Double or triple wads in a BP revolver

[Leo Tanner]

Actchly the trip 7 in a 44 OT aint bad.  The rammer just likes ta slip it's catch when I shoot 25 grains   No other damage to report.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Yup - dead-on right about the T7 being hot. Actually, the only reason I needed to experiment with it is 'cause it has to be a reduced load from the normal BP loads. I wasn't 'xactly shur what the 45/75 case held, and didn't want to trust my 60 gr. spout from the flask I had. My other stuff/powders I pretty much load 'er up and squeeze it in. I just had a fair amount of this T7 layin' around and decided to play some.....didn't really want to use it in my OT guns, but the OMV handles it OK. Might stuff some into the 45/60 and see how that works too. Been using BP and "RS" pyrodex up to now.

Question fer ya, Dirty Brass:  why do ya think you MUST shoot reduced loads?  Trip 7 may be 10% or so more energetic than Goex, but it still falls below what a "BP equivalent" (which I never believe) load of modern smokeyless powder will do.  It ain't rocket fuel.

If you're just trying for reduced loads, then that's one thing; but thinking that 777 is so much more powerful than BP just ain't so.

Have fun whatever ya do - I'm not tryin' to stir up an argument.

[Fiddler Green]

All funnin aside, I like ta use a slower burning powder for experimentin.  That trip 7 makes fer a hot load.  My wife asked me once when we were usin it why there was no fire.  Tolt her "cause there's nothin left ta burn once the hammer hits".

I don't get it. 

Are your saying that you really like smokeless powder, but, you want to use up some Triple Seven so you can post here? 

Triple Seven is the least BP'ish of the subs. OK you have allot of it (that's a whole nother thread!), but your talking about this like it's smokeless powder.

Bruce

[Dirty Brass]

Question fer ya, Dirty Brass:  why do ya think you MUST shoot reduced loads?  Trip 7 may be 10% or so more energetic than Goex, but it still falls below what a "BP equivalent" (which I never believe) load of modern smokeyless powder will do.  It ain't rocket fuel.

If you're just trying for reduced loads, then that's one thing; but thinking that 777 is so much more powerful than BP just ain't so.

Have fun whatever ya do - I'm not tryin' to stir up an argument.

Steel Horse Bailey - I guess maybe I'm perceiving the info in Hodgdens data incorrectly. I wanted to keep my loads at a safe pressure, but I may have misconstrued the line " Triple Seven is a high energy product designed to provide the muzzleloading hunter with higher velocities when used in the same VOLUME as blackpowder. To duplicate a blackpowder load velocity using Triple Seven, you must decrease the powder charge by 15%. *See WARNING below. " to pertain to pressures instead of normal BP loads and velocities. Thanks for pointing that out. Reckon' I can relax a bit. I just don't have everyone elses confidence in the strength of the toggle-link actions, and even more so the OT revolvers, which I also load in T7. Plus the fact that felt recoil seemed a lot higher using T7 in my 45 loads. I guess I equated that to higher pressure too, or at the very least more punishing to the gun.

I'm no expert at this stuff - everyday is a learning experience for me

[Angel_Eyes]

To get back to the original thread, ( some folks do get led off the straight and narrow so easily)

At yesterday's match, I was quickly loading my ROA's for the first stage, part way thru' cyl. 2, when I realised:-

a, that I still had my 20gr spout on the flask.
b, that I had completely forgotten the wads.
c, as I was loading off the pistol with my home made loader, the balls were well down the chamber.

I finished loading both cylinders and because of the depth to the ball decided on no top lube and to suck it and see.
I shot the stage with no misfires and no ring fire!!!

Shot all five stages with the same load and even cleared some of them,,,no problems at all,,,so much for wads.
BTW, prelubed wads over here cost £5.00 per 100, so I saved £2.50

Do some of you make your own wads? and what lube do you use?

Angel Eyes, (£2.50 better off!)

[Fiddler Green]

Do some of you make your own wads? and what lube do you use?

Angel Eyes, (£2.50 better off!)

The original thread spoke of Triple 7 so it's fair game here.

Do some of you make your own wads? and what lube do you use?

Angel Eyes, (£2.50 better off!)

Bore Butter: never found a need to spend money on wads. Take a look at the recent thread on the "Black Powder Greenhorn" for advise on lubes.

Bruce

[Fingers McGee]

Shot all five stages with the same load and even cleared some of them,,,no problems at all,,,so much for wads.
BTW, prelubed wads over here cost £5.00 per 100, so I saved £2.50

Do some of you make your own wads? and what lube do you use?

Angel Eyes, (£2.50 better off!)

I get pre cut dry wads from Buffalo Arms http://www.buffaloarms.com/browse.cfm/2,249.html  Lube is a mixture of beeswax and olive oil/crisco/bore butter/wonder lube.  The last batch I made used bore butter.  You need to play with the proportions some to get the best mix for you.  Mine id about 75% beeswax to 25% bore butter/wonder lube/crisco.  Using olive oil it's more like 80-85% beeswax to 15-20% olive oil.

If you dont want to go through all that, Buffalo Arms prelubed wads are a decent price; and bpstuffllc.com has prelubed wads at a good price too.  http://www.bpstuffllc.com/index.htm

FM

[Leo Tanner]

I don't get it. 

Are your saying that you really like smokeless powder, but, you want to use up some Triple Seven so you can post here? 

Triple Seven is the least BP'ish of the subs. OK you have allot of it (that's a whole nother thread!), but your talking about this like it's smokeless powder.

Bruce

I don't see how you came that impression.  I shoot Goex for the most part, but tried some of the 777 when it was all I could get my hands on without taking a long drive.  It smokes plenty, it just burns faster so it doesn't flame out at the muzzel.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Steel Horse Bailey - I guess maybe I'm perceiving the info in Hodgdens data incorrectly. I wanted to keep my loads at a safe pressure, but I may have misconstrued the line " Triple Seven is a high energy product designed to provide the muzzleloading hunter with higher velocities when used in the same VOLUME as blackpowder. To duplicate a blackpowder load velocity using Triple Seven, you must decrease the powder charge by 15%. *See WARNING below. " to pertain to pressures instead of normal BP loads and velocities. Thanks for pointing that out. Reckon' I can relax a bit. I just don't have everyone elses confidence in the strength of the toggle-link actions, and even more so the OT revolvers, which I also load in T7. Plus the fact that felt recoil seemed a lot higher using T7 in my 45 loads. I guess I equated that to higher pressure too, or at the very least more punishing to the gun.

I'm no expert at this stuff - everyday is a learning experience for me

Howdy again, D.B.

Believe me, after shootin' BP since the early 70s, I'm STILL learnin'!  If I ever quit learnin', I figgure I'll be dead! 

My point is this: I CERTAINLY am NOT trying to out-think Hodgden - heck, they invented the stuff!  Their key phrase is "To duplicate a blackpowder load velocity"  I simply want to point out that these new guns will handle 'bout ANY BP or BP sub load safely, because of the slower burn properties.

Myself - I LIKE the fact that if I want to make a BP "Magnum" load, and still be safe in my BP ONLY guns, I can do it with Trip7 without worryin' too much ... or at all.  Certainly an OLD gun, perhaps an antique or one of the substandard wallhanger cheapos (I have a pretty cool lookin' engraved derringer that I haven't had enough trust to shoot, for example) shouldn't be used with 777, but modern Piettas, Ubertis, Berettas, ASMs and more I haven't named will be fine with what ya feed it.

Just for DUPLICATING an existing load, well - It's right there on the Hodgdon site and I certainly ain't claiming to know better!


Have fun ... and make plenty of smoke (only REAL BP will make fire & smoke)!!

[Leo Tanner]

It's true an the fire is part of the experience!  A powder that burns so fast that it is done burning BEFORE the bullet leaves the muzzel has more pressure behind it and impact on the frame than a powder that is still burning grains after our little lead friend is on it's way down range.  Aint lookin ta be in the Disney light parade but I do like that fire

[litl rooster]

would you buy a powder that advertized it as a low energy powder for muzzel loaders?

[Fiddler Green]

would you buy a powder that advertized it as a low energy powder for muzzel loaders?

Well, Gee....not if I could put in 16 wads and a half a bowl of cereal!

Bruce

[Steel Horse Bailey]

 

[DoubleDropB]

I appreciate the input. I'll have to experiment both ways. I've heard though, the closer the ball is to the mouth, the better the accuracy. My main concern is the ball not being seated on the powder, just doesn't look like the rammer could push it down far enough with light loads. The little ones like shooting the 'cowboy guns' as they call them, hence my concern for proper loading. I only run Goex 3f in my revolvers, never tried the newfangled stuff.

[Fiddler Green]

I appreciate the input. I'll have to experiment both ways. I've heard though, the closer the ball is to the mouth, the better the accuracy. My main concern is the ball not being seated on the powder, just doesn't look like the rammer could push it down far enough with light loads. The little ones like shooting the 'cowboy guns' as they call them, hence my concern for proper loading. I only run Goex 3f in my revolvers, never tried the newfangled stuff.

I don't know how old your sons are, but, I had an 11 year old girl shooting my Colt, 1860 Army this weekend and she had no problem with it. She even liked the .44 Cal. 1860 over my .36 cal. 1851.

Or, maybe it's just that girls are tougher, in California. 

Bruce