using spent cartridges as powder measures

[wbfos]

I must be having an off day but I remember seeing a post on here somewhere about using spent rifle cartridges as powder measures that listed how much powder spent casings held can anyone point me back to the right place to find it please ?

 

[rodwha]

I've seen a list elsewhere, but it was pistol cartridge cases.

 

[mooman76]

If you have a Dixie Gun Works catalog, they have a table in the back of it. I do believe their were some posts here but they didn't list all carts, just the more common ones.

 

[54ball]

There's an old shooting bag that dates to the late 1800s with a cartridge case measure. I think it's a 45/70 case.

A 45/70 case should get you about 75 to 80 grains since it does have the bullet. Other candidates are 45 Colt, 44-40 and 44 magnum. 38 Special and 357 Magnum may do well for a light caliber.

 

[Dave K]

They do work well for that. But to me, it is sacrilegious to use C-fire stuff with my muzzleloaders. :wink:

 

[smo]

Zonie has it posted in the articles charts & links here on the Forum

 

[biliff]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/247958/

 

[smo]

Thanks BB. Im not into a that fancy computer work :haha:

 

[RonRC]

I don't know how to attach a file to a post here, so I sent an Excel spreadsheet to Scott P with a detailed listing of case capacity.

Ron

 

[Rifleman1776]

They do work well for that. But to me, it is sacrilegious to use C-fire stuff with my muzzleloaders. :wink:

Agree.
And, it looks just plain wrong.
I use plain copper tubing to make some measures. After one use to get them dirty they look just fine.

 

[eaglesnester]

375H&H works great for 50 cal. The grain weight escapes me just now but I think it is around 70grains of 2f.

 

[crockett]

I pick them up at the range and file them down to what I need. I use a 37 gr for my single shot Hawken type pistol.

 

[FishDFly]

They do work well for that. But to me, it is sacrilegious to use C-fire stuff with my muzzleloaders.

No more than using a keyboard.

 

[Zonie]

I'd be afraid to use my keyboard to measure my black powder.

With the lightening fast speed my fingers fly over the keyboard, it might set it off!

Oh! That's right.
Static electricity won't set black powder off so maybe I'm safe.

Now, how do I do it?
I figure I can poke 70 or 80 into the number pad for the powder load but where do I pour the powder into it to get it to measure?

:grin:

As for using cartridge cases, I have a bullet block I got when I bought a shooting bag.
It is about 1 inch wide X 5/8" thick X 6 inches long and is made out of a dark stained wood.
It holds 6 .45 caliber roundballs and at the top is what appears to be a .45-70 case.
The rim must be removed because it is in a hole with about 1 inch exposed. The hole just fits the outside of the cartridge case.

It's kinda neat looking and unless you look down inside the case and see the old primer flash hole you would never know where it came from.

 

[chipper c]

A 45-70 cartridge holds exactly 70 grains of FF black powder, I use one often, its very handy and I have lots of them. :thumbsup:

 

[Claude Mathis]

They do work well for that. But to me, it is sacrilegious to use C-fire stuff with my muzzleloaders. :wink:

No more than using a keyboard.

Talking about muzzleloading over the Internet has nothing to do with being traditional or historically accurate. This is a similar argument that people make about not being Historically Correct because you drive your truck to a Rendezvous. One action has nothing to do with the other.

 

They do work well for that. But to me, it is sacrilegious to use C-fire stuff with my muzzleloaders. :wink:

I would say that a lot depends on the gun and which cartridge case you use.
There is enough overlap that a man still hunting with muzzleloaders well after the Civil War (like Ned Roberts and his uncle)could have easly used a centerfire cartridge case like 45/70 .45 or.38 long Colt etc. for a measure. I was considering trying a .38 special case with a late period Ohio rifle I bought at the spring shoot. At 1895 it's a little late but I might give it a try anyway.
With a golden age flinter......nah, that WOULD be a little tacky.

 

[Claude Mathis]

They do work well for that. But to me, it is sacrilegious to use C-fire stuff with my muzzleloaders. :wink:

I would say that a lot depends on the gun and which cartridge case you use.
There is enough overlap that a man still hunting with muzzleloaders well after the Civil War...

Who is reenacting the Post-Civil War period and what is it called? :wink:

 

[gbeauvin]

Who is reenacting the Post-Civil War period and what is it called? :wink:

NCOWS! That's been my stepping stone to where the fun is really at .

-GB

 

[wbfos]

Thanks for all the help guys someone (from here) actually took the time to E-Mail me the info and had just what I needed and then confused my with even more tables on measures VOL vs Weight / all the different brands of powder ect... But what it boiled down to was I had stumbled across a Jukar, Spain kit Pistol (finished) in .45 at a trapping show. It was marked $60.00 so I picked it up, pulled the ram rod and put it down the barrel the guy selling it mumbled a few colorful words that translated to "Aww **** I shoulda checked that" (way more cuss words in his version though) I cleared the barrel and blew through it to check the nipple (insert more of his choice words here) He was so embarrassed at setting out a gun he had not himself cleared I walked away from the table with my new prize for $40.00 and he threw in a handful of .435 balls (I figure a thick patch should work for 'em)
If anyone here has one of these some load data would be wonderful and I'll even thank you the first time I touch this sucker off. I'm figuring a .357 mag case holds 27gr and a .30 carbine is 20gr I'll probably use those.
But I do wonder... I have access to a fully stocked machine shop, a metallography lab, annealing and heat treating furnaces should I make it into a .54 to match my T/C Renegade ?!?!