Black Powder Shooting Info Needed

capecod

July 08, 2003 04:45

Size of Ball: What size should I mould or buy for the following Black Powder Calibers? 36cal, 44cal, 40cal rifle, 45 cal rifle,50 cal Rifle 54cal rifle, 58cal ball and Mine Ball.
What lubricant do you recommend?
What powder for revolvers - FFG or FFFG?
What powder for rifles - FFG or FFFG?
What powder for pan - FFFFG or FFFG?
Lubing bullets - what equiptment do you recommend?
Any other equipment you'd recommend?
I'm getting back into Black Powder shooting again after 30 years so I need to relearn a lot of details I have forgotten. Any help will be appreciated.
Also - any books you'd recommend on Black powder Loads?
Thanks
John

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  kris

  July 08, 2003 06:50

  i use a 50/50 mix of bees wax and crisco...it stays stable in warmer climates....for the 58 caliber...either the .575 or 577 diameter's will work fine...on a pistol round for the 44 i use .451 dia and it shaves off just a small circle of lead when you ram it into the cylinder...this method also help in sealing the cylinder from a chain fire then place some lube over the top of each ball..(thin layer)..the other calibers for pistols i would do the same....but i dont own a .36 or .31...just a .44...i use 3 f in all blackpowder guns,,the grain size isnt that much of a diff...that way i only need to buy one type for all my guns..they all shoot fine and dandy with it.
  
  it is good that we meet in the struggle of life or death.. .....it shall be life!

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  kris

  July 08, 2003 06:52

  on flint lock use 4 f for the pan
  
  
  it is good that we meet in the struggle of life or death.. .....it shall be life!

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  kris

  July 08, 2003 06:59

  so as a rule of thumb...on pistol rounds....005 .006 over size for the caliber that your shooting will work out just fine..dont go the other direction and use smaller as you will not get a proper seating bullet and end up with alot of blow by and not much compression.and a higher risk of a chain fire
  
  it is good that we meet in the struggle of life or death.. .....it shall be life!

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  Jody Commander

  July 08, 2003 11:58

  For most pistols, .36 Cal. will use a .375" Dia.ball,
  44 Cal.pistols use .450"-.454" Dia. (Ruger Old Armys use .457" Dia.)
  40 Cal. rifle uses a .390" Dia. round ball,
  45 Cal. rifle uses a .440" Dia. round ball,
  50 Cal. rifle uses a .490" Dia. round ball,
  54 Cal. rifle uses a .530" Dia. round ball,
  58 Cal. rifle uses a .577" Dia. round ball,.575" Minie bullit.
  I like T/C wonder lube for the Minie bullet, and as patch lube on round balls, for pistols I use the Ox Yoke pre-lubed over powder wads, and a little T/C Womder lube in front of the bullets to keep the fouling soft. 3fg for pistols and small Cal. rifles,2fg for larger Cal.rifles, 4fg for the pan on flint guns.
  The Lyman book on Black powder shooting is an excellent place to start reading.

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  jjmitchell60

  July 08, 2003 13:09

  As a rule of thumb on Black powder rifles under 50 cal use FFFg powder and rifles 50 cal and up use FFg. Same as to smooth bores. FFFFg is mostly used to prime flint pans but most flinters will also prime with the powder you shoot in the barrel as well. On some 58 cal rifles us a .570 ball. My 58 smooth bore shoots better with a .562 ball. On black powder revolvers use FFFg powder. On 44 revolvers you use either .451, .454, or .457 but the .457 will work in all 44 revolvers because all you are doing is shaving a little more lead as you load nto the cylinder! Generally on single shot pistols and rifles of black powdr you use a .010 smaller ball than the caliber of the gun, ie 36 cal shoots a .350, 45 cal shoots .440, 50 cal shoots .490, and etc. The 58 cal civil war rifles use a .577 or .575 with FFg powder.
  
  One of the best books for Black Powder info and load data is Dixie Gun Works catalog. It costs $8 and has a world of info in the back of it. You can go to dixiegunworks.com to order one. The above data is what I use to load all my black powder guns.

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  capecod

  July 08, 2003 15:50

  Thanks guys for the great information - I'll order the Dixie Gun Works book tonight. I'm going to print out all of the above info - I don't want to lose it if this e-mail software crashes again on me.
  Once again, thanks a lot
  John

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