black powder shotshell reloading

[William Davis]

I load BP for my Parker Lifter. Got a head start from a friend of mine who shoots a lot of black powder, saved me some trouble with loads, here is a quick recap.

You can load plastic hulls but they burn out fast, Paper is better, fellow gave me a bushel basket full, old though, get some separations so watch them after each shot. Always a good idea to look through the barrels before loading a fresh shell

Regular primer, 209W for me

Bulk Black 2 F bought from a Re-enactors supply house works as good as more expensive pound cans

Loading on a PW 375 except don't use it to throw the powder charge, throw with a Lyman 55 in a empty shell then pour the powder in the hull with a funnel while the hull is in the loading die. Most 375 bushings and I assume Mec's are not large enough for black charges

Ballistic products sells wads for stacked loads. Nitro Card over the powder. Then a fiber wad to take up space. If you get 1/2 inch wads they can be split to make the stack height come out right. Less wad for larger powder and shot loads more wad for light. I am putting a thin overshot wad on the shot before fold crimping. Old Paper cases rough at the mouth are not crimping clean, without it get leaking shot.

If you roll crimp you need the O/S wad anyhow. Rolling is another thing. I roll some of my 10's so far don't need to with the 12. I may roll some spreader loads for it.

Load is taken from a old Parker ad for light loads that was posted here. 2 1/2 Drams 2 F 1 oz. 7 1/2 shot. Good target load, hunting I would bump up to 3 D 1 1/8 oz

One tip my buddy gave me that works well is keeping the barrels wiped. I use a small squirt bottle, car glove compartment eyeglass cleaner size. 50/50 Anti Freeze-Water. After a station, 4-6 shots a small squirt in each barrel. Then one push through each barrel with 1/4 piece of a paper blue shop towel. Towels and bottle fit in my shell bag.

I carry the gun station to station with a wood wiping rod that has a large ball handle dropped in the open breech. Drop it beside me on the ground. shoot wipe then back in the open gun. If you keep it wiped you can shoot all day.

Had it with me at the Spring Southern but rain keep my Sunday shooting short never took the lifter out of the case.

Good luck

William

[Snap Cap]

Jim, William gave you a really good and important piece of advice when he wrote "Always a good idea to look through the barrels before loading a fresh shell". I cannot emphasize how important that step is, particularly if you are shooting reloads using hulls of the older paper base wad design. Even though the target may be broken and the recoil and sound may be normal on a shot, the base wad may occasionally separate and be left in the bore. It can then form an obstruction on the next shot through that tube.

Thanks William. HTH Fred.

[William Davis]

Agree probably should have put more emphasis on it.

Without keeping count my guess is I have had 3 or 4 case head separations with paper hulls. One paper tube left in the barrel would probably cause it to burst or at a mimum bulge.

Look every shot !

William