Getting ready to shoot! Which cap and powder?

[Texas275]

I got my 70's Sears and Roebuck .45 Kentucky rifle kit put together, and am gathering my stuff to try it out. Went to a Gander Mountain, and Academy yesterday but they had nothing for the .45, so I went home and ordered the following.

Hornaday 440 round balls
.10 lubed patches
powder measure
Durlin ramrod
short starter
all of the tips I will need for the ram rod.

Academy had NO bp stuff at all, but Gander had #10 caps. I have seen mentions of the 10 and 11 caps on the forum, but I don’t know which one I need, if it matters. So which cap?

The powder at Gander had was American Pioneer Powder in FFFG. Is that what I need or do I need something else?

I’ve got a Bass Pro close and I haven’t been by there yet to see what they have, but when I know what I need I'll check it out.

Thanks in advance for the help and advice.

 

[rodwha]

Do you have a powder flask as well? I suppose you could fill a measure from the can, but it would be easier and less likely to spill if you had a flask.

My rifle (Lyman's) has worked fine with Rem #11 and #10's, as well as CCI #11 mags. I'm not sure if it's as big of a deal with a rifle. It's not with mine.

Some like APP powder. Many don't. If it's all you can get than it's what you may need to do for now. If you can buy a few pounds or more it might do you well to check out some places online. 3F should be what you'll want.
http://www.grafs.com/
http://www.powderinc.com/

I'm not certain, but I'd guess those patches may be a little thin.

 

[BrownBear]

I'll give you 2:1 that those .010 patches turn out to be too thin for best accuracy. A thicker version is likely to be better, but it's not a 100% certainty.

The first thing I'd add to your list is a supply of .015 and .018 patches, along with the intent to try them as well as your .010's.

 

[Texas275]

Will do on the patches. 10 or 11 caps should work.

I'm sure I can find other powders somewhere around Dallas but should I use 2F,or 3F, or something else. I truly have no idea.

 

[rodwha]

I'm not certain about any size car working, but the different sizes I've tried all worked well.

You'll want 3F powder for a .45 cal.

 

[gunmaker43]

Cap fit is what's important. It has to sit ALL the way down on the nipple, so the hammer can strike it hard. Some #10's won't fit down tight & the gun will misfire the 1st hammer fall, then fire as the cap has been flattened down tight. good luck & good shooting. Tom

 

[rodwha]

I went through a time finding the caps that worked on my pistol! My rifle ate them all with no problem.

You can use 2F in your rifle, but 3F is preferable. It'll burn more efficiently, cleanly, and give a higher velocity. 2F is meant for .50 cal or larger, though many people use 3F in calibers of .54 or even larger.

Here in SA I couldn't find the powder I wanted locally for several months and had to look online. I found that if I bought 3 lbs of powder through Grafs it made the hazmat fee worthwhile.

 

[bpd303]

Anywhere you go you have to ask for real black powder. By law it is not kept on the shelves, but in a powder magazine. Some Bass pro shops keep it some don't.

 

[Texas275]

I'll see what bass pro has. I know of a couple of 40+ year old gun shops around here as well. Im thinking one of them would have it.

 

[rodwha]

I went back and reread your thread when putting this rifle together. I noticed it was mentioned that this rifle may work better with a smaller ball. If so the .010" patch may indeed work well.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/1313869/

I'd try that 0.010" patch before I bought any others.

How it fits and shoots is up to you. The tighter the fit generally the better the accuracy to a point. But this will also require that short starter to seat the ball. Some people prefer it loose enough that a hard push of the thumb is all that's needed so as not to need to carry more stuff afield.

 

[rodwha]

Is your short starter wooden? If so I was given a great idea from another fellow to drill a shallow hole into it to use as a palm saver.

 

[Texas275]

I ordered a short starter but patches are cheap so I'll buy some other sizes in case I need them. I'll get a flask as well. Makes sense.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I'll see what bass pro has. I know of a couple of 40+ year old gun shops around here as well. Im thinking one of them would have it.

Yes, but not all employees know they have real bp. And many do not know the difference. You have to ask and be specific. Yes, I know....

 

[glw]

FWIW, I have two tins of caps - both #11. One is CCI brand and the other Winchester.

The CCI's are too small to work well on my .45 rifle but work great on my Pietta cap-and-ball revolver (which actually calls for #10 caps).

The Winchesters work great on the rifle and are too loose on the pistol. (although I can pinch them and make them stay on - it still fires fine that way).

 

[rodwha]

Strange. The Winchesters are just rebranded CCI's from what I understand.

 

[cowpoke1955]

As mentioned, the .010 patches are too thin. Get some .015 to .018 patches. I use #11 caps on all my rifles. At Bass Pro Shop, ask for some FFFg Goex. If they don't have any real black powder get some Pyrodex "P". Here are some places you can order black powder online, http://www.powderinc.com/ , http://www.grafs.com/ , http://www.jackspowderkeg.com/ and http://mainepowderhouse.com/ . You should also get a horn, nothing fancy. Never load directly from a horn or flask! Always use the powder measure. A .45 is a sweet caliber you can hunt small game with and large game up to deer size. Good luck and have fun :thumbsup:

 

[Texas275]

The short starter I ordered is made out of wood, so it is an option.

Went to Bass Pro and they were out of caps. They said they didn't have any black powder either, but they did have Pyrodex, 777, and the American Pioneer Powder. One of my older gun shops didn't have either one. So far today I'm 0 for 2. Just orderd me a powder horn as well as .15 and .18 lubed patches from The Possible Shop, so I'm good there.

I'll keep looking, I cant do anything until my orders get here.

 

[Snakebite]

If they don't have any real black powder get some Pyrodex "P".

I've never used Pyrodex or really know much about it, but I thought "P" was for pistols. Don't they have "R" or "RS" for rifle? Not trying to sharpshoot anyone, just asking.

 

[rodwha]

P is for pistol, and RS is for rifle/shotgun. But P is 3F and RS is 2F. For a .45 cal rifle 3F is preferable.

I had to buy my caps from Cabela's online, and soon after they were cleaned out. Caps seems very hard to find.

I've been told they should be back in stock come Fall... When during Fall I don't know, but they aren't on the shelves yet.

 

[Cowboy2]

Pyrodex is just as bad as bp in terms of cleanup and corrosiveness (maybe worse). Triple Seven is good stuff, and cleanup is a breeze.

In case no one has mentioned it, you want to remove all oil from the bore before shooting. Run a patch or two soaked in alcohol before heading to the range.