WTK additives for BP shotgun shells, special effects

[Mad Dog McGee]

Like to know what some are using in BP shotgun shells for special effects. We had a pard shooting yesterday using aluminum shavings . It created a real bright flash .

Years back I remember a pard using red chalk to get a red cloud effect.

Please share your favorite additive.

BOOM, Flames and smoke all the way!!!!!!!!!

 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

Never tried adding anything to the powder.

I understand glitter can be added to the shot charge.

[Cemetery]

Aluminum, Steel, maybe Iron, shavings are really all there is with the volume of BP we used.

 

Personally, I stay away from chalk, cause who want's to breathe that dust in?

 

I have heard stories of people opening up fireworks and mixing the contents with BP........I've never done that, nor have I actually met anybody who did....like I said, just stories.

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

I put a pinch of fine steel wool on top of powder before seating bullet in cartridges and do the same with shotgun shells before setting wad. I call them sparkler rounds.

[Cemetery]

I put a pinch of fine steel wool on top of powder before seating bullet in cartridges and do the same with shotgun shells before setting wad. I call them sparkler rounds.

 

I heard this also does double duty by helping to keep 'snakeskin' out of the barrel when using plastic wads.....have you found this to be the case?

 

I use overshot cards over the powder, then seat the plastic wad, and this helps prevent snakeskin.

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

Mr. Cemetery, good question but I've have never really payed any attention so can't answer that

[Warden Callaway]

I put a pinch of fine steel wool on top of powder before seating bullet in cartridges and do the same with shotgun shells before setting wad. I call them sparkler rounds.

Looks like steel wool would scour the barrel. Maybe not so bad on an old shotgun with dark bore. But how does it keep from damaging rifling?

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

Personally, I stay away from chalk, cause who want's to breathe that dust in?

 

I have heard stories of people opening up fireworks and mixing the contents with BP........I've never done that, nor have I actually met anybody who did....like I said, just stories.

Yep, chalk and glitter are not fan friendly I've seen feathers and confetti made with a paper punch. I've heard of a thong twice but I've never seen one .........well, I've never seen one flying out of a shotgun Good Luck

 

Jefro Relax-Enjoy

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Aluminum will melt at temps reached by BP loads. I'd not be looking forward to cleaning that out of a shotgun bore.

 

As for "damaging rifling" in a shotgun - HA. Unless you are shooting a modern slug gun, a shotgun will not have rifling.

 

Good luck, GJ

[Warden Callaway]

I put a pinch of fine steel wool on top of powder before seating bullet in cartridges and do the same with shotgun shells before setting wad. I call them sparkler rounds.

Aluminum will melt at temps reached by BP loads. I'd not be looking forward to cleaning that out of a shotgun bore.

 

As for "damaging rifling" in a shotgun - HA. Unless you are shooting a modern slug gun, a shotgun will not have rifling.

 

Good luck, GJ

He said he's putting steel wool on top of powder before seating bullet in cartridge. I'm assuming he's shooting these in rifle or pistol. My rifles and pistols have rifling.

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Title of post -

WTK additives for BP shotgun shells

Stray from post and hijack it - well, this kind of answer is common.

 

Besides, he also wrote

 

and do the same with shotgun shells

 

High horse may not be all that necessary.

 

Good luck, and hope snow melts soon.

 

GJ

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

I put a pinch of fine steel wool on top of powder before seating bullet in cartridges and do the same with shotgun shells before setting wad. I call them sparkler rounds.

What are you calling a pinch? Size of a pea rolled all up - a bean etc...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Major BS Walker Regulator]

I use a pair of tweezers and the amount is no larger than a pea. In shotgun it is four times as much. I only shoot these once a year in an annual Night shoot for the last five years. Always load extra so will shoot them up at next match during the day and you can still see sparks go everywhere. No bore wear but don't shoot them every day either. Like I said, only shoot them one or two days a year. Makes a great affect with Black Mz but is really cool with real BP. Cut steel wool up with scissors in a small bowl and grab a pinch with tweezers not your fingers, they will stick you like cactus needles.

[Cusz M. Dutch SASS Life 55326]

been thinking about using copper scrubber in SG and real BP Anybody try it?

[Pulp, SASS#28319]

All the following have been tried by me with good results in shotgun and cap and ball revolvers. Please note, some of the ingredients burn at much higher temps than BP. Magnesium is up around 5000 degrees F. While I don't think anything would be in your barrel long enough to hurt anything, there is still a chance you could damage a barrel. Some of the chemicals in fireworks are very corrosive to steel, so a thorough cleaning is necessary after shooting. I reckon I ought to throw in a "Do not try this at home" warning.

 

Break up a sparkler into small chunks, cut open Roman Candles and put one or more balls in your powder, there is a firework called Crackling Balls that look like a cherry bomb, but just a plastic ball containing little beads of something, put some of those beads in your powder. I once made some 10 gauge "night shoot" shells with nothing but BP and powdered coffee creamer. Here is one of those at night:

 

 

My avatar photo is a cap and ball revolver with ground up sparkler mixed with the powder.

 

And this is a video of Roman Candle balls under the bullet in a cap and ball revolver. They do not follow the path of the bullet, but still look pretty cool.

[Blackwater 53393]

Instead of glitter, use mylar sequins. They are larger and won't be as likely to blow back and get into someone's eyes. They also give a much better sparkle effect. Put it in your shot cup when you assemble your shells. You can use feathers, cotton balls, crepe paper which makes like little flowers, or the streamers out of the little path favor poppers. Most of these work better over smokeless powder.

 

The various fireworks effects are also very cool if done properly. Again, they work better over smokeless powders because they light off as they exit the barrel. Black Powder burns much slower and the fireworks often light while still in the barrel, producing mostly brighter flashes and little else. The crackers are one notable exception as they tend to take longer to ignite.

 

BE VERY CAREFUL where and when you shoot these. I have set several ranges on fire during matches. It ain't so bad when there are plenty of cowboys to stomp out a small fire, but one of my pares set a range on fire during a practice session while trying to impress his date!! It was very nearly catastrophic, and our state match was only two weeks away!!

 

I've done all of the afore mentioned tricks, except the thong, and I know who did that one!! I will NOT recommend that ANYONE do any of these things and advise that you take all of this into consideration before doing so!!!

[El Hombre Sin Nombre]

How about redwood sawdust? Someone at a shoot yesterday said, after watching me shoot BP, that I should be called Redwood Smoke. That got me thinking about adding a tiny amount of redwood dust to my powder. Would it even matter?

[Noz]

I don't like the idea of adding anything to my powder charge. I'm not enough of a chemist to know whether the additional material may react in ways I wouldn't like. Such as rapid field stripping.

I've added chalk and glitter to my shot charges and was disappointed. Usually only the spectators and not the shooter can see the effects.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

I've used red chalk and glitter mixed with the shot charge. Never tried anything with the powder and have no idea to pull that tiger's tail. To many chemistry issues to go sideways.

 

But as mentioned before, make sure you're with friendly pards who are used to suck shenanigans. Chalk and glitter can blow back and cause unintended consequences if inhaled or getting on someone's duds.

 

Of course, it's also fun to take a thin over card wad and load a perfectly squared (equal volumes of shot and powder) load in a 12 gauge. The roar and thunder of pure BP creates a grin all its own.

[Jefro, SASS#69420]

Chalk and glitter can blow back and cause unintended consequences if inhaled or getting on someone's duds.

 

 

Yep, and RED chalk will not always come out in the wash , be kind to yer pards Good Luck

 

J R-E

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

I believe Ruby Redsmoke uses red chalk dust. A bunch of us shot pink feathers at one match. I didn't like that as the loads were not consistent.