Pietta 1860 colt army

[Dylanspot96]

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some input.
I have a Pietta 1860 colt army 44 cal revolver. Had it a few years but haven't gotten around to shooting it yet. From research I've done, I still have a few unanswered questions, mostly in regards to which path to go for safety.
1. I bought Pyrodex P and am unsure how many grains I should use for loading? I've got the 5-40 grain measure, but don't know where is a good spot to use. I'm just gonna be plinking, shooting water bottles, etc so it doesn't need to be of utmost accuracy, just something to where it'll shoot good without overstressing the frame after repeated use.


2. I've gotten varying answers depending on my research, but should I/do I need to use wads in front of the powder? Many have told me just to use bore butter in front of the ball, so I bought that, but don't know which way to go now.
Thanks.

 

[Gee Dog]

There is more flexibility here than beginners ever imagine.
There are about one-hundred ways to load these things - all of them correct.

Try 25 grains for starts. On a .44 I range between 25 and 35 grains. Thirty grains verges on perfection. Can’t overload if a ball still fits.

Take that Sixty out and start shooting it and you’ll learn fast.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @Gee Dog, you’ll need some .454 balls, the Pyrodex P is fine, you can buy some .44 felt wads to go over the powder or do without. There are numerous schools of thought on what is “right”, but anything sensible will work.

 

[Hawk54]

There is only one real answer to your question. Try it with wads and then no wads with bore butter. Then you decide which way you like best. We can't tell you what you will finally like.

 

[M. De Land]

There is only one real answer to your question. Try it with wads and then no wads with bore butter. Then you decide which way you like best. We can't tell you what you will finally like.

One more caveat , shoot into a 12 O'clock breeze in your face with over ball lubing. You won't be able to see out of your shooting glasses by the end of the second cylinder full and your spotting scope lens will need a degreasing as well.

 

[snakebit]

Don't dry-ball it! My 2¢, read/watch some video, or better yet go with someone who has experience. Learn to take your revolver completely apart, study everything. Remember it's just a tool, you control it. Most of all, have fun making smoke!

 

[bigted]

you can not overload your new unmodified 1860 Colt revolver to make it “unsafe” to shoot. Just not enough room for an overload. These are about as safe as you will ever get … UNMODIFIED. Load it and shoot it. Have fun with your Pietta 1860 revolver and try many things to see what system works for you. If you do something that is unpleasant … stop doing that and move on to another system of loading.

If you use black powder or any of the black powder substitutes you can not get into trouble. Load with a wad or without. Over ball lube or not. Lube cookie or no lube cookie. Cleaning between cylinder fulls or don’t.

its all up to you really. These are as much fun or frustration as you can handle but gotta try stuff to have that fun. Don’t let the keyboard warriors freak you out my friend. Comes a time where ya just gotta go get your feet wet and begin your path to total immersion in a sport that is both addictive and about as much fun as ya can have with your clothes on.

 

[Collie]

I've personally found that loading with a lubed wad over the powder helps keep the fouling down in my 36 and I can shoot almost all day without cleaning the barrel or any drop in accuracy. Of course load how you want and find what works for you. Best advice I can give is to make sure you use over sized balls when loading. .454" should be fine for your 44, as long as there's a ring of lead shaved off on the chamber mouth when loading.

 

[snakebit]

you can not overload your new unmodified 1860 Colt revolver to make it “unsafe” to shoot. Just not enough room for an overload. These are about as safe as you will ever get … UNMODIFIED. Load it and shoot it. Have fun with your Pietta 1860 revolver and try many things to see what system works for you. If you do something that is unpleasant … stop doing that and move on to another system of loading.

If you use black powder or any of the black powder substitutes you can not get into trouble. Load with a wad or without. Over ball lube or not. Lube cookie or no lube cookie. Cleaning between cylinder fulls or don’t.

its all up to you really. These are as much fun or frustration as you can handle but gotta try stuff to have that fun. Don’t let the keyboard warriors freak you out my friend. Comes a time where ya just gotta go get your feet wet and begin your path to total immersion in a sport that is both addictive and about as much fun as ya can have with your clothes on.

But if you do decide to shoot nekkid, leave your boots on. That way strangers won't come and bother you.

 

[M. De Land]

Don't dry-ball it! My 2¢, read/watch some video, or better yet go with someone who has experience. Learn to take your revolver completely apart, study everything. Remember it's just a tool, you control it. Most of all, have fun making smoke!

By diggers that's one thing I have yet to do, dry ball a percussion revolver. I sure have made up for my lack of that practice of dry balling though, with my rifles !

 

[snakebit]

By diggers that's one thing I have yet to do, dry ball a percussion revolver. I sure have made up for my lack of that practice of dry balling though, with my rifles !

Uh oh. Hope you didn't just jinx yourself

 

[M. De Land]

Uh oh. Hope you didn't just jinx yourself

Well, I hate to miss out on all the fun everyone else seems to be having !

 

[bigted]

Dryballed revolver is a bit easier however. Remove the nipple and with a small punch, CAREFULLY tapp tapp till the ball/projectile pops free from the chamber.

boots on ??? Have to remember that next time I plan on going nekid shooting my revolvers … HA

 

[snakebit]

Dryballed revolver is a bit easier however. Remove the nipple and with a small punch, CAREFULLY tapp tapp till the ball/projectile pops free from the chamber.

boots on ??? Have to remember that next time I plan on going nekid shooting my revolvers … HA

Yep. Gotta be boots, they all laughed at me when I tried it in flip flops.

 

[Ed C.]

Yep. Gotta be boots, they all laughed at me when I tried it in flip flops.

Not in Florida. Flip flops rule!

 

[TarponStalker]

Not in Florida. Flip flops rule!

Yup. I have my regular flip flops and my “dress” flip flops.

 

[Michael Sumpter]

Yep. Gotta be boots, they all laughed at me when I tried it in flip flops.

I just wore my gunbelt

 

[Dylanspot96]

Thanks for everyone's input. Just didn't want to go into this blindly and stupidly. It doesn't help either that I know exactly zero people who are into anything black powder where I live lol, so there isn't anyone really to ask or to go with lol.

 

[M. De Land]

I just wore my gunbelt

Ok you guys, your grossing me out here ! Some things cannot be unseen once a mental picture is forced upon us !

 

[user 54092]

Just as a precaution watch one or two of the youtube videos on chain fires, you'll find a differing of opinions, decide for yourself.