A Reloading press. A scale. A priming tool. A drop tube, for Black Powder.
A reloading manual or two, both for specific recipes, and for some general information.
For cast bullets, a flaring tool to flare the case mouths to stop the case from shaving chunks off your bullets. Also a compression die, to pack the black powder down, before seating a bullet on it.
A sizer, and a means to lube the bullets. Look at pan lubing, and a Lee Push-through sizer, at the very cheap end of the scale. It goes a long ways up in cost from there. But pan lube will get you going.
A record book, to keep notes in!
Take a look on the castboolits site, for a bunch of good info on being frugal so you can shoot more!
For jacketed bullets and smokeless powder, you need the dies, press, scale, and good loading info. Most of the info in the reloading manuals will be for smokeless powders.
Brass.
Bullets.
Powder.
Primers.
Lube.
That a start?
Cheers
Trev
Different requirements, for different games.
Lyman has a Cast Bullet Handbook that covers a fair bit on loading and casting bullets.
If you can stand to read him, Mike Venturino has a bunch of info in his books. I ended up with a copy of his Buffalo Rifles book, and it does contain some good load info, and a lot of other good information about feeding a Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, as well as some tips from some winning silhouette shooters.
At the very least, you need a set of reloading dies for each caliber. A Reloading press. A scale. A priming tool. A drop tube, for Black Powder.
A reloading manual or two, both for specific recipes, and for some general information.
For cast bullets, a flaring tool to flare the case mouths to stop the case from shaving chunks off your bullets. Also a compression die, to pack the black powder down, before seating a bullet on it.
A sizer, and a means to lube the bullets. Look at pan lubing, and a Lee Push-through sizer, at the very cheap end of the scale. It goes a long ways up in cost from there. But pan lube will get you going.
A record book, to keep notes in!
Take a look on the castboolits site, for a bunch of good info on being frugal so you can shoot more!
For jacketed bullets and smokeless powder, you need the dies, press, scale, and good loading info. Most of the info in the reloading manuals will be for smokeless powders.
Brass.
Bullets.
Powder.
Primers.
Lube.
That a start?
Cheers
Trev
As recommended by trevj; Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th.
Lyman Black Powder Handbook 2nd
Lyman Reloading 49th
Lee Modern Reloading
The Lyman books are around $20 each the Lee is $13
Lee 50th Kit $82
Lee .45/70 dies $23
Lee .40/65 Win dies $23
Lee Case Expander die $10
Lee universal decapper die $8
spoon $1
table or bench $...
bolts to hold down press $4
Tools to cast one type of .45/70 bullet around $75
empty cases
Large Rifle Primers
Lead Bullets
1lb Goex FFg black powder
..or Smokeless powder as recommended in your manual (IMR 4198 etc)
Lyman Black Powder Handbook 2nd
Lyman Reloading 49th
Lee Modern Reloading
The Lyman books are around $20 each the Lee is $13
Lee 50th Kit $82
Lee .45/70 dies $23
Lee .40/65 Win dies $23
Lee Case Expander die $10
Lee universal decapper die $8
spoon $1
table or bench $...
bolts to hold down press $4
Tools to cast one type of .45/70 bullet around $75
empty cases
Large Rifle Primers
Lead Bullets
1lb Goex FFg black powder
..or Smokeless powder as recommended in your manual (IMR 4198 etc)
Thanks boys! I have ordered the books. I had purchased reloading equipment 2 years ago and never used it. Is there any particular equipment that is specific to sharps reloading or black powder? Eg are particular pieces of equipment not used because of static? I have a fair bit of 1 1/2Fg swiss. I have some cast bullets from Ben Hunchak. I have cases from track of the wolf. I have a drop tube from Shiloh. I hope to acquire more bullets when Ben returns in the spring. I have some reloading manuals for smokeless which I will read first. I intend to load 45/70 govt and 40/65 win with metal casings. I will be punching paper.
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
It is said you should not use the traditional powder thrower if you want to dispense charges that way. Lyman I think makes an all brass one that is supposed to be safer for BP. Some people also use a compression die for the powder once it is in the case.
Even though hk33ka1 beat me too it, I type too slow I guess, here is my post.
Do you have a powder compression die? They are cheap from Track of the Wolf, here are the prices for what you need.
