BP & the economy

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CANNONMAN

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I'm in between experiments and cannon production. The classes start up Aug. 25. Anyway, as I am fairly new here, I began wondering what the perceived relationships might be between the economy and BP. Sort of like when it was thought skirt lines when up as did the economy and fashion seemed to prove it so. I like fun facts and thought some of you might have some quizzical thoughts to share. On a micro scale, the cost of the pension my cannons have for BP drove me to it's production. Which then lead me to build more cannons. Which filled my garage, which make me want to make more BP. Oh! I am saving soooo much!
[Hey is this beginning to sound a bit like Loyalist Dave?]
 
Barring a massive economic disruption I doubt there is much correlation. During a down turn, those who can continue to shoot will likely just shoot less with their current guns and maybe start reloading to cut costs. Most BP shooters realize that, properly done, BP is the least expensive way to carry on or get started with recreational shooting or hunting. But it takes more research and effort to make it cheaper so I question whether a down turn would make much difference.

Having said that, there is satisfaction that we might have the skills and resources to become the next Dan'l Boone in a real crunch. :D

Jeff
 
I'm like EljaySL. I can shoot thirty rounds from a smoke pole and feel satisfied. I could do the same in a few minutes with a modern pistol. The smoke pole is a lot cheaper to operate.
 
Dear OW, I've given your words great consideration, discussed, at length, the issue with my Wife. She wonders why I "needed" aircraft grade aluminum to finish off a couple of cannons, or why a fuse just wasn't enough, or why I really should have another ball mill [and a windmill...] or "Really! your making another cannon?!?!" or "Oh goody! You got another couple hundred pounds of lead!" and I thought long and hard... and have decided to build a bigger garage! [silly girls.] Ya know, how many of you folks would answer this: 1. sell your stuff -v- 2. Really need a bigger garage.
 
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CANNONMAN said:
Dear OW, I've given your words great consideration, discussed, at length, the issue with my Wife. She wonders why I "needed" aircraft grade aluminum to finish off a couple of cannons, or why a fuse just wasn't enough, or why I really should have another ball mill [and a windmill...] or "Really! your making another cannon?!?!" or "Oh goody! You got another couple hundred pounds of lead!" and I thought long and hard... and have decided to build a bigger garage! [silly girls.] Ya know, how many of you folks would answer this: 1. sell your stuff -v- 2. Really need a bigger garage.
Click to expand...

You forgot the third option... Applied husband beating 101. :neener:
 
No spousal abuse please. That results in disenfranchisement of 2A rights.


I know you're just kidding. ;)
 
4v50 Gary said:
No spousal abuse please. That results in disenfranchisement of 2A rights.


I know you're just kidding. ;)
Click to expand...

I was just kidding, I didn't mean to offend any sensibilities. Let me rephrase:

A full garage is the reason every girl should learn to properly hook up a trailer & load said trailer with a bobcat as well as know the weight limits of the trailer. Added points if you don't smile when you tell hubby he needs a guy day and should go to the stock car races.
 
Does anyone know the answer to this hypothesis?

I have reasoned that blackpowder shooting might be the most expensive option for shooting, although I prefer it, and here is why:

First, a few obvious points: Blackpowder and smokeless powder are sold by weight and not by volume. Smokeless powder is loaded based on weight (e.g., you weigh each round); blackpowder is loaded by volume.

Therefore, if smokeless powder and black powder cost the same per can, which, in my area is true, more or less, and smokeless rounds are loaded based on weight, and do not fill the case, and black powder rounds are loaded by volume, and fill the case, it seems like to me, absent any filler, the smokeless powder would fill many more cases per can of powder than would a blackpowder round? Is this assertion correct? This assumes that the weight of blackpowder is not significantly less than that of smokeless powder, and, since it is sold by weight, if it were significantly lighter, it would fill a significantly greater number of cases.

This topic is of significant interest to me, and I have often contemplated recording how many rounds I am able to load per can of powder, but I have never gotten around to doing this, and there are too many variables (the round, the load, etc,, at least when it comes to smokeless powder (blackpowder is based on volume)). OR, perhaps someone somewhere has already performed such a scientific (or unscientific) study.
 
Yep. I'm not the answer but... There is a vast difference in volume to the same weight in BP. 4f/# is far less volume than my cannon BP/#.
 
Orpington, I know what you mean. I know that my favorite cheap .357 mag load uses 7g of Alliant's Unique powder for my cast 158g swc. 1 pound contains roughly 7,000g of powder so I should be able to load 1,000 rounds out of one pound of powder. Could I get 1,000 rounds in my 1851 out of 1 pound of bp? No freaking way :p
 
Considering the amount of hours it's going to take to shoot a thousand rounds of BP compared to a thousand rounds of 357 rounds it will probably figure out to about the same cost per hour of shooting. :D
 
Dont forget about the cost / hours spent cleaning up the gun during those thousand rounds.

If i got paid for the time i spend cleaning up after shooting... i'd do a lot more BP shooting!
 
I can reload and shoot regular rounds cheaper than BP rounds. If one looks at the price of projectiles, they are similar in price. Powder is similar in price as well, but I can get a lot more shots from Titegroup or Bullseye than black powder. Primers for BP are more expensive as well.

I shoot BP when times are tough for finding ammo and components. Fortunately I have stockpiled components for the next hard time.
 
If you make your own powder and cast your own bullets then it's extremely cheap to shoot. IMHO all the prep and cleaning that's involved in BP shooting is a pleasurable part of the hobby.
 
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