Bullet boards/loading blocks.

Do any of you guys use loading blocks/bullet boards? What wood works for you? Maple, oak, hickory, walnut, or what? I plan on making one or ordering one, but was wondering what you folks think are better.

I've seen several originals a couple years ago. I posted a link to the Tom Wnuck auction that has these on there. There's a few ball starters and various powder and shot measures on there as well. Look through the whole auction, its worth it. It has also helped me and others to document a few things we were unsure about.

Pare-

 

[musketman]

Sure, we use them here as well...

Bob1961 has just made a few from poplar, as seen below:

I have one in maple, (rather used ebony, but $$$)

Claude has posted a picture on his before, maybe he'll repost it for us again...

 

[Claude Mathis]

 

[bob1961]

:RO: hey nice pic.....ya beat me to it................bob

 

Sorry Pare, but auction house discriptions and the claims of a seller are not documentation. Not even Southerbys or Christy's. Espically not internet auctions.

There are some loading blocks and short starters in the Vally Forge Museum that the "experts" are still arguing over since they were not found with their shooting bags or the origional rifles. You can positively date wood to the year it was cut, but no one has gone to that trouble with a loading block or short starter yet. Then, someone would just argue that the piece was made from an old scrap that was already 200 years old.

They have no real historic documentation, but they are still a good idea and I use them constantly. A loading block with a coned muzzle, and no need for a short starter, is a really fast reload.

 

I see your point. I just don't see why people would want to lie about the date on an object or who owned it. Who can we rely on then?

I have seen Southeastern Indian beaded items that have came from those auctions and have agreed that they are what they say they are. Most of these designs on SE beadwork represent floral and geometric designs which we can identify as either Seminole or Creek. I do trust their judgement to a certain point. But they have been wrong in the past. One "expert" from Sotheby's identified a decorated red wool strip as a "Seminole cradle cover", when actually it was a breechcloth! LOL

Pare-

 

[tg]

I have several loading blocks, I carry one while hunting at times but usually just grab a loose ball and patch from my bag,as I shoot a loose combo that loads easily. I have not been able to find firm documentation for these in the 1760-1780 period, common sense and logic says they would have been used but it would be nice to find some that are "dated" to confirm.

 

I frequent sites where some of the people will freeze their feet on a regular basis due to lack of documentation for putting on an extra pair of socks!!! :youcrazy:

I have come to the conclusion that their ancestors were not bright enough to invent a loading block, so they shouldn't use one!

I have met all of my ancestors back to 1865 and they were smart, long lived, people. They wore enough socks to stay warm and were bright enough to put a patched ball into a hole in a board.

If the administrator of a site asks me to remove a loading block from my gear I would probably do so and not make a stink over it.

When I'm hunting I like to have every advantage, and a loading block helps my speed.

Out trekking, I'm not going to be with the kind of buddies that would give a rip about a loading board, or two pairs of socks. Historically correct? As much as possible. More than anything, in a time warp groove where a loading block wouldn't matter.

 

[musketman]

Out trekking, I'm not going to be with the kind of buddies that would give a rip about a loading board, or two pairs of socks.

As long as you are historically correct on the OUTSIDE, they don't need to know about the underlining layers... :haha:

 

[roundball]

My sentiments excatly MM...I'm thinking about building loading blocks that are 8" deep...
(so people won't see that I have TC 4-N-1 Quick Shots mounted in side)

:blah: :blah: :blah: :blah: :blah:

 

[B.Habermehl]

Nearly any hardwood would work. Made a mess of them out of oak pallet top boards. They were a handy 5/8" thick. Make your drill from a cheap speed bore bit. By fileing down the sides of the "Spade". Example for .50 cal file the bit down to around .520 or so. Use a 9/16 bit (.562) for a "victim". It's not that hard. Then test drill and check for fit. When I was making a bunch of them I set up my drillpress with a wooden work table and a fence some pencil marks for spacing and away we go. You must drill only part way through then flip the board and drill from back side to finish so you don't splinter the off side. I do the chamfers with a round grinder stone in the drill press.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I have used walnut, maple, cherry, pine and purpleheart. The walnut, maple and cherry worked out the best. The purpleheart looks best and allows the thinnest walls, but was hard to work and tends to "grab" the patchknife and pull out splinters (I think because it is so narrow - mine is five .54 balls in a row and just over 1-1/4" wide). Pine blocks have a tendency to get loose after a lot of shooting - or snap into pieces if they are too tight to begin with.

 

[wurzburger]

I found some nice walnut and teak serving trays in the kitchen section of the local thrift stores - 5/8 inch thick and just right for bullet boards. For a couple weeks have been mulling over how to drill holes for .50cal and up.
Thanks for the tip of "sacrificing" a spade bit by grinding down to the size needed. :master:

 

[bob1961]

my .50 cal blocks where drilled with a 1/2" forsner bit and then sanded with sand paper around a pencil for the fit i needed...........................bob

 

[B.Habermehl]

Those spade or speed bore bits are plenty soft enough to file. You don't have to grind them. A file will allow more comtrol. Just count strokes on each side and measure. This method is a heck of a lot more predictable. :imo: