Does anyone have a good 10ga 3 1/2 case black powder load for CAS? I'm thinking about shooting black next year and using my sawed off 10 double. If you got one with less than a 2 oz load of lead it would be even better.

You might want to consider using 2-7/8 inch cases; use the recommended blackpowder dram equiv. and use a bit less shot (1&1/4 to 1.5 oz of shot. A bit less recoil and still should get the job done.

I was at Barnes&Noble other day, reading all the gun mags and ran across an article on just this subject. Now the hard part, "Handloader" or'Shooting Sportsman",I don't remember. I once cut some Federal 10 ga. plastic cases down to 2.5" and loaded them with 3 drams and 1-1/8 oz of #8's. They worked ok but I never patterened any to see how they were shooting.
C.G.B.

Unless you really want black powder I would probably use smokeless for black loads. Following proven safe pressure loads, the nitro(smokeless) for black loads (barrels) are much easier to clean after shooting. I have found using black powder loads I needed to throw the plastic cases away after one loading. Not so with smokeless loads- usually.

Black is neccessary as a class requirement.

2 5/8" or 2 7/8" loads will be just fine for CAS.

I use to load BP 10ga hunting loads (2 7/8"). I used fffg (3f) as I got better vel. and loaded 4 1/4 drams under 1 5/8oz shot. For CAS loads, I would only use 1 1/4 oz shot and 3 dr of powder. That will knock down any shotgun target.

Have fun.

Keith

Cards and felt wads will work the best with BP

thanks Keith!

Hog's got this right. You can measure the 3drams of bp, stick a card wad over the powder, and then adjust the felt or filler wads to enable a good crimp with the 1 1/4 oz shot load. You can also experiment with 10 gauge plastic wads, which you can cut down to facilitate a good crimp. I have been weighing the BP on a scale, slow I know but I haven't found a volume tool I like.

Regards

Jerry

FYI, i never crimped my 10ga Bp loads.

I glued the top card to hold it. A bead of plain old Elmer's glue works just fine. Just leave a 1/8" or so of the case above the top card, and place a filet/bead of glue around the inside. Let it dry a day or two, works fine. The case mouths will last longer. The old brass shells used "waterglass" to hold the top cards. This does the same thing.

Keith

thanks again!

The traditional loading for muzzle loading shotguns has for a long time been to use the same VOLUME measure of Shot as used for Powder.

The trick is in cartridges that you have to play games with wad thicknessto achieve the correct crimp of whatever type of crimp you desire.

Once just to see the result I loaded several hundred shells with BP and 1-1/8ox of #7-1/2's with modern wads by cutting out the cushion section of the wad.

It was quite a sight to see four guys running through a round of Trap on BP loads... it made a cloud of smoke like an 18th century naval battle