Never too old

Keep ya humble don't it..... but ball pullers have been around a long time
CC

Jeesh, knew better than to say I don't do it, usually got to BSing and dry balled at least once or twice a year back when I was shooting matches every week.

Aint done it lately but have in the past.I usualy Blow them out with a bit of fine powder under the Nipple.

Got a guy in my gun club who won't talk to me anymore because he claimed I caused him to forget the powder. Seems I was talking with a fellow shooter close enough for him to overhear and it distracted him. Problem was he could not, at first, figure out why the gun would not fire. Guess I compounded the matter when I questioned why he did not have his ram rod marked for barrel length of a dry bore.

I've never loaded a dry ball, i took it up a notch and broke off a bore brush in the breech of my Pennsylvania .50 cal:banghead:

PPB

PPB, That's what they called me for years at deer camp after I dry balled in front of everyone while we were loading to start the first hunt. PPB? that would be short for powder,patch,ball.

I would like to have pgif - powder goes in first -tattooed on my brain.

I was told more than 35 years ago when I started in BP that there were two types of shooters... Those that have loaded a ball without powder, and those that are going to load a ball without powder. I fall into the first category...

LD

First time I shot my son's 1860. Doh!

I once loaded two round balls into the same cylinder. And before you ask, second ball not seat below top of cylinder. Was a real pain in the butt to remove both balls but I learned my lesson. Was on a Colt 1860 so removal of cylinder was easy.

Did that on my 1851 Remington .36 cal. Cut the protuding ball flush with a pocket knife
then capped and fired.

I havnt dry balled in a while myself but what i found that helped me was a good system.

Once you find a good system and you stick with it speed in loading and accuracy will then fall into place. The fewer steps in your system the less chance you have to make a mistake.

A stand helped me, the quick charge tubes and leaving the load lever down after the last loaded ball.

I dont know if i can do 10 in 10 minutes but i think i can come close.

After nearly 40 years of shooting black powder revolvers, rifles and shotguns, I've made all of the mistakes and will again. No way around it. But now I know enough to fix most of them, hopefully.

Hasn't been 40+ years for me, just barely 4; but it's been three dry balls. :banghead:

Part of my "range kit" is a 12" piece of brazing rod (because the averages favor the 8" Remmie being the one that's down one charge of powder); and there's always at least 1 or 2 hammers in the truck box in the bed of my F150, even if I'm not going to the range.

I have a #16 nail i cut the point off that ive used a few times.

I never have done it myself, I don't think, but, I have helped many guys who have.

I have a CO2 blower that has worked, but not always. I have sprinled fairy-dust (FFFFg) behind the ball to blow it out, even having to touch off a pan with slowmatch. But I have NEVER gotten a stupid screw to bite into a lead ball and grip it enough to get out a ball. Never.

I don't believe anyone ever has. I think its a sham. Someone is filming us to laugh like Candid Camera...

If you haven't ever done it,... you just haven't sent enough ball downrange.

Been there, done that, drank outta that bottle!

Crawdad1 said:

After nearly 40 years of shooting black powder revolvers, rifles and shotguns, I've made all of the mistakes and will again. No way around it. But now I know enough to fix most of them, hopefully.

Click to expand...

Ever fire your ramrod. Mining the 25yrd range back stop for lead, this past summer I unearthed the tip of a ramrod.The shaft had been fiberglass and only an inch or so remained in the tip. My guess was some one fired it, picked up the shaft then could not find the tip.

At my old Muzzle Loader club we had a traveling trophy. It was a highly polished wood plaque with a target painted on it and a dowell rod permanently imbedded in the bullseye. It was a traveling trophy because sooner or later someone would shoot a ramrod down range. That person was awarded the trophy and had to keep it until the next person did it. Got to be a great joke around the club.

Well, you got me on that one because I've never fired my ramrod!!!! Let me re-phrase my response, "I've made MOST of the mistakes"

A certain re-enactment group here,shot the Ramrod out and it stuck in the leg of a horse rider.They also set a field on fire with cannon fire and burnt out some vehicles.