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Black powder shotshell loading info article


Isom Dart, SASS#8096

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Blackpowder Shotshell Loading - Shooting Times

 

I hope I'm not copywrite infringing, first time I've tried this. Hope I got it right.

Isom

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I don't roll crimp my black powder shotgun shells, and definitely do not star crimp them.

 

I don't crimp them at all. I trim the once fired paper shotshell to the correct length. Not sayin' to use only paper shotshells, just sayin' I prefer paper, in this case. I have used plastic, as well. 

 

Then I put in the ingredients...2F black powder; an over powder wad; a cushion wad; sometimes another thin wad, then the shot. 

Then I put in an over shot wad, to hold the shot in place...or really it is a thin disk, or so it reminds me. 

 

Then I take a dab of "water glass", also known as sodium silicate, and put a drop here, and there, on the edge of the over shot wad/disk, to keep it in place, resting over the shot.

 

I have a Parker double, with damascus barrels, and also an 1887 Winchester lever action, both in 12 gauge. I want to be as careful with those two ole Girls, as I can, especially the Parker (yes, I do give names to my firearms...especially the older ones).

 

I have heard, and read, and listened, to those that say NEVER put a star crimp shotshell in a shotgun with damascus barrels, unless you want to risk ruining the shotgun, and/or yourself, in the process. 

 

Of course, when I use the few 12 gauge brass shotgun shells, that I have, this is also how I reload them. 

 

But the article was right, in that...IF you do crimp...use the roll crimp (never the star crimp).  

 

So...I don't crimp at all...when reloading my shotshells, with black powder. 

 

Too bad they chose to close the Goex plant. Old Eynsford won't be made anymore, unless some Patriot steps up to the plate, and buys the plant, rehires the fired employees, and makes it again...(and...does the RIGHT thing!!!)

Maybe S.A.S.S., and the N.M.L.R.A., and the N.R.A., and N.C.O.W.S., and some firearms manufacturers, and sporting goods retailers, like Cabelas/Bass Pro, should step up, and buy the plant, and reopen it.

All of the above organizations, and more, have a vested interest in having the Goex plant re-opened.

The demand for black powder, is there. That means profit/gain will be there, as well....IF done right!!!

 

My Two Bits...

W.K. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

I don't roll crimp my black powder shotgun shells, and definitely do not star crimp them.

 

I don't crimp them at all. I trim the once fired paper shotshell to the correct length. Not sayin' to use only paper shotshells, just sayin' I prefer paper, in this case. I have used plastic, as well. 

 

Then I put in the ingredients...2F black powder; an over powder wad; a cushion wad; sometimes another thin wad, then the shot. 

Then I put in an over shot wad, to hold the shot in place...or really it is a thin disk, or so it reminds me. 

 

Then I take a dab of "water glass", also known as sodium silicate, and put a drop here, and there, on the edge of the over shot wad/disk, to keep it in place, resting over the shot.

 

I have a Parker double, with damascus barrels, and also an 1887 Winchester lever action, both in 12 gauge. I want to be as careful with those two ole Girls, as I can, especially the Parker (yes, I do give names to my firearms...especially the older ones).

 

I have heard, and read, and listened, to those that say NEVER put a star crimp shotshell in a shotgun with damascus barrels, unless you want to risk ruining the shotgun, and/or yourself, in the process. 

 

Of course, when I use the few 12 gauge brass shotgun shells, that I have, this is also how I reload them. 

 

But the article was right, in that...IF you do crimp...use the roll crimp (never the star crimp).  

 

So...I don't crimp at all...when reloading my shotshells, with black powder. 

 

Too bad they chose to close the Goex plant. Old Eynsford won't be made anymore, unless some Patriot steps up to the plate, and buys the plant, rehires the fired employees, and makes it again...(and...does the RIGHT thing!!!)

Maybe S.A.S.S., and the N.M.L.R.A., and the N.R.A., and N.C.O.W.S., and some firearms manufacturers, and sporting goods retailers, like Cabelas/Bass Pro, should step up, and buy the plant, and reopen it.

All of the above organizations, and more, have a vested interest in having the Goex plant re-opened.

The demand for black powder, is there. That means profit/gain will be there, as well....IF done right!!!

 

My Two Bits...

W.K. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The profit wasn't enough for Hodgdon to keep the facility open.

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So Hodgdon says. 

 

I'd like to hear from other than just one perspective...other than the ones that made the decision, and other than the ones that also produce other propellants, and a blackpowder substitute.  

 

Then put it on the market, and sell it, or give it away, since it is not "making a profit" anyway. 

Let someone else see if it can be profitable, or not. 

 

If, (not where) there is a will...there is usually a way.  The difference between good, and great, is: effort. 

The operative word here is: "IF".

 

Thankfully there are other products out there, besides Hodgdon. They made a choice, and happily, so can I...and...I will. :D

 

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Funny I didn’t know that I was doing things right.  In brass shells I’ve always used fiber wads, but unlubed.  Now that I started loading plastic shells with BP I’ve used a plastic wad and a roll crimp with an overshot card.  Once I get through the plastic wads I’m probably going to try fiber wads with a roll crimp. 

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Yes...I have read, and seen that black powder burns differently (hotter maybe?) than smokeless powder, obviously, and that the plastic shot cups, or wads, just tend to melt, and build up in the bore. I have never used plastic wads, or shot cups, when loading with black powder, but I bet it is a chore to clean the bore of all that melted, hardened, plastic. :wacko:

 

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1 minute ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

Yes...I have read, and seen that black powder burns differently (hotter maybe?) than smokeless powder, obviously, and that the plastic shot cups, or wads, just tend to melt, and build up in the bore. I have never used plastic wads, or shot cups, when loading with black powder, but I bet it is a chore to clean the bore of all that melted, hardened, plastic. :wacko:

 

 

Not a chore at all. It is easier to remove than the plastic residue from shooting smokeless shells.

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As I remember, I used plastic shot cups, and the plastic residue they left was easily removed & came off in strings of plastic. Strange things to see hanging in the bore of your double at the end of the day. 

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Well...incased in a plastic shotshell, perhaps the plastic shot-cup, or wad, may be less of a chore to clean out of the bore, for some.

From watching a friend of mine try to clean his bore, after a day of shooting his shotgun with black powder, and plastic shot-cups, made me not want to go down that road. For him, it was a chore...not easy at all. That was back in the 1980's, so perhaps there are better cleaning products out there now, than there were then. 

Black powder burns at a higher temperature than smokeless powder, however, so, at the time, I figured that made the difference. 

About 1945 is when Winchester started putting in a cup wad over the powder that was made out of plastic. In the 1960's Remington started using plastic shotshells with a "power piston" wad.  

Plastic shotshell cups, or wads, are banned at the shotgun ranges at the N.M.L.R.A. contests. Of course, most of those contests are with muzzleloading shotguns, however. 

Using black powder, whether in a muzzleloading shotgun, or in a self-contained shotshell, I would not use plastic cups or wads at all. That's just me. 

I make my own paper shot-cups, for my shotguns, when I am using blackpowder. Sometimes I soak the paper in potassium nitrate, let them dry out, the same way as I do the paper cartridges that I load for my cap and ball revolvers...before I form them into a paper shot-cup.  

I do use the over powder, cushion, and over shot wads, when reloading the shells, and I may, or may not, put a paper shot-cup in the shell as well, on top of the cushion wad. 

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

Yes...I have read, and seen that black powder burns differently (hotter maybe?) than smokeless powder, obviously, and that the plastic shot cups, or wads, just tend to melt, and build up in the bore. I have never used plastic wads, or shot cups, when loading with black powder, but I bet it is a chore to clean the bore of all that melted, hardened, plastic. :wacko:

 

 

I always thought it was a major PIA until I was told and tried Windex with vinegar.  I got a couple of rubber stoppers (from local hardware store), stand the gun breech up, pour the Windex down the barrel(s).  After I clean a pistol or two I’ll go back to the SG, remove the stoppers(s), then run a dry patch down the barrel.  All the plastic comes out in one pass, run a snake through, just to make sure, then season with Bore Butter.  Easy-Peezy

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Simple green diluted, windex all work easily. You don't need to put stoppers in the barrels. Just spray it down the barrels and let it set while you clean your pistols or rifle. Then using a jag run a wet paper towel or large cleaning patch thru the barrel and you are done except for cleaning residue off of the exterior of the gun. Of course ya still gotta lube it.

kR

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48 minutes ago, Tequila Shooter said:

 

I always thought it was a major PIA until I was told and tried Windex with vinegar.  I got a couple of rubber stoppers (from local hardware store), stand the gun breech up, pour the Windex down the barrel(s).  After I clean a pistol or two I’ll go back to the SG, remove the stoppers(s), then run a dry patch down the barrel.  All the plastic comes out in one pass, run a snake through, just to make sure, then season with Bore Butter.  Easy-Peezy

Same method here.  I use a few squirts of Simple Green and fill the barrels with water.  Clean the other 3 guns and then run a wad of paper towel down the bore.  Clean!  I don't even bother with a Saturday night cleaning on a 2 day match.  Doesn't matter.  It might be Wednesday before I get around to cleaning the guns anyway.  I use real BP, actually it's the cheaper 1F like Skirmish in shotgun, and this cleaning method doesn't seem to matter, they come out clean with no corrosion.

I also have been crimping my 12 ga STS or AA shells for a long time.  I roll crimp my 10 ga because I have to shorten the hull anyway.

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I believe that I was using the window cleaner trick. It was a spray foam glass cleaner that I purchased from the Janitorial company where I worked at the time. 

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13 hours ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

Yes...I have read, and seen that black powder burns differently (hotter maybe?) than smokeless powder, obviously, and that the plastic shot cups, or wads, just tend to melt, and build up in the bore. I have never used plastic wads, or shot cups, when loading with black powder, but I bet it is a chore to clean the bore of all that melted, hardened, plastic. :wacko:

 

 

two easy ways;

 

1) blow it all out with smokeless at the next cowboy match

 

2) put smidge of black powder friendly lube in that area just under the cup of the wad, extra step during loading, but makes it easy to clean out.

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