Does anyone know a forum for black powder or where I can learn more about black powder firearms?  I think I am getting bitten with a new bug!![whacko][whacko]

Sgtar15

PowderBurns' Black Powder / Muzzle Loader Forum:

[url]http://www.hotboards.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=powderburns[/url]

If you want to shoot BP in an AR we'll listen to ya . . . pretty wide open group. Ya gotta be civil though!

Check out the web site linked from the Forum. It's got some links and discussion.

It's a bad habit . . .

Thanks for the link...that's exactly what I was looking for!



On my last birthday I got a .32cal pistol.  Today I bought a .36cal pistol just because it looked so damn coll with the nickel finish and the excellent engraving, so yes I may be developing a new illness. I have yet to fire them as I feel I need to learn more before hand.

I enjoy my modern firearms but with older firearms I get a greater sense of history when I hold them (See post about newly acquired Remington model #8).

Sgtar15

Sgt

E-mail me and we can talk about it. I have been a member of the NMLRA for about 10 years. I shoot both rifles and pistols. Both Precussion and flintlocks. Flinters are my favorites.

All of my guns are rifled in very slow twists. So I shoot only patched round balls. Since I shoot in competition this is required.

I only use black powder in my guns. I have had to many ignition problems with Pyrodex. And for reliable ingnition in a flintlock black powder is a must. Pyrodex is also much more corosive than BP.

I have also hunted with patched round balls and have taken several very nice deer as well as numerous coyotes and other fun things to shoot.

Here is another link for you.

http://i.am/muzzleloader

But don't go in and talk aobut inlines. They are very traditional at this board. They only discuss traditional muzzleloaders and modern replicas.

Rusty

Thought the whole idea of Pyrodex was that it wasn't as corrosive as black powder?  If its not, then what use Pyrodex?

Getting into BP myself. Bought a .50 last winter and getting a .36 cal squirrel rifle shortly. .36 cal revolver soon after I'm sure.

bbauman

That is a common misconception about Pyrodex. But everything that I have read and heard about Pyrodex say that it is more corrosive than BP. Neither is corrosive prior to firing. What makes them both corrosive is the salts that are created after firing. These salts draw moisture to the steel of the barrel which quickly leads to rust and pitting(sp?).

What I have read is that if you use Pyrodex you need to clean your gun very soon after shooting. Where with BP you need to clean it soon after shooting. I clean my rifles immediately after firing all the time anyway so this subtle difference makes no difference to me.

I have heard several reasons for Pyrodex. Pyrodex is classfied as a propellant as is smokeless powder where BP is classified as a low grade explosive. This allows it to be sold in areas that do not allow BP. It also allows Pyrodex to be shipped through UPS. Second they say it burns cleaner than BP but in muzzleloading clean is relative. There is no such thing as a clean shooting muzzleloader. Finally they also say that you get more a more consistent burn with Pyrodex. I am not sure if this is true.

In my experience Pyrodex is much more difficult to ignite. I tried it in my .54 caliber precussion rifle. I would get failure to fire at least one out of every two shots if not more often. So I went back to BP. I also shoot flintlocks and Pyrodex is impossible in flinters.

I also stay with BP simply for the traditional nature of the sport. Why shoot a replica rifle based on a 150 (or greater) year old design and not use BP? To me it is traditional and just seems the right way to shoot a muzzle loader.

Thanks Rusty.

I have shot Pyrodex and Clean Shot powders. Clean Shot does have a lot less fouling from what I've seen. Will have to try some real BP.

The real savings from Pyrodex is the cost savings. Weigh 100grs (by volume) of Pyrodex, and it will weigh less than 100grs (by volume) of FFg blackpowder. Cost around here is about the same for 1# of Goex BP and 1# of Pyrodex. Also, Pyrodex is much cleaner than most blackpowders. There's not as much variation between lots of Pyrodex as there is between lots of BP. Pyrodex is harder to ignite-don't use it in flintlocks, unless it is with a starter charge of BP. I shoot a stainless steel sidelock. I like tradition and will never shoot an inline, but I hate the idea of rust ever getting a foothold on one of my weapons.

Poodleshooter

Around here I can pick up BP for about $7 a pound sometimes a little less. So the cost is not to prohibitive. I don't know how that compares with Pyrodex since I never buy any.

One of the main sources of fouling with BP is the excess graphite that is left after coating the grains. What I do to remove this is pour a pound of powder into an old white tube sock. I put the sock into a 5 gallon bucket close the lid and shake it for a minute or two. (I do this with 3 to 5 pounds). When I am done the sock is gray. The gray is the graphite that has been removed. After doing this I get a much cleaner burn.

A second source of fouling with BP is oil based patch lubes. I use Ox-Yoke wonder lube 1000 plus. I get great accuracy and do not get a lot of fouling either.

Since I do a lot of competition I also am in the habit of running a wet patch and a dry patch through the bore after each shot. Although this is not required it keeps accuracy high and makes cleaning up after a shoot much easier.

I have also never had a problem with rust in any of my BP firearms. I shoot them a lot and clean them after I am finsihed. I never use any oil on the guns either. Using oil in the bore can destroy the seasoning of the barrell. A well seasoned barrell will resist rust on its own. That is because the patch lube fills in the pores of the metal and keeps the BP residue from ever touching the steel.

In fact from what I have heard you are more likely to get rust in a gun from pyrodex than you are from BP. Remember our forefathers used BP and all they had to clean their guns with was water. Kind of makes you wonder what all the fuss is about sometimes.

Leaving in 3 weeks to go to Camp Perry for the Pacific Zone championships for the United States International Muzzleloading Team. My son and I both qualified for the competition. For me it just means getting my ass kicked by better competition.For my son it's his first international competion but I expect he'll do alright (He holds 8 national records in the junior division of the NMLRA) Competitive black powder is one of the biggest kicks I've ever had. Been doing it now since 1978 and can't see ever stopping until I just can't do it anymore.Also some of the finest people you'd ever want to meet.

Cav Guy

Good luck to you and your son. Remember: Aim small, miss small.

Rusty

I was bitten too and bought a Thompson Black Diamond.  It's a very fine weapon.  I'd like to share the experiance.  My addy is

[email protected]

Rusty, and all you other frontstuffers, try to come out to Phoenix in Feb. for the Western/Winter nationals. Wonderful weather and a ton of different things to shoot.

Cav Guy

A friend and I are already planning that trip. My parents have a condo in Scottsdale so we can even stay for free. [:)]

Hopefully we will get a chance to meet.

Rusty