Of black powder. 5 lbs I've loaded and mostly for experimenting and load developement. Two each of Goex FF and FFF-- one of Cartridge grade. That's 600-700 rds, as several sessions were a Schuetzen type breech loading utilizing mid 50 gr loadings.

Impressions JFWIW. It was fun, very enjoyable-- I'd encourage anyone who hasn't tried shooten BLK to do such. Given quality handloading the results can be superior to shooten smokeless-- IF...

BLK is a game of fouling management shooten the BPCR type calibers. The lube and how the bore condition is managed per a blow tube or 'doctoring' the lube itself as the load string developes determines accuracy, after you've got all the other variables down...

IMO.
-- the lube should be just thick enough not to flow off the bullet for the temperature your shooten. Thinner means a better mix with the fouling, penetrating bore surfaces and keeping the muzzle end from going dry.

-- neck tension as in none worked the best. Loading the slug into unsized brass-- some lube helping to hold the slug from falling out, but handling issues come into play here. Why this works... I dunno. Maybe because this is the easiest neck condition to produce the same effect shot to shot.

-- a 'newsprint' wad over the flash hole aids primer efficentcy.

-- bullet Q is very important... bullet to bullet hardness uniformity and bases must be perfect.

-- soft bullets of 20-1 or 30-1 are the norm, but straight ww alloy shoots as well. I've fired heat treated ww alloy half again harder than lino with good results to 1300+ otta a 45/70 using Postells and FFF Goex.

-- UNsized has an advantage, being no trip thru the luber. For if your sizing with a 'luber' your probably detracting from your potential accuracy. Those contraptions lack the precision of alignment unless great care is used to prevent crooked sizing. The Lee push thru's work fine provided the bases aren't compressed off square or made too sharp on the heel.

-- it's written a BLK loading will blow up the gun IF the case isn't full. That's bovine fodder-- I've shot many rds breech loading with some degree of air space, maybe 10-15%. I wouldn't go below those loading densities though, and that's only my opinion. Civil war rds have been broken down and the powder flowing freely otta the case. No compression with air in the case in that era too.

--developing shot to shot consistentcy is just like any handloading chore... DE-tales and uniformity.. the SAME for each shot.

Yesterday I fired four loads at 300 albeit only one BLK now emptying that can. My loading of 4759 took out the BLK by a healthy margin-- five in 4.25" with 3.75" of vertical. I loaded the 3F to the same speed with the same bullets, same neck tension albeit in WW cases vs the Rem used for 4759-- lube made for BLK and even blow tubed some. The first trial BLK was very clean burning and vertical of around 7"-- this loading requiring some tuning. Always...

WW cases in 45/70 are basically junk for uniformity compared to the Rem, but hold more powder and hence produce less compression. The ones are used were matched for wt but not neck dia-- which isn't nearly the Q of Rem. Methinks from memory the wt difference is around 30 grs from those brands.. Rem of course heavier.

BLK shooten is a complex challenge to make it perform to it's potential... worthy of the effort.

Forrest I noted your question to Theodore per the BLK fouling in the small calibers. I will say I've fired a casefull of 3F in the 30/30 using a 212 gr PB spitzer, with maybe .2 of compression after settling. The gun closed very hard-- due to the somewhat hard age ww alloy slugs being seated out to engage the rifling [my mistake to this extent]. Anyways the bore looked like a smokeless loading had been fired in it-- almost mirror bright. Surprised me to say the least. Medicocre accuracy due to insufficent lube quantity and no blow tubing... I shoulda revisited that one.

This bullet is on the edge for stability otta the 12 twist 30/30 being used at 1.25" OAL-- least ways for smokeless. With the BLK loading the holes were round as round can be at 100 yds.. go figure.

How does the pressure compare between black, Pyrodex and say XMP5744? for similar velocities in a large case. Why do you use news print over the primer flash hole? I don't understand. I'm getting ready to work up loads for my 16 bore pinfire howda and want the lowest pressure possible while still getting some useable velocity. I made a 810 gn mold that almost came out. My boreing bar slipped while cutting the front driving band and messed things up. I cast a few anyways, there ugly, but will probably work for now until I can make a better one.
pics of my Howda here:
http://members.fortunecity.com/howda/howda.html

Aladin,

A: I noted your question to Theodore per the BLK fouling in the small calibers..

F: Don't you post over there on the BPCR site? I thought I saw your style, if not your handle over there a time or two.

Dan is quite the fellow apparently. I do think he's chasing critters that have already been caught though.

He's a fiddler; enjoying the experimentation end of the shooting game perhaps as much or more than the actual shooting, estimation of condition and so forth. Sure, plenty of room for fellows like him.

I have never used black powder in a rifle myself, having learned how much misery it is to clean out of revolvers some time ago.

However, I do know it shoots well enough and note that right now I'm having some interest in trying it out.. I wonder if my wife will let me clean the cases in the dishwasher..

Good morning,
Forrest

F: Don't you post over there on the BPCR site? I thought I saw your style, if not your handle over there a time or two.

A: Not on MSN. I'm a one man protest vs Micro--soft. Might give in though.

F: Dan is quite the fellow apparently. I do think he's chasing critters that have already been caught though.

A: I think he might have some merit with bullet design. And the Swiss he used appears to produce minimal fouling in those 'mosquito' guns as some refer to them.

F: I have never used black powder in a rifle myself, having learned how much misery it is to clean out of revolvers some time ago.

A: Forrest I think you might revisit that. The only fouling I had of any difficulty with the 45/70 was trying out some 'Buff Gold' lube, which I think mighta come otta the wrong end of the buffalo... Everything else I made myself and worked very well. The thing in the end IMO that puts BLK in the grey area is the management of the exact bore condition during a string. And I have no experience with very low humidity conditions which appear to be the most challenging. I think a good load developed from 4759 is at least the equal of any BLK loading. Yet this is said w/o any experience with Swiss powder.

Lar the newsprint wad prevents powder from entering the flash hole, and IMO uniforms the condition of the powder in that area-- ie, no partial compression or variance in the hole itself. If you try this note the cleaner bore condition after the shot and the flash hole and pocket remaining much cleaner.