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Alan B. Webber
08-13-2021, 06:45 PM
Does anyone have a black powder load for a 4" brass case 4 bore?
I saw a load from an English website for 9 drams of BP and 3 1/2 oz of shot.
I guess I'm ok with the shot but 9 drams seems like an awful lot of powder.
Thanks!
Dave Noreen
08-14-2021, 10:51 AM
I've got nothing on 4-gauge loads, but Union Metallic Cartridge Co. offered up to 7 drams of black powder pushing 2 ounces of shot in the 8-gauge. From the 1909 UMC catalog --

https://i.imgur.com/InEZH6f.png
charlie cleveland
08-14-2021, 11:16 AM
9 drams of powder would be a light load in the 4 bore....see tom arbrust or call him he is very keen on this 4 bore...charlie
CraigThompson
08-14-2021, 11:44 AM
Straight from Armbrust’s book !
Alan B. Webber
08-14-2021, 11:50 AM
Thanks for that info.
I just saw a load for a 2 bore at 15 drams and 5 oz of shot so maybe 9 drams in a 4 is light.
I just got a scientific approach from my brother: measure the volume of the 4" case, subtract the volume of the wads used, divide the difference by 2 and put in equal amounts of powder and shot.
Hmmm? I'll measure it.
Alan B. Webber
08-14-2021, 12:46 PM
10 drams of FFG it is.
Thanks!
CraigThompson
08-14-2021, 03:50 PM
10 drams of FFG it is.
Thanks!

Far be it for me to say , however if it were me I think I’d go with the 85 grains of Blue Dot . But then I’m no fan of BP .
charlie cleveland
08-14-2021, 06:27 PM
please let us know how this four bore shoots....charlie
Alan B. Webber
08-14-2021, 07:50 PM
I thought about the Blue Dot. I'm kind of tired of the BP
cleanup.
It's not my gun. It's an English side by side a friend just bought. I'm just the powder monkey.
Inasmuch as I'll probably end up cleaning it maybe I'll use the blue dot.
I would like to stone a couple of pigeons at the next live pigeon shoot with BP just for fun.
Alan B. Webber
08-14-2021, 07:53 PM
I'll let you know how it shoots for sure
CraigThompson
08-15-2021, 06:08 PM
I thought about the Blue Dot. I'm kind of tired of the BP
cleanup.
It's not my gun. It's an English side by side a friend just bought. I'm just the powder monkey.
Inasmuch as I'll probably end up cleaning it maybe I'll use the blue dot.
I would like to stone a couple of pigeons at the next live pigeon shoot with BP just for fun.

I shot a couple Pheasent cock birds with my hammer 8 gauge at a tower shoot in WVA in January . I got a charge out of that to say the least .
charlie cleveland
08-15-2021, 09:26 PM
the 4 bore should make a great long distance crow gun..my old 8 bores have done good on crows...charlie