We need a forum category for Ignition ..powder n bullets ..anybody interested???

[necchi]

Well to know it is getting a fair look is encouraging.. it is fully one half of the equation to successful shooting and deserves a place to share knowledge, to build stickies, to document cause and effect of weak Re-enactor musket caps vs good hot caps.. to discuss and document powder brands and each one of them’s fouling,energy, and other characteristics.. where do we teach heavy skirt heavy powder light skirt light to mid powder.. where is our library that teaches the process to accuracy .. that explains how important or the differences between .015, 017, .019 patches.. where to get the materials.. to wash twice and air dry
Gentlemen if this sport is to flourish one cannot make the mistake to assume once one buys an M/L that we have another fellow shooter .. that shooter must have a chance to have successful results reasonably quickly and the munitions questions that I believe get unanswered are why there are so many “one or two trips guns” available for sale

Bear

All that stuff is here already and has been for years.
I got into this sport so that I could have those variables, so that I would be challenged in the manner that made my results individual.
Ya see the thing is we all can tell ya what to do, and make lists of how to do it right, but none of us can do it for you. You can follow the information that's already here and find it useful and supportive,
Or you can list all your gear here for sale next year,, there will be someone willing to buy it

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

OP. One more thing.

Do NOT put your sprue plate cuttings back into your mix to melt them down.

This bad practice will continuously cool down your lead mix. And while you're gathering up scraps, your mold is getting cold. And while you're melting your scraps your mold is getting cold.

Cast all of the bullets you want in one session. No interruptions.

Then toss in your scraps, heat them to pouring temp and cast some more. All while keeping your mold hot of course.

I do everything you said not to do. Never had a problem. Semper Fi.

 

[Brokenbear]

Thanks. I thought it was a workaround for profanity, lol.

Actually referring to smokeless shooters

 

[Ohio Rusty]

A hot mould definitely helps with the casting and fillout of the bullet in the cavity. I cast alot of smokeless powder bullets for handloading. The hollowpoints cast better when the hollowpoint pin is hot. I also have a .380 mould that is cantankerous and only will fillout the driving bands when the lead pot and mould is run hot.
I cast roundball for my rifles and when I pour the hot lead into the mould, I keep pouring hot, hot lead into the sprue hole and the excess runs off the top of the mould back into the pot. What I am doing is keeping the round ball and sprue molten longer so any air bubbles that could form in the ball and cause a void have a chance to float up out of the mold before the sprue freezes. This also prevents the sprue from freezing and sucking air back into the ball when it cools. I weigh my ball and I find this process gives me less ball I have to throw back into the pot because they are too light. (The ball has a void). I usually only keep roundball that are plus or minus a grain from the balls correct weight.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[Brokenbear]

All that stuff is here already and has been for years.
I got into this sport so that I could have those variables, so that I would be challenged in the manner that made my results individual.
Ya see the thing is we all can tell ya what to do, and make lists of how to do it right, but none of us can do it for you. You can follow the information that's already here and find it useful and supportive,
Or you can list all your gear here for sale next year,, there will be someone willing to buy it

Mr Necchi .. I gladly agree you have the right to fumble thru trial and error to learn the nuances of this particular sport .. strictly your choice but perhaps not everyone’s..
I will also agree that scattered through out this forum is information indicative to the subject.. that is IF your wording of the search question is exactly correct .. (thank you by the way for helping me make my point about a specific place for ignition, powder and projectile)
But then you had to go all negative in your last sentence about selling out.. (I assume that sentence meant learn on your own Bub or get out of the sport?)
Tsk tsk and you are Canon rated??
I want hope your thinking is in a very small minority ..
Which I believe it is by the way

Bear

 

[Brokenbear]

A hot mould definitely helps with the casting and fillout of the bullet in the cavity. I cast alot of smokeless powder bullets for handloading. The hollowpoints cast better when the hollowpoint pin is hot. I also have a .380 mould that is cantankerous and only will fillout the driving bands when the lead pot and mould is run hot.
I cast roundball for my rifles and when I pour the hot lead into the mould, I keep pouring hot, hot lead into the sprue hole and the excess runs off the top of the mould back into the pot. What I am doing is keeping the round ball and sprue molten longer so any air bubbles that could form in the ball and cause a void have a chance to float up out of the mold before the sprue freezes. This also prevents the sprue from freezing and sucking air back into the ball when it cools. I weigh my ball and I find this process gives me less ball I have to throw back into the pot because they are too light. (The ball has a void). I usually only keep roundball that are plus or minus a grain from the balls correct weight.
Ohio Rusty ><>

Nice post

 

[Loyalist Dave]

OP. One more thing.

Do NOT put your sprue plate cuttings back into your mix to melt them down.

This bad practice will continuously cool down your lead mix. And while you're gathering up scraps, your mold is getting cold. And while you're melting your scraps your mold is getting cold.

Cast all of the bullets you want in one session. No interruptions.

Then toss in your scraps, heat them to pouring temp and cast some more. All while keeping your mold hot of course.

I've been shooting BP for four decades, and sometimes I cast my own ball....

THIS never occurred to me.

NOW that I read your post, it makes perfect sense....

LD

 

[Brokenbear]

Haven’t you just described exactly what the ‘Shooting Accessories’ forum is for?

View attachment 189137

David

We’ll sort of maybe .. but hang with me a moment..
I see accessories as items to compliment a more important item like a radio in a car
Do I have to have a possibles bag, sling, horn, measure, knife etc etc to shoot my firearm? If not absolutely needed they are an accessory
Do I need cap/flint, powder n bullet to go bang (must have items) .. yes but actually that is not exactly the point
The point is that each of the must have “accessory “ items have themselves variables that affect the weapon performance
Grouping those items together as a one stop reference source to share data and testing results as well as good practice procedure/processes would be a great asset/assistance to bring in a KEEP new M/L shooters
And not least of all.. more forum members, more posts and more participation

Just saying

Bear

 

[ResearchPress]

We’ll sort of maybe .. but hang with me a moment..
I see accessories as items to compliment a more important item like a radio in a car
Do I have to have a possibles bag, sling, horn, measure, knife etc etc to shoot my firearm? If not absolutely needed they are an accessory

This sort of stuff is what I interpret as valid discussion under the General Muzzleloading section and the 'Accoutrements' forum.

Do I need cap/flint, powder n bullet to go bang (must have items) .. yes but actually that is not exactly the point
The point is that each of the must have “accessory “ items have themselves variables that affect the weapon performance
Grouping those items together as a one stop reference source to share data and testing results as well as good practice procedure/processes would be a great asset/assistance to bring in a KEEP new M/L shooters
And not least of all.. more forum members, more posts and more participation

Just saying

Bear

The 'Shooting Accessories' forum is included under Firearms, and is where I anticipate discussion on what will enable me to shoot. This I note includes 'Casting Lead' as a valid topic and the subject that you posted as a "Case in point."

Anyway, that is how I interpret posting on these forums. You and Admin may have other ideas. Just saying.


And regarding the original post, although I cast a lot of Minie, I don't have anything to add to what's already been said with regards to casting technique. With your three grain spread though on the bullets, I'd give them a try - firing in batches to see if they group any differently (either in placement or pattern). I shoot heavier bullets (around 550 grain) but don't weigh them these days. I inspect the skirt for weakness due to casting errors, and also look for sharp fill-out of the grease grooves, eliminating any I am not happy with. My bullet has a shallow base cavity and is fired in an original Enfield Short Rifle with 1 in 48 twist five groove rifling. I won matches at 200, 500 and 600 yards with it last year - so it works for me.

Looking forward to the data sharing in whatever forum it finishes up.

David

 

[Brokenbear]

This sort of stuff is what I interpret as valid discussion under the General Muzzleloading section and the 'Accoutrements' forum.


The 'Shooting Accessories' forum is included under Firearms, and is where I anticipate discussion on what will enable me to shoot. This I note includes 'Casting Lead' as a valid topic and the subject that you posted as a "Case in point."

Anyway, that is how I interpret posting on these forums. You and Admin may have other ideas. Just saying.


And regarding the original post, although I cast a lot of Minie, I don't have anything to add to what's already been said with regards to casting technique. With your three grain spread though on the bullets, I'd give them a try - firing in batches to see if they group any differently (either in placement or pattern). I shoot heavier bullets (around 550 grain) but don't weigh them these days. I inspect the skirt for weakness due to casting errors, and also look for sharp fill-out of the grease grooves, eliminating any I am not happy with. My bullet has a shallow base cavity and is fired in an original Enfield Short Rifle with 1 in 48 twist five groove rifling. I won matches at 200, 500 and 600 yards with it last year - so it works for me.

Looking forward to the data sharing in whatever forum it finishes up.

David

Nice post and valid points as well as good info
Thanks
Bear

 

[FishDFly]

This sort of stuff is what I interpret as valid discussion under the General Muzzleloading section and the 'Accoutrements' forum.


The 'Shooting Accessories' forum is included under Firearms, and is where I anticipate discussion on what will enable me to shoot. This I note includes 'Casting Lead' as a valid topic and the subject that you posted as a "Case in point."

Anyway, that is how I interpret posting on these forums. You and Admin may have other ideas. Just saying.


And regarding the original post, although I cast a lot of Minie, I don't have anything to add to what's already been said with regards to casting technique. With your three grain spread though on the bullets, I'd give them a try - firing in batches to see if they group any differently (either in placement or pattern). I shoot heavier bullets (around 550 grain) but don't weigh them these days. I inspect the skirt for weakness due to casting errors, and also look for sharp fill-out of the grease grooves, eliminating any I am not happy with. My bullet has a shallow base cavity and is fired in an original Enfield Short Rifle with 1 in 48 twist five groove rifling. I won matches at 200, 500 and 600 yards with it last year - so it works for me.

Looking forward to the data sharing in whatever forum it finishes up.

David

"This sort of stuff is what I interpret as valid discussion under the General Muzzleloading section and the 'Accoutrements' forum."

Ditto.

 

[necchi]

But then you had to go all negative in your last sentence about selling out.. (I assume that sentence meant learn on your own Bub or get out of the sport?)

Your right, that was harsh, I apologize, it's not your fault, I shouldn't have sounded in that manner.
It's our educational system of the past 20yrs. To get funding, students have had to score high in the Fed/state mandated tests.
So instead of teaching a student how to learn, it became teaching how to answer the question. When that question was answered, it became how to look up the answer for the next question.
So I do understand your desire for a section of the forum to be devoted to "links"(?) to questions,,
And I do have to agree that the search features of this style forum is terrible.
If you want to learn about the nuance features of casting large for diameter conical,, search Idaho Ron,, then go back and read his postings for the last 5yrs or so.
Sometimes the answer has a "learning curve", good luck with that, honest. I hope your interest isn't just fleeting enough to answer the question, but that you become proficient enough through diligence that you can share your learned experience.
Again, Gee, Sorry I hurt your feelings.

 

[Brokenbear]

Your right, that was harsh, I apologize, it's not your fault, I shouldn't have sounded in that manner.
It's our educational system of the past 20yrs. To get funding, students have had to score high in the Fed/state mandated tests.
So instead of teaching a student how to learn, it became teaching how to answer the question. When that question was answered, it became how to look up the answer for the next question.
So I do understand your desire for a section of the forum to be devoted to "links"(?) to questions,,
And I do have to agree that the search features of this style forum is terrible.
If you want to learn about the nuance features of casting large for diameter conical,, search Idaho Ron,, then go back and read his postings for the last 5yrs or so.
Sometimes the answer has a "learning curve", good luck with that, honest. I hope your interest isn't just fleeting enough to answer the question, but that you become proficient enough through diligence that you can share your learned experience.
Again, Gee, Sorry I hurt your feelings.

Think nothing of it.. I suspect your a man I would ride the river with .. besides that we all have saddle burrs from time to time that gets one’s compass catawhampus
I’d just like to see this forum build a “stickies” reference library in one place regarding the munitions aspect of making our weapons accurate but it appears it will die from either a lack of intrest or us old geezers “resisting change”

Bear

 

[Brokenbear]

This sort of stuff is what I interpret as valid discussion under the General Muzzleloading section and the 'Accoutrements' forum.


The 'Shooting Accessories' forum is included under Firearms, and is where I anticipate discussion on what will enable me to shoot. This I note includes 'Casting Lead' as a valid topic and the subject that you posted as a "Case in point."

Anyway, that is how I interpret posting on these forums. You and Admin may have other ideas. Just saying.


And regarding the original post, although I cast a lot of Minie, I don't have anything to add to what's already been said with regards to casting technique. With your three grain spread though on the bullets, I'd give them a try - firing in batches to see if they group any differently (either in placement or pattern). I shoot heavier bullets (around 550 grain) but don't weigh them these days. I inspect the skirt for weakness due to casting errors, and also look for sharp fill-out of the grease grooves, eliminating any I am not happy with. My bullet has a shallow base cavity and is fired in an original Enfield Short Rifle with 1 in 48 twist five groove rifling. I won matches at 200, 500 and 600 yards with it last year - so it works for me.

Looking forward to the data sharing in whatever forum it finishes up.

David

Would like to have an Enfield some day .. they are getting expensive now days .. played with buying a Parker-Hale 2 band as an “interm” shooter but really the only commonality is both built in Britain.. I know the early P/H Enfields were at least below the 9000’s serial numbers.. or there abouts .. but I know nothing of their accuracy..
thanks for your post

Bear

 

[ResearchPress]

Would like to have an Enfield some day .. they are getting expensive now days .. played with buying a Parker-Hale 2 band as an “interm” shooter but really the only commonality is both built in Britain.. I know the early P/H Enfields were at least below the 9000’s serial numbers.. or there abouts .. but I know nothing of their accuracy..

The P-H P.58 (two-band) rifles have a good reputation for accuracy. The ’first generation’ British ones serial numbers run a little higher than the 9000’s… as you say ‘there abouts’. For some these rifles can give a clearer sight picture than the P.53 (three-band) as the rearsight is a little further forward. The Short rifles (either original or repro.) are probably the most widely used of the Enfield family or arms for target shooting.

You may find the following on my web site of interest - Managing the Enfield.

David

 

[Brokenbear]

The P-H P.58 (two-band) rifles have a good reputation for accuracy. The ’first generation’ British ones serial numbers run a little higher than the 9000’s… as you say ‘there abouts’. For some these rifles can give a clearer sight picture than the P.53 (three-band) as the rearsight is a little further forward. The Short rifles (either original or repro.) are probably the most widely used of the Enfield family or arms for target shooting.

You may find the following on my web site of interest - Managing the Enfield.

David

Wow David!!! ..a quick look now has your website bookmarked and is going to need several pots of coffee to digest as well as many sessions

Bear