need help with 44 cal muzzleloaded pistol loading

my grandfather in law asked me to find the stuff needed to shoot is Harley-Davidson muzzleloading pistol
I have the caps, the balls, the powder. but I was looking to get some assistance on how much powder I should use

please view this site showing a picture of one: https://ontime.mecum.com/auction/21...black-powder-commemorative-382-of-5000-35249/


the salesman at Cabela's told me to get the Pyrodex RS, but having done the research after getting home (my mistake) I see I should have gotten Pyrodex P (I plan on exchanging it, so lets assume I have P)
the lead balls are Hornady 44 CAL (.454'') lead round balls
caps are CCi No. 11s

so the question is, how much Pyrodex P should I use

the hodgdon manual doesn't mention 44 cal at all, only 40 and 45, and I don't feel like guessing based on running a bit less than 45 cal, although I assume that wouldn't be a bad way of figuring it out

any help you folks could provide would be greatly appreciated
thanks
-E

You would be safe with 25 grains til you learn more. I have an 1858 that I use 20-25 with round ball for plinking, and 30 grains with a cast bullet for hunting or carrying.

Your 44 calibre single shot will use .430” ball with a cloth patch. The .454” ball are for a revolver and won’t fit. Your pistol will load like a rifle so anything about loading it would be like a rifle except about 25 grains of powder.

You most likely won't find .430 balls at Cabelas, go for the .440s, they will work in your pistol. Do you have a cleaning jag, if not get one. Old T-shirts make good cleaning patches. Are your patches pre-lubed, if not use a non petrolium oil or a wet lube like Dawn and water.

Well now there’s something I never would have associated together: muzzleloading black powder pistol and Harley Davidson. Thanks for sharing this…oddity?

And don’t trust salespeople at big box gun shops. Bring a knowledgeable friend. Went to one years ago, wanted to examine an unmentionable shotgun. The clerk said he would need to get someone else, he wasn’t allowed to touch firearms!

It's possible that Cabelas won't take your powder back even though you bought it on their recommendation. If so, the RS will work, just not as well.

Find a muzzleloading club in your area. They can help.

Just checked my 44 single shot pistol, a .440” ball sets on the muzzle. With a thin patch it would be hard to get down the barrel. I use .429” ball and a thin patch in it.

you can shoot that RS powder in the pistol just fine

You can't take the pyrodex powder back, but not to worry; it will be fine in your pistol.
The issue you'll have is the balls are to big. Take them back, see if they have round ball in something around .400 or .430". Your not trying for match accuracy I'm guessing, you seem to want it to go boom and please your Grandpa.

You'll need something to measure the powder with.
An empty 38 Special, 357 magnum, or 45 Colt Automatic cartridge holds approximately 25 grains to 28 grs of black powder. That will do fine.
Use soft cloth for patching. This keeps the ball from rolling out the barrel after loading, and helps with accuracy. Lightly moisten it, not soaking or it will spoil the powder in barrel.

Run a dry patch thru the barrel to get grease and crud out first, then snap a few caps on the nipple. See if it'll blow a leaf or patch material around. This checks to see you have a clear firing channel.

Most use a towel or blanket on a tailgate or bench to load it on. Place the pistol facing muzzle up, buttdown, and place the lock on half cock.
Pour powder down the barrel, then center the patch on the bore. Place ball in the center and using steady pressure push the ball to the breach. Tap the ramrod a few times to be sure it's seated properly.

Point downrange, place a cap on the nipple and touch it off.

You'll have to clean it after you're through shooting.

If you can't find the right size balls at the store, try www.trackofthewolf.com.
You can get a few balls of the correct size. If the barrel is marked 44 caliber, you'll need a ball smaller than .435", .433" preferred.

Eterry said:

If you can't find the right size balls at the store, try www.trackofthewolf.com.
You can get a few balls of the correct size. If the barrel is marked 44 caliber, you'll need a ball smaller than .435", .433" preferred.

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I'm not sure I can find the slightly undersized balls locally. still doing some looking. are the .454 balls completely unusable in my pistol and I'm SOL? I've heard of people using slightly oversized balls and letting the excess be cut off and making a seal that way, avoiding the need for a patch. although I think that was on one of those navy revolvers. that would not work in my case?

DS8U - This is a new one for me - "Harley-Davidson muzzleloading pistol" - never heard of one. I'd LOVE to see a picture of it.

ZUG said:

DS8U - This is a new one for me - "Harley-Davidson muzzleloading pistol" - never heard of one. I'd LOVE to see a picture of it.

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I have seen a few and they are no big whoop. Made sometime in the 80's.
Some engraving on the lock and side plate.
They call it a Kentucky Pistol, but looks more like a Pennsylvania style to me but even that ain't completely right.

Made by Pedersoli I think.

Thanks, Cynthialee -- I just had to see a picture of it. I did a Google Search on it and did see a picture of it with its wooden case and flask. Not something that I would pay their asking price for, but some will. As a retired HD Dyna super glide rider of many years, I had my fun!

DS8U said:

I'm not sure I can find the slightly undersized balls locally. still doing some looking. are the .454 balls completely unusable in my pistol and I'm SOL? I've heard of people using slightly oversized balls and letting the excess be cut off and making a seal that way, avoiding the need for a patch. although I think that was on one of those navy revolvers. that would not work in my case?

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It will be almost impossible to pound an oversize ball down a rifled bore fourteen thousands oversize. Revolvers are designed to use an oversize bullet, but in a short smooth cylinder, not 8 inches plus of rifled barrel.
And worse, if you can't pound it all the way onto the powder, the gap can create a deadly detonation.

So, take the round balls from whence they came, and get the correct ball.
A smaller ball can be used in a pinch, but not a larger one.

What they sold you are round balls for a 44 revolver, which uses an over size ball to load in a smooth short cylinder, to seal the chamber.
The .454 RB cannot be used in a 44 pistol. See if they'll exchange them, find someone who shoots a 44 revolver and sell or trade them for the right size.

If I owned a 44 pistol I'd send you a few RBs to make your granddad pistol go bang.

I agree the 454 is suited for revolvers. It does sound like you need a smaller ball with a thin patch. There have been several mentions of a smaller ball like a 430 or a 440 along with a thin patch. The material that pockets are made of in old blue jeans is fine and thin and usually cotton. I just thought I'd bring it to your attention.

DS8U said:

my grandfather in law asked me to find the stuff needed to shoot is Harley-Davidson muzzleloading pistol
I have the caps, the balls, the powder. but I was looking to get some assistance on how much powder I should use

please view this site showing a picture of one: https://ontime.mecum.com/auction/21...black-powder-commemorative-382-of-5000-35249/


the salesman at Cabela's told me to get the Pyrodex RS, but having done the research after getting home (my mistake) I see I should have gotten Pyrodex P (I plan on exchanging it, so lets assume I have P)
the lead balls are Hornady 44 CAL (.454'') lead round balls
caps are CCi No. 11s

so the question is, how much Pyrodex P should I use

the hodgdon manual doesn't mention 44 cal at all, only 40 and 45, and I don't feel like guessing based on running a bit less than 45 cal, although I assume that wouldn't be a bad way of figuring it out

any help you folks could provide would be greatly appreciated
thanks
-E

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I've got a .50 cva single shot. Just found my powder. Soon to find .490 balls. Found powder: 777 fffg. Any thoughts beyond that? Thank you!