New gun New Ideas - Help?

[Old Ironsights]

Roy is finishing up my Howda (YAY!) and given how it is to operate, I'm looking to make paper cartridges for it.

Here's the skinny:

.73 bore, Percussion, 50gr resonable max cartridge load.

What paper should I use? What Ball? I'm looking to do the old "Tear, Pour, Stuff Paper, Stuff paper wrapped ball, Cap, Shoot" routine.

Right now I only have a .690 mould for shooting with a heavy cloth patch.

 

[musketman]

I moved the thread to Smoothbore because there are many shooters here that use paper cartridges...

I would up the ball size to .715, but the .690 will still work fine...

Here is one way to make them...

The web site below has very good instruction...
[url] http://www.17thmicoe.org/Paper Cartridges.htm[/url]

 

[Old Ironsights]

Thanks Muchly! :hatsoff:

 

[TN.Frank]

For a 73 cal. 50grs sounds like it's on the light side to me. I'd run at least 1gr./caliber so a 70gr. charge would probably be closer to a standard charge then 50. I've read on here where some guys are using up to 120grs. in there Brown Bess with a round ball. Main thing is to see how it shoots and work your way to an accurate load. Good luck, I'll be having the same questions in another couple weeks after I pay off my Cumberland Fowler, it's a 75 cal and I plan on using 80grs(my standard 50cal rifle load) in it as a starting point but then I'll be using a patched round ball, not paper ctgs. Keep us updated on how it works out. :winking:

 

[Old Ironsights]

Um... this is in a 9" double Howda Pistol. :youcrazy: Methinks 73gr of powder might cause some undue pain. :shocked2:

The barrels mic out at .723, so with my .690 ball I'll have to make up .033+ for a good fit - especially if I don't want charge #2 to jump seat.

I'm not so sure paper can make that up.

Whaddaya guys think? Bigger Mould?

 

[Roy]

aw come on I'd like to see someone touch it off with 120 grains :rotf:

It sure will not be me. :v

 

[Old Ironsights]

aw come on I'd like to see someone touch it off with 120 grains :rotf:

I think that, in this case, I will not follow the advice of the Maker... :blah:

It sure will not be me. :v

I may like monster pistols (My .454 loads were over 2200 ftlbs ME :shocked2: ) but even I have limits. :grin:

 

[Roy]

I think that, in this case, I will not follow the advice of the Maker... :blah:

That would not be my advice just one of those "hey ya'll watch this" deals

:hmm: I wonder how well a persons hand would work attached to their elbow? :shocked2:

 

[TN.Frank]

LOL, gee, that's funny, didn't see the word "PISTOL" or "HANDGUN" anywhere in the original post. Still, my Colt Walker used 60grs of 3Fg and wasn't that bad. I think a 70gr charge would be reasonable. I've used 45-50grs in 50cal pistols before without any undue recoil. Use what load you like, just remember to add the word "Handgun" or "Pistol" to the thread next time so those of us that just got up can clue in on what's goin on. :blah: :winking:

 

[Old Ironsights]

LOL, gee, that's funny, didn't see the word "PISTOL" or "HANDGUN" anywhere in the original post. Still, my Colt Walker used 60grs of 3Fg and wasn't that bad. I think a 70gr charge would be reasonable. I've used 45-50grs in 50cal pistols before without any undue recoil. Use what load you like, just remember to add the word "Handgun" or "Pistol" to the thread next time so those of us that just got up can clue in on what's goin on. :blah: :winking:

Well... I did say "Howda"... which is, by definition, a pistol - all be it a repressively large one for shooting Tigers. :rotf: :blah:

 

[TN.Frank]

:v

 

[Rebel]

Try those .690 rd balls with a blue jean denim patch. That was a tight load in my Bess. You can get denim in different thicknesses.

 

[marmot]

Howdah 'bout a picture of this beast? Howdah pistols have always fascinated me... something Ross Seyfried wrote a while back about using them for "scraping tigers off your elephant..."

Back to your original question on cartridges... I have had good luck using newsprint to wrap .69 balls for my .75 Brown bess - several wraps make it snug, then dip in beeswax (makes the cartridge water resistant also)- newspaper seems to compress a bit and give me a snug fit, but it isn't a double barrel, so I don't know where the other load might go. Perhaps try it, and then drop the ramrod on the second barrel to see if it is staying in place?

 

[Roy]

I'll post a pic tomorrow, just letting one last coat of finish to dry. :v

 

[Tommy Bruce]

Unless your swabbing after every shot You'll want a little looser fit with your round ball. I ended up going with a .690 round ball in my Pedersoli Bess because the larger roundballs wouldn't go down after a couple of shots with paper cartridges. I use plain copy paper for my cartridges and it seems to work ok.

 

[Old Ironsights]

Back to your original question on cartridges... I have had good luck using newsprint to wrap .69 balls for my .75 Brown bess - several wraps make it snug, then dip in beeswax (makes the cartridge water resistant also)- newspaper seems to compress a bit and give me a snug fit, but it isn't a double barrel, so I don't know where the other load might go. Perhaps try it, and then drop the ramrod on the second barrel to see if it is staying in place?

Unless your swabbing after every shot You'll want a little looser fit with your round ball. I ended up going with a .690 round ball in my Pedersoli Bess because the larger roundballs wouldn't go down after a couple of shots with paper cartridges. I use plain copy paper for my cartridges and it seems to work ok.

Thanks!! :thumbsup:

 

[Old Ironsights]

RE: marmot

I'll post a pic tomorrow, just letting one last coat of finish to dry. :v

Yeah, don't rush the man building my gun! :nono: :grin:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Heck, when you get up to balls that heavy seems you could chunk it hard enough to do the job! Just for my own education and edification, you going tiger huntin' on an elephant's backside? Those big honkers were made to "repel boarders" when those big kitties got a case of the 'mad-on'!! :rotf:

 

[Old Ironsights]

Heck, when you get up to balls that heavy seems you could chunk it hard enough to do the job! Just for my own education and edification, you going tiger huntin' on an elephant's backside? Those big honkers were made to "repel boarders" when those big kitties got a case of the 'mad-on'!! :rotf:

Mostly it's to be a "fun gun" for the July Novelty Shoot &/or to annoy/impress the guys at the range. :grin:

 

[Old Ironsights]

Here is one way to make them...

Hey MM, in the above pic, it appears that the ball-end is just folded over and not sealed in any way, is that correct?