bp 8 gauge loads
 

Im looking for loading data for 8 gauge bp loads , specifically for 2oz and perhaps 3oz loads . All I could find was people saying in black powder shotguns your powder charge should match your shot charge . Not sure what that means though . I was thinking off the top of my head it would probably take about 150gr of bp to get a 2oz load moving ? Also is Fg or FFg better for the 8 gauges ? I found conflicting information on that .

paul harm may can help you with the black powder loads in 8 ga....if this old gun of yours is in good shape she will handle the 2 ounce load with ease.....she ll need to be in good shape with the 3 ounce load...i have shot 3 ounces loading smokeless powder in the 8 ga and the 10 ga....the 8 gauge seems to like big shot like no 2 and bb shot my guns patterened the best with large shot....your gun should make a awsome turkey gun.....charlie

Thats the big question , Im anxious to get it in hand to inspect the bores .
It looks to have been kept in decent condition and the nipples appear to be in good shape .

Charlie in Georgia #2 is actually legal for Turkey , now no one uses it but I am curious as to how the larger shot would pattern in the 8 gauge .
I have shot 3oz 10 gauge loads from nitro ammo in a 10lb zephyr single shot .
It was brutal to best describe it . I have owned so far about 5 10 gauges , 2 sxs with 2 7/8 chambers and the other 3.5" . Honestly the 2oz loads @1300fps and the 2 1/4 oz loads never bothered me as far as recoil goes .The 2 oz loads did pattern better than the 2 1/4oz loads in the 10 ga 3.5s for me . Now I have read but dont know how true this is , that these guns with the double keyways that keep the barrels in place were designed for heavier loads . Now that I have any intention to shoot max loads . 2oz loads in a 16lb gun should be pretty soft and should be close to a square shot column in the 8 gauge ?

A square load for an 8 gauge load of 2oz of shot would be 4 1/2 drams of BP. I would think an over powder card plus a cushion wad plus another over powder card would work well. Most old school loads for 10 gauge and larger professed F. I use FFF in my 12 gauge. I would try F and compare it to FF. On the wad column You might skip the cushion wad and just use two over shot cards to see how it patterns. You have lots of fun ahead of you figuring out what the old girl likes. I would get a good brass rod to load with as the guns ramrod might not be up to the abuse of range shooting. McMaster Carr has brass rods https://www.mcmaster.com/brass-rods. I tapped the end of mine for a ramrod button https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...+Ramrod+Button

I will look into that thank you . I am hoping that the ole girl has shootable bores . Such a heavy built 8 gauge I am hopeful . Dont know if I will use it for turkey hunting next year though as I may have a parkers 8 gauge come February now that will be interesting .

For 1100$ I dont think I will be too disappointed , I have looked at the 8 gauge muzzleloaders on gunsinternational and they are all twice as much and look worse for wear .

On a gun of this vintage would it be risky to remove the nipples for cleaning ? I have seen videos of people shooting original civil war muskets and they appear to be using the original nipples .

I think I added up that a 22lb bag of shot will provide 76 , 2oz loads or somewhere in that range .I was looking at the magnum chilled shot on the bpi website . I was thinking the plated lead shot would not be the best for the old girl ?

I think the chilled shot might be easier on the bore just because it's softer. I would give the nipples a good squirt of Kroil and let it sit a day before having a go at them. You might nick the brides hair dryer and put some heat to them first as well. I have a 14 bore George Thompson English SXS with Laminated barrels that I shot the original nipples. I think you got a deal on your new 8 bore and I'm anxious to view your follow up reports. I have an Irish double shot snake from Dixie Gun Works that is adjustable to throw 1 1/4, 1 1/2, or 2 oz of shot. I have a shot card in the bottom of mine to throw 1 oz of shot on its lowest setting.

I have been looking at shot throwers on the possible shop that throw up to 2oz I believe it was .I am anxious as well to get it in hand and let the old gal breathe back to life . As someone once said these old guns just have a hunting spirit about them that you dont get with new made guns .

I was looking at the prelubed wads online .

Yes! Circle Fly is a good source for lubed wads. I have taken an old recipe for lube and made them myself. As I recall it's one part mutton tallow https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...roduct_id/2669 one part paraffin wax (you'll find this in the grocery store), and 1/2 part bees wax (google it as even walmart has it). This lube sets up hard and is great for cap and ball revolvers. When you melt them together and its in its liquid state I dip the cushion wads about half way. I load the gun lub side up.

I gave my laminated steel barreled muzzle loader the Firestone Test. I bungie strapped it to a tire with some stiff loads, hid behind the bulldozer, and pulled the triggers with a long string.

Oh, many advise using wonder lube to prevent rusting after cleaning. I have gotten rust even after a liberal application. I've found a non petroleum product that works great. Fluid Film https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fluid-Film-...saAm35EALw_wcB

Haha that's actually similar to what I had in mind of trying ! I guess a stiff load for the 8 would be a 3oz load . Might need a bigger tire however lol .

How do you clean your bores ? I was looking at 2 in 1 solvent and lubes . I know alot of people say use soapy water . I just don't like the idea of putting 150yr old barrels in the bathtub .

You want to avoid petroleum based products as they will foul the barrels badly when shooting. I take the barrels off the gun and put the breach in a plastic drywall bucket about half full of hot soy water. I wrap a cleaning patch around the wire brush and work it up and down the barrel. This will suck the hot soapy water into the barrels. It doesn't take many strokes to clean the soot out. I follow up with a new patch and a bucket full of just hot water. You're done cleaning. I have a heat gun (you can use the brides hair dryer) and blow down into the barrels with the nipples out. Some dry patches followed by Fluid Film and you're done. I go back an a day or so and run some dry patches through the barrels to make sure everything is still ok. Then another patch soaked in Fluid Film. There are many products on the market to make cleaning sound easy. The hot soapy water method is what I've found the quickest and easiest. Dawn soap works great. If you're into black powder heresy Alliant's Black MZ is a substitute that is virtually non corrosive and will clean with just a few swipes of a water soaked patch.

I just read that black mz was discontinued . I suppose i will give the hot water and soap a try . I'm ready to get some powder and load her up haha .

It's been so long ago all I remember was I shot 4oz of shot and 400grs of 1F. A square load is by volume, a equal amount of powder and shot. I have two old adjustable powder/shot dippers and the drams is shown on one side and the shot in oz on the other. They don't go to 3 or 4 oz, but one shows at 2oz 4.5 drams and the other 4.75drams of powder. So doubling that we get either 246 or 259 grs of 2f at 4 oz. Say 250 and if I add a bit for 1F, maybe 300. Looks like I was a bit high, but then it was a gun I helped make [ there were 3 of them, each of us did a different job making them ] and the barrels were quite thick. They were side hammer O/Us and they weighed around 20 lbs. The brother in-law who owned a machine shop made the barrels from thick seamless tubing, the neighbor made the locks, triggers, and all the hardware, and it was my job to get the wood and make some guns out of everything. If I shot directly overhead it would push me flat on my back. It wasn't so much of a kick, just a big push. I ended up choking mine by heating the end of the barrels and with a tapered swedge put about .008 in each barrel. At 60yds it would completely cover two newspapers side by side. And the geese coming in to decoys in farm fields dropped dead. I first tried buckshot but couldn't get good patterns so I went to #2 shot. I'd get the nipples out one way or the other. Even if you have to drill them out and re-tap them. A 1/4X28 is a common thread and nipples are easy to find with that size. A believe it's a #7 drill and the tap shouldn't cost you more than $20 and a couple of nipples and you're good to go. Go to Track of the Wolf or Dixie Gun Works for what you need. www.circlefly.com has the wads you'll need. Good luck.

My dipper shows a 2 7/8 load at 5 1/2drams of powder [ 150grs ]. Harry had some good hints about cleaning. I do as he did except when done with the clean water I run a dry patch down the barrel, then one with WD-40 to remove any moisture, then one with good ol REM-oil.

I have been reading alot about this stuff called eezox alot of blackpowder shooters seem to swear by it saying its the best thing they have used .
I do know wd40 is useful because it displaces water at least from what I have read .

I am hoping the proof load is on the barrel flats , the Belgians had a proofing house like the English from what I have seen . I am confused about the make of the barrels some say that london was marked on Belgian barrels to try to upsell their guns . But I have also read that smaller Belgian makers or guild guns would order they barrels from the UK . So who knows ?

I didnt wanted to start another thread but If i buy a 8 gauge cartridge gun is anyone loading blackhorn 209 in theirs ? From the accounts I have read it shoots clean and isnt very corrosive if at all .

I was tempted to buy a single 4 bore recently I found a company that sells them new made , price is around 2000$ . I was thinking a 36" single 4 bore half stock would be something to own but with a true 4 bore load . 1760grs I believe is just too much recoil for me haha . They use a ed rayl barrel so Im sure its well made .

I was looking at 8 gauge wads on buffalo arms since they also carry blackpowder I figured i would try to buy all the shooting supplies from the same store . I hear if shooting real bp swiss is the way to go .

I was thinking of testing the 8 gauge with a 5 dram load and 3oz of shot to test the barrels but my hunting load will be 2oz if the gun is sound .

From 1891 to 1899, Union Metallic Cartridge Co. only offered loaded shells in 10- to 20-gauge. They offered both brass and paper NPEs for 8- and 4- gauge. By 1900 they were offering loaded 8-gauge shells.

In their 1900 catalog Union Metallic Cartridge Co. offered quite a range of 8-gauge loads, bulk smokeless matching the black powder loads.

Attachment 74255

They must have discovered some of those loads in smokeless were too hot and cut the smokeless loads back by 1901 --

Attachment 74256

1903 --

Attachment 74257

1905 --

Attachment 74258

I wish 1000 8 gauge shells could be had today for 80$ !
Seems like 2oz is considered a heavy load for the 8 gauge by those listings .
I think a 2oz load should pattern pretty good in the 8 gauge bore .
Most modern shotguns have no idea what a square shot column is or means .

I have seen some data a few years ago showing what the 8 ga industrial slugs were loaded to . I want to say it was a 3oz slug at 2500 fps .Which is crazy when you think about it because thats about 2x the projectile weight of heavy 50 bmg about 150fps slower .

I think when I get my 8 ga cartridge gun next year the bp data should be similair between the 8 ga shell and muzzle loader both using 2oz .

I planned on ordering some cases from RMC next year but seen yesterday they are planning on closing up shop.

I've heard many compliments on Goex Olde Eynsford black powder. A hundred years ago they found what patterns best and you might find a lighter load than 2oz will pattern better. The Fluid Film I mentioned earlier is a lanolin based and not result in black powder fouling like petroleum based products. https://www.theruststore.com/Fluid-F...l-P179C67.aspx I wipe my bore out with rubbing alcohol prior to loading. When I start to get fouling on the range I will swab the bore with MAP (equal parts of murphy's oil soap, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide) followed by rubbing alcohol. MAP will often do as good a job cleaning the barrels as soap and water.

Thanks I will check that out also .

I also wanted to ask has anyone bought and used the ch 8 ga dies for resizing industrial cases ? I have a theory that if the specific case wax/lube ( I will have to look up the brand) used for resizing 50 bmg brass will resize those cases who are blown way out of spec from m2 chambers . I think that particular case lube would work just as well on resizing industrial cases .

Imperial sizing wax is what it's called

My Smallwood Damascus 8 bore has 4" chambers and is marked on the flats for 2 7/8 oz shot and 8 drams of powder.