• Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Search results

L & R
the hawken shop
Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
  1. N

    How low can you go?

    Reeds is now an indoor range, and they sell no powder at all. Castillos is the guy that is enamored with APP. At least there is someplace I can get caps and such locally.
  2. N

    How low can you go?

    Thank you all for the wealth of good information, I appreciate all of the input! I think I will split up the American Pioneer powder into 50 grain loads and use it for breaking in both me, and the rifle. After the AP has been burnt out, I'll switch to a more suited powder, probably 777 since I...
  3. N

    How low can you go?

    Who knows, but they track everything. It's not worth being classified as a terrorist just to have an extra pound of black powder (or as California calls it, "bomb making materials")
  4. N

    How low can you go?

    Unfortunately, there is only one gun shop in the area that sells black powder rifles and black powder substitute. The guy that owns the shop is absolutely enamored with APP, and refuses to stock anything else. I would love to try Goex, but I have been unable to find any anywhere but on-line...
  5. N

    How low can you go?

    How tight are the balls suppose to be? I've already purchased a .490 mold for the round balls, and some .015 pre lubed patches. Cap and ball pistols are easy, just shave a ring. But I've never dealt with patched balls, so I have no point of reference at all. I don't want to try and jam a...
  6. N

    How low can you go?

    Howdy, I don't post here very often, but I do read a fair bit here. I recently purchased, and completed a Traditions St. Louis Hawking's cap lock rifle kit in 50 cal. This is my first black powder rifle, and I'm itching to take it to the range and try it out. I have been shooting cap and ball...
  7. N

    Squib loads

    That makes sense. Unfortunately, the one mom and pop vendor around here that sells powder is in love with AP. I haven't been overly impressed with it myself. Black Powder isn't very big in this area, only 2 vender's that I've found in 50 miles. I'm fixing to make an order with Powder Valley, so...
  8. N

    Squib loads

    If the AP powder is 20% weaker than standard black powder, then I shouldn't I be safe going to the 30 grains that brings the groups in? Unfortunately, AP is the only locally sold powder. Everything else has to come with that darn $20 hazmat fee.
  9. N

    Squib loads

    Since I get squibs at 20 grains on the Navy, I'll just stick to 25 and maybe let the kids plink. If I want to actually shoot I'll use the '60 Army and 35 grains. Weirdest cylinder I ever fired. Thought I saw the first ball hit the ground 1/2 way to the target (25 yards), and 3 squibs off 1...
  10. N

    Squib loads

    The Confederate series are brass frames. I don't think the powder is the problem, it works great in my steel framed '60 Army at 35 grains. Same powder, same balls, same caps, different grain quantities. 777 works down to 17.5 grains in the Navy, but then agan, it's about 15% hotter than black...
  11. N

    Squib loads

    I just spent 20 minutes writing a full range report just to have it evaporate in a second. I don't feel like typing it again, so... How much powder can I reliably run in an Pietta 1851 .44 Navy Confederate? Cabelas says no more than 25 grains, Pietta says 15 grains max. I get Squib loads at 20...
  12. N

    Steel finishing?

    Wow. That's more than the entire pistol is worth I'd wager. I paid $200 for it new. I did get the alterations that were needed done to the '60, and the finish doesn't look bad at all, 90% of the work is hidden in the hammer channel, and internally. The rest was breaking sharp edges, I don't like...
  13. N

    60/40 tin/lead balls?

    It's starting to sound like 1 lb 60/40 + 10 lb of pure lead should yield a batch of CF lead. I think I'll snag a stray anode and make some ingots. I can always shelf them until my research is complete. Thanks for the good info folks.
  14. N

    60/40 tin/lead balls?

    Yep. The exact mixture is 63% tin, and 37% lead. They are spent plating anodes from our plating tanks. Even tho they are "spent" they are still quite heavy. what is the normal mixture for cartridge lead? Now you folks have me thinking of using it for 30-30 reloading.
  15. N

    60/40 tin/lead balls?

    Found the link, it was $83 delivered.
  16. N

    60/40 tin/lead balls?

    Sure beats what I found, 1/2 pig (50-55lb) for $50ish delivered. Can't find the link atm to check the actual price. I think I'll snag the stray anode that's here, I might figure out a valid use for it eventually. If nothing else I can make sinkers.
  17. N

    60/40 tin/lead balls?

    I learn new things every day. I hadn't considered the way the wad/bullet interact with the rifling in the barrel. I'll just stick to pure lead for bullets for the muzzle loaders then. I was hoping to use the old tin/lead anodes that my company recycles on a regular basis. Thank you for the insight.
  18. N

    60/40 tin/lead balls?

    I'm considering a .50 or .54 long gun in the future, and I was wondering if I would be OK casting balls from 60/40 tin/lead since the ball isn't pressed in like on the pistols. I have a fairly large supply of 60/40 available to me at no cost. When my current supply of .454 balls are spent, I...
  19. N

    Steel finishing?

    I hate computers, and obviously I'm not very good at em either. The difference would be that the "Overly careful" sounded better than "careful" at the time. :v
  20. N

    Steel finishing?

    When I received my '51 Navy confederate, I tore it completely apart. I found several screws that were loose, and a couple nipples were only finger tight. I also found interference between the hammer and the hammer channel. A few minutes with a file, sand paper and finally a stone fixed the Navy...
Back
Top