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Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 5:54 pm
by meles meles
Well oomans, we've finally done it: gotten ourselves a .45" muzzle loading pistol. We're going to feed it a BP substitute to start with rather than get ourselves involved in the faff of plywood boxes and explosives licences. What powdah do you recommend? Where should we look for a supply of lead balls ? Anything else we ought to consider?
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:08 pm
by dromia
I cannot recommend any black powder substitute.
Pyrodex is even more hygroscopic than BP and I have found 777 to have nasty pressure spikes, behaving more like smokeless (which it is) than BP.
Using BP in BP guns is well worth the small insignificant "faff" of getting a certificate and a box.
I cast my own soft lead ball.
Udder cream/lard/tallow beef, mutton, venison, badger/ etc
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:25 pm
by DW58
Well my Mustelid friend - you could burrow in the backstop sand at many ranges and find yourself a plentiful supply of lead balls for re-casting.
Perhaps a holiday job for the cubs?
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 6:26 pm
by meles meles
Smart thinking, DW58...
..but until then ?
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:13 pm
by FredB
www.henrykrank.com/
They have everything that you need.
Fred
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:17 pm
by FredB
It occured to me that you may actually not know what you need---
What have you got? WHAT IS THE ACTUALL BORE DIAMETER? 45 calibre black powder pistols don't usually use .45" diameter balls---. You have entered a new and confusing world.
Fred
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:21 pm
by meles meles
EEK !
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 8:53 pm
by meles meles
What we have is a .45 Thompson Center (sic) Patriot, likey so:
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:19 pm
by dodgyrog
DW58 wrote:Well my Mustelid friend - you could burrow in the backstop sand at many ranges and find yourself a plentiful supply of lead balls for re-casting.
Perhaps a holiday job for the cubs?
Lead from the butts is far too hard for muzzle loaders.
Re: Smoked Badger 2: what powdah and ball ?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2014 9:36 pm
by Doz
Unless of course you pick out the muzzle loader balls for recycling and leave the rest! :)