You are the first to claim BP doesn't work well in cold weather. Years back when I was a died in the wool muzzle loader, I did a weekend rendezvous and it was -30F with a wind chill of a -70F on Saturday - the shoot day. No one complained of guns not going off or poor performance. I froze my behind off and it was the last winter shoot I did. Maybe it was your primers - I'd try Federals at the least, or maybe the ones made for BP - if they really are different. On another thought, I have about 50 DGJs, and reread them. I just read one of Sherman Bells articles about using nitro and BP to see how they compared to each other.. He measured pressures at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12" down the barrel. He kept pressure down to BP pressure - 5500psi or less. He tried Blue Dot, 7625, and Clays keeping the velocity at 1250fps or less. Pressures were so close you could say they were the same. His favorite duck load was a 1 1/8oz of Bismuth, 16grs of PSB buffer, a Lage Uniwad and 24.5grs of 7625 in a Win hull and primer. #4 or 5s for ducks, #2s for geese. He had 1100fps and 5500psi one inch out from the breech. Maybe you could find some 7625 or send some of your shells in for testing. Precision Reloading does it. Good luck. Or just stoke it up with smoke.
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Paul Harm
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