Blank load

[hawkchucker]

Ok gotta do a demo for the scouts saturday and they are only allowing me to make noise, and smoke. I have never shot a blank load in my gun. What will make the safest wadding to use. Since it is on private land i really dont want to use anything that will smolder downrange.

Any Sugg?

 

[No Deer]

No wad is necessary, just keep your muzzle elevated. You can get a big bang with just powder poured down the barrel. One of the reenacting groups I have participated with requires no more than one grain/cal of your gun, for example, .50 cal would use 50 grains. If you want a lot of smoke and noise, you would be safe in using 80-90 grains with no problem. Just pour it down, bang your hand against the side of the breech to make sure it all went down and to get it near the touchhole/nipple and prime/cap and fire. Will impress the kids.

 

[Berk]

At the scout camp here they do a 3 gun saluteduring the flag lowering ceramoney. They load their guns with a powder charge and a cotton ball. The cotton ball if tamped down good will give resistance ond make it go boom instead of woosh. The cotton ball disinagrates upon leaving the muzzle. Seems to work pretty good.

Berk


PS still keep muzzel elevated to be on the safe side just in case.

 

[vautrain]

They load their guns with a powder charge and a cotton ball.

As another poster said in another thread, make sure the cotton ball is 100% cotton, and does not contain any synthetic fibers. Otherwise, you may have trouble cleaning your firearm.

 

[vradin]

I use 75gr pyrodex with an overshot wad to hold the powder in place. Tamp it down gently but firmly. As others have said, keep muzzle up, and because of the wadding you MUST watch direction just in case. Have not had a wad burn or smolder.

Plenty loud boom, lots of smoke and flash.

 

[Okwaho]

I have been demonstrating muzzle loading shooting at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris Tennessee for about 20 years at the homecoming which is a 4 day event. I have also done this for the NPS on open grass.I have concluded that the best procedure is to do every thing you would if you were using real bullets except that you make up bullets from aluminum foil as large as you can shove down the barrel.There are several advantages to an aluminum foil bullet: it looks like a round ball,it loads like a round ball,and with a fairly large one shoved down tightly on the powder it sounds like a real bullet and last but certainly not least,it DOES NOT leave the barrel burning.It will shred and the pieces will only travel about 15-20 feet.I shoot .62 cal. guns and load about 60 grains or a little more for more bang.A word of caution, keep the kids back of your shooting area and they will be more impressed if you dress out and show the horn,axe,knife,and all the other goodies.What ever you do DO NOT let any of them shoot the gun.We have a fellow locally who does that and such actions can be disastrous.Incidentally these demonstrations are the ONLY time I wear my 18th century backwoods white man's gear.I never said I didn't have it,I just don't care to use it.Also be prepared for questions of all sorts.
Good luck
Tom Patton
:hatsoff: :thumbsup:

 

[Black Hand]

Load powder and use toilet paper or paper towel for wadding. Get it in there good and tight.
Black Hand

 

[hawkchucker]

Hey thanks to all, but Toms with the tin foil seems to be the winner :bow: It is still amazing how much info i have Gleened from you guys!!!