How hard is it to get into black powder?

[Pancho]

You are probably seeing substitutes not real black powder. Subs are easier to find and buy because they are not regulated as an explosive. Black powder is considered an explosive and is usually found at only very good shooter supply shops and is stored in locked chests.
I've used both subs and bp and they all have their merits and drawbacks.

 

[goon]

BP is one of the easiest types of shooting to get into. It can take a lot of accessories for cleaning and loading, but you can have everything delivered right to your door (except maybe powder and caps, which may be easier to just get at the LGS). I've had a few BP guns - a couple rifles, a couple revolvers, and a Pedersoli Bess. All were bought with no paperwork, some shipped directly to me.

I don't have any now, but I'm really itching for a 1750's era fusil around 16 gauge. Northstar West makes a cool one, but I could just as easily look for a way to get one built with a Chambers lock as the centerpiece.

 

[BCRider]

Comrade Mike, you asked about accuracy. A while back I switched out my front sights to correct the almost universal high impact issue with 1860's and shot the two I've got for accuracy testing. Both the older Navy Arms and somewhat newer Uberti managed to make 1.5'ish inch groups at around 15 yards. Which, for me, is as good as I can shoot any handgun be it center, rim or percussion.

Rather than bore butter or Crisco shortening I just put a drop of Canola cooking oil in the joint between ball and chamber after loading. It keeps the fouling in the barrel soft and goopey without the mess of spooning in the thicker butter like options.

There's a lot to be said for accuracy gains of using a filler to let the ball sit out closer to the mouth of the chamber. But since the guns are able to group as well as any of my center fire options I simply haven't bothered with trying to do anything but put in powder, ball and a drop of oil. However I have to admit to having old guy's eyes and nerves so if you're the sort that can do groups of under 1 inch at 12 to 15 yards then it would be worth playing around with fillers.

Really if you re-load your own ammo already then the ACCUMULATED work of cleaning brass, running the stuff through a press and finally shooting the gun is really not that different from loading and shooting a black powder cap and ball gun. It's just that you're doing all the work with the C&B gun at the line instead of much of it back home in the reloading area.

Go give in to your Inner Cowboy and get one. The joy is in the difference from shooting brass cartridges. And overall the added work is simply not that much or in any way that complicated. And the guns themselves can certainly deliver the performance to match the modern stuff in many/most cases.

 

[ldlfh7]

I am new to black powder. Its easy to get into. Do a little research, spend a little cash and you will be hooked. I own several pistols and rifles but these days find myself shooting only black powder because it is so dang fun!

 

[rodwha]

There are granulation differences for different applications. 4F is generally a flintlock pan priming powder, though some use it in small (.31 cal) pistols. 3F is generally a pistol powder and smaller caliber rifle (up to .50), though some use it in a reduced charge for larger caliber rifles. 2F is a large cal (.50 and up) rifle powder that can be used in .44 and up pistols. 1F is generally for much larger stuff.

 

[mountainman1840]

been using smokerpoles all my life, and never found a better way to pass an afternoon! just something about the old way of doing things that I really like. just remember that black powder is measured by volume, not by weight. a good adjustable powder measure is worth its weight in gold. also, never load from the horn, always from the measure. Dixie Gun Works is about the best resourse u will find for black powder.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

...Black powder weapons are easy to get into but very difficult to get out of....

This is the answer you seek.

 

[BullSlinger]

Welcome to BP

It's a lot of fun and can be as easy or as complicated as you want to make it.
If ya want to start on the cheap get a used gun but even new guns can be purchased for around a couple of hundred dollars (brass frames).
Round balls, caps and powder and you are set to go. As others have mentioned a cap and ball revolver is accurate. For me more accurate than with modern guns and ammo.
With the cost of buying a box of 45 ACP or 357 Mag costing 35 to forty dollars (if you can find any) I have found that shooting round balls economical and never have problems with there not being anything on the
store shelf.
Give it try. It's a blast.

 

[grter]

I found it a lot easier than I thought to get into but much harder than I imagined to get out of. Having fired modern firearms they still do not offer the relaxation, facination, and satifisfaction of properly using muzzleloaders with good results that you taylored through use, load adjustments etc...

I may find modern firearms as interesting if I reloaded (Bloomburg doesn't like reloading equipment or firearms.)

Unlike modern smokeless powder firearms with muzzleloaders small or perhaps in a lot of cases not so small variations in powder charges are forgiven making it practicle to volume charge out in the field without weighing or much worry.

They are in a nutshell fun.