reloading black powder shells

[charlie cleveland]

the pine cone powder is easy to make...I put the pine cones in a 12 inch cast iron skillet with a cast iron top on the skillet...place on a fire or a gas stove top let heat for about and hour or until smoke quits coming out from under the lid...take off fire and let cool then I use a wood hammer handle and grind up the pine cones in the skillet..takes about 15 minutes or less to grind pine cone into charcoal....look on internet for the right amount of charcoal sulpher and salt peter ratios to mix powder...thentumble in a tumbler for about 8 hours then mix rubbing achoul with the contents till its about like play dough then run it threw a flour sifter into a cookie pan..then set it in the sun for a day letting it dry....then your ready to shoot it....look on you tube for exact directions on how to make black powder....charlie