I have been following your discussion about powder, charge size and equipment to pour charges,
from Germany. (I have been shooting black since 1970).
Mostly on German ranges, which as a rule allow only shooting at standardized paper targets.
Blackpowder shooters in Germany have to pay heed to a voluminous list of regulations, the Sportordnung, which is edited, amended and re-published annually (!) by the Deutscher Schützenbund, the head organisation which operates nearly all shooting ranges in Germany.
Those rules go very much into detail. I am explaining a few of those below,
in case any of you guys should ever want to shoot blackpowder during a trip to Europe.
One predominant rule is n e v e r to bring a powder horn, flask or other container
with powder inside to the range.
Range officers have warned me to not even bring cornmeal ("semolina") in a powder flask
(I often use a few grains of corn meal as over charge media, or separator,
intended to keep the powder charge dry, after using soaked cleaning patches to wipe the barrel between shots.I have switched to using lightly greased wads cut from thick cardboard since a long discussion with an official at the state championship matches...heated discussions don't help my scores).
For safety reasons, German shooters are required to use small containers each containing
j u s t o n e charge. Thus, most shooters in Europe (we have seen guest competitors from nearly all neighboring countries) use small tubes made from glas or clear plastic with a plastic plug.
I prefer glas tubes (like small test tubes) over plastic, continues use deposit residue on the surface of plastic (which should be of antistatic quality). Few "traditionalists" use spent metal cartridges with a fitted wooden or cork plug on top.
For flintlock enthusiasts (like me): no priming horns are allowed. You have to bring your priming powder in special chargers with a self-closing spout,
containing a maximum of 16,2 grams (which reads 250 grains in the US of A).
Again, the Sportordnung is very specific! If you need more than those 16,2 grams
(which I needed in past years when I was competivly shooting flintlock muskets with their larger pans),
you need to get yourself another, or even three of those charging flasks. You are not allowed to refill your priming charger on stage, remember, no bulk powder on range!)
Standard competitions in Germany are 15 shots in 40 minutes (following a preparatory lap, in which you can blow primers, fire testing shots at a prepping target, re-knap your flint, or just poke your nose).
15 shot matches apply to all competitive matches - while the safety rules below also apply
to the informal matches and competitions, such as at "historic shooting events",
where you can buy re-entry series with 4 to 6 shots, limited only by your wallet or range hours.
At these "open tournaments" only, period clothing is welcome (still no powder horns!).
Wearing your colonial period or western clothing will have you barred from official championships
(if need be I'll try and explain the reasoning behind that rule in a separate discussion).
Dropping powder on the ground or the loading bench is another no-no.
As soon as your charge is down the barrel, you need to hang on to your firearm - never put it down.
You must cover your priming device as soon as you have finished priming, with a rag, or pocket it
(same goes for your primer caps, if you are a percussion shooter).
Blowing down your barrel after shots is another no-no, will have you disqualified.
These are not all, just some of the major rules around shooting in Germany.
You are very welcome to join us, at any time!