"You say 1/8" I say.00???..."

[Ol Gabe]

Fellow Shooters & Reloaders,
Had a chat with a fellow Shooter the other day and he asked what the difference in compression was "...between .00 such-and-such and inches, because the Ol Time Buff Hunters didn't have a way to measure in .000's did they?"
Well, after scratching my head and trying to answer him with explanations of bullet depth, engraving, measuring powder in the case with a hash mark on a dowel, etc., etc., etc., I got more confused then I was before and said I'd ask the pros here for an easy conversion method and reason why it is the way it is.
OK, have at it!
Best regards and good measuring!
'Ol Gabe

[Black River Smith]

Here is a summary for loading Sharps rifles.  These are original instructions written by the Sharps Co.  They are taken from the book 'Sharps Rifle'  'The Gun That Shaped American Destiny' by Martin Rywell.  This is copied and pasted from a Word table file I created, so I hope it pastes properly.

Rifle and carbines
Drill whole in hardwood the size of case
Insert case so rim is even with surface of board
Perforate cap on side of center with awl
Pry out cap
Clean out debris
Inset new cap
Charge with 70 grains of powder
Place paste board wad on powder
Force wad down the full length of follower
Insert a lubricant disk made of Beeswax/sperm oil(1/2) that is 3/16"
Dip bullet in lub
Insert point of bullet into the ball seater
Insert case into ball seater from bottom
Press case with hand to seat bullet
Paper patched bullets are seated by hand only
Wipe case clean

Long range rifles
Drill whole in hardwood the size of case
Insert case so rim is even with surface of board
Perforate cap on side of center with cap awl
Pry out cap
Clean out debris
If you find bullet fits loosely reduce the mouth with the crimper
Inset new cap being careful to seat it below base
Charge with 100 grains of powder using a loading tube of 30"
Pour powder slowly  to pack it in, to at least 1/16 from mouth
Place a thin wad  draughting paper on powder
Place the paper patched bullets within the casing with fingers only
Insert case into ball seater from bottom
Press case with hand to seat bullet gently down to the powder


Sorry the table did not paste as I had it laid out.  But this should give some the idea.  I have the table laid out to show gaps or differences between the loading instructions, it helped to see the variances.  The columns I created where for the 4 different loading instructions,  Rifle/Carbine; Creedmoor Rifles; Long Range Rifles; and Sporting Rifles.  I have only listed the General rifle and the Long Range instructions since these are where your question centers around.

In my mind it shows that they were not as 'anal'ytical about loading as we are today.  We have more time, money and equipment to play around with.  Today we make things look more difficult than they need be.  But then that is 'marketing' and now you need to buy this product and that one in order to load for accuracy.

Note the mentioning of one different/specific 'product' in the Rifle/carbine instruction, that being the 'Follower'.  This would be equivalent to todays compression die or just a plugger to seat the wad and compact the powder.  It was not adjustable.  And note it is not used or referenced in the Long Range at all.

I read one source that the Buffalo Hunters used wooden presses to finish the loading process.  Two drilled wooden blocks, set several ready casing in one block press the two halves together thus seating the bullet in the casing and finishing the reloading process.  Not real sophisticated and precise but got the job done.  No crimp either.

Hope this helps a little.

[Bristow Kid]

Man I wish the instruction I got for reloading were that simple.  Would have put my mind more at ease.  But I got a good start now waiting for Saturday to see how the shoot.  Thanks again Gabe for all your help getting me started on the right path.

Bristow Kid

[Delmonico]

The average buffalo buffalo hunter would have not had the tools to measure that fine, but they were there.  The industrial revolution would have not been there with out them, the vernier calipers and I belive also the micrometer were in use at the time, I'll double check on the micrometer.  One who knows how to use a verier caliper can measure that fine.

Folks need to understand this time was not always as primative as they taught us in grade school.

[Lone Oak]

Bristow Kid-

I presume you're going to the Fall Buffalo Shoot at Ackley?? Good luck. Wish I could make it down there for it but they only let me into Iowa one time per year. Watch out for those other Minnesota fellas- Ron Williams and Bob Van Cleve- and say "hi" to 'em for me if you get the chance. They're good people and fun to shoot with too. Anyway, Lord willing I'll see you at the Spring shoot.

Lone Oak
(Ted K)

[Bristow Kid]

Sorry to hear you can't make it.  I am very excited because this will be my first shoot with BP.  I am praying I loaded everything right.  I look forward to seeing you in the spring.

Bristow Kid

[RRio]

"A vernier scale lets one read more precisely from an evenly divided straight or circular measurement scale. It is fitted with a sliding secondary scale that is used to indicate where the measurement lies when it is in-between two of the marks on the main scale.

It was invented in its modern form in 1631 by the French mathematician Pierre Vernier (1580–1637)."

"The Imperial units or the Imperial system is a collection of English units, first defined in the Weights and Measures Act of 1824, later refined (until 1959) and reduced. The units were introduced in the United Kingdom and its colonies, including Commonwealth countries (though most Commonwealth countries are now fully metricated), but excluding the then already independent United States. Systems of Imperial units are sometimes referred to as foot-pound-second, after the base units of length, mass and time."


Just FYI.

RRio

[Delmonico]

Thanks, I knew that they dated a ways back.