Black Powder Cartridge Reloading

[baddean]

I forgot to add this.
https://www.amazon.com/Gun-Digest-Bl.../dp/0873495748

Excellent resource for loading BP in general. It has a lot of info you won't need or find useful but the sections on BPC loading are highly useful.

[awp_101]

Abe Books has the earlier edition of the above book at a more palatable price if you’re a cheap ass frugal like me…

[Dave T]

Since I've been loading and shooting BPC since the mid 1980s, with a break in the '90s when life got too busy, I had to chime in on this one just for fun. All the info from Malamute and Jim Watson is excellent, along with contributions from the others.

My experience over the years is from loading 38 S&W, 44 Russian, 44 WCF, 45 S&W (Schofield), 45 Colt, 38-55 Win, 45-70 Gov, 12ga brass shells, and most recently the "Big Fifty" Sharps - more commonly known as the 50-90 Sharps Straight. All this with the real gun powder, now known as Black Powder.

In my mind three things are really important, with all to be refined depending on the gun and the intended purpose:

First is the bullet. Black powder cartridge guns have always shot better with softer bullets for me. Most of my experience has been with 1-20 tin-lead cast projectiles. That's all I cast in the old days and surprisingly I never had a problem with leading. Now I buy my cast bullets (too old to do it myself) and when I can find them it's still 1-20 alloy. Those bullet should be sized a little over bore diameter ~.002" for rifles. For revolvers I sized to be a push fit through the cylinder throats.

Second is lube. As already indicated a black powder compatible lube is a must. I've never fooled with making my own since SPG came on the market and if memory serves that was in the '80s also. The 1-20 cast bullets I buy come lubed with SPG.

Third is clean up which has already been covered but I'll throw in my $.02 worth. I take a gallon jug of water with a dollop of Simple Green along to the range. It gives me someplace to dump the fouled brass and is also a source for a soapy patch to run down bores after extended shooting - softens the fouling don't ya know. Once home I scrub guns and brass down with the universal solvent, water. I again put in just a bit of Simple Green to make the water wetter. I gave up using boiling or even hot water back about 1990. Tap water works fine for me.

That's about it. Oh, I do polish my brass in crushed walnut with a bit of Berry's brass polish. And, my oil of choice for after the clean-up is Ballistol. It is very popular with the muzzle loading crowd so I decided I'd go with it.

Best of luck to the OP. Hope there might have been a nugget in my rambling that will be of some help.

Dave