black powder in 12 guage

[Dusty Earl]

I picked up a Baikal 26" double barrel 12 guage shotgun at a gun show. I would like to try making up some black powder loads. I do cartridge reloading and my buddy has a press for loading shotgun shells. Can you make your own wads out of common materials. I have made wads for loading black power in 45-70 out of egg carton material soaked in black powder lube. Some supplies are hard to get where I live.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Wads are available from CIRCLE FLY.  Here is the track of the Wolf catalogue listing;

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/170/2/WAD-07-B

I have a chipped 12 gauge wad punch, but can't find a ready reference to a current source.  Here are some of my wad materials;

Over Powder;   Scrap picture frame backing card material. Usually your local frame shop has 1/16" stuff - use two.

Cushion;  1/8" cork gasket material, pulp egg carton, Durofelt products, even soaked & rolled up paper towel pressed into a cut-off shell casing then dried.

Over shot;  The best I've found is waxed paper milk carton

Use your imagination.

[FriscoCounty]

For Magtech brass shells Circlefly (http://www.circlefly.com/) recommends 11ga for the nitro card (over powder), 11ga for 1/2" fiber wads, and 10ga for the overshot card.  I have found these to be good recommendations.   Also, I have found Ballistic Products (http://www.ballisticproducts.com/) to be another good source for wads and such.

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[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Ya know, Most if not all of this stuff is already in THE DARKSIDERS DEN, and THE DARK ARTS. Have a good lookee over there.

Here's one;  http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=33848.0

Here is an article.  Its for muzzleloaders, but cartridge guns are just a step up from frontstuffers

http://www.muzzleloadingshotguns.com/articles/feltwadsformuzzleloadingshotguns

[rickk]

Ballistic Products has everything you need 'cept for the BP istelf.

http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Nitro-Overshot-and-Filler-Wads/departments/211/

You might find that roll crimping works out better than star crimping, or you might not... it all depends on your loads. If roll crimping, you can cut a hull to any length and roll crimp it.  With a star crimp, realistically you will want to simply recrimp the original crimp, so you are stuck with the original length. You will need a roll crimping tool and possibly want a shell cuter as well. A hull vise is really nice to have too.

Probably not safe to use the plastic powder measure built into a regular shotshell reloader. You CAN use the shot dispenser though if you wish.

If you roll crimp, about the only thing you really need a reloader for is replacing the primer, and there are ways around needing a press for that too.

You can get punches of just about any size on ebay if you wish. The pre-punched wads from BPI cost so little though that it may not be worth the effort of buying a punch and punching them yourself. Also, to punch a thick fiber war with an Arch punch may prove difficult due to the thickness of the material.

[Bibbyman]

Mike Beliveau has thee videos on loading 12 ga with black powder on YouTube.  One with simple tools, one with old Lee hand loader and another using antique tools.

Here is the first of the three.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ4IBv0Bg9U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I just bought a Lee Loadall 2.  Why would it be a problem using it to measure black powder?  It's all plastic?

[Stu Kettle]

I just bought a Lee Loadall 2.  Why would it be a problem using it to measure black powder?  It's all plastic?

I load all my shotgun shells on one. None of the powder bushing hold enough volume for black powder loads. It's not a problem though just measure & dump your powder after you wear a primer & before you put the shell under the wad guide.

[Bibbyman]

Thanks, 

Since my post I checked the Lee web site.  They say no black powder because of remote chance of static discharge. 

I don't see the difference from using plastic dipper from a plastic dish? 

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Heh! Bibbyman;  Come on down to the Darksiders Den & The Dark Arts.  I know you will fit in well.

That doesn't mean that you have to be a stranger to your old friends, just making new ones.

[Stu Kettle]

Thanks, 

Since my post I checked the Lee web site.  They say no black powder because of remote chance of static discharge. 

I don't see the difference from using plastic dipper from a plastic dish? 

Their lawyers make them say that so they're not liable if someone blows themself up.

 I've seen powder clinging to my plastic dish because of the static. I've also seen video of an experiment to try to ignite black powder with static sparks - they couldn't make it happen. Doesn't mean it can't happen, but convinced me that it's pretty unlikely.

[cpt dan blodgett]

http://www.curtrich.com/bpsubsdummies.3.html  Cpt Geo Baylor discusses BP and Sub loading Mec 39A throws 50 grains more or less
WAA12R (red wads leave enough room for the powder.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Im a Cowboy action shooter.
I load 12ga with 40gr FFF BP.
7/8 oz shot .
Knockes them down everytime.
And puts out good smoke.