Something new for me

[BullRunBear]

I've had so much fun with cap and ball revolvers I thought I would try something new for me. I have a stainless new model Vaquero in 45 Colt. Loaded some cases with 25 grs. 3F powder (measured, not weighed), a wonder wad and a hard cast 200 gr LSWC. Used magnum primers. You would think with over 20 years of muzzleloading and smokeless reloading I would have tried this before. Oh wll, better late then never.

The recoil was a bit more than the C and B guns but still pleasant. At 25 yards off-hand I could keep 3 to 4 inch groups, which is decent for me although I shot the ROA and 1860 Army better. But they were consistently about 10 inches low. At least they were consistent. The cylinder got rather stiff after 18 shots but a quick swab of the barrel loosened things right up. This was fun and adds a new dimension to my shooting.

Now to experiment: heavier bullets? softer bullets? (wheel weight metal or pure lead)? standard vs. magnum primers? different powder charge? 2F vs. 3F Goex? This is going to take a while but it will be fun. I even enjoy the extra steps and more deliberate pace of the reloading.

The Vaquero cleaned up easily in a solution of hot water and Simple Green, which I use for my other BP guns. Decapped the cases and let them soak in the same solution then dry overnight. A couple of hours in the tumbler and they were clean, not shiny but clean.

Just wanted to tell the group about the fun. Any suggestions are welcome.

Regards, Jeff

PS: I've always loaded my Navy Arms Rolling Block 45-70 with smokeless powder. That's going to change.

 

[oneshooter]

Welcome to the wonderfull world of BP cartridges!!
Try a 250gr cast semi-round nose bullet lubed with a 50/50 mix of bees wax and Bore Butter. Should be cast from soft lead, a 1-20 mix will work well also. Standard primers also work well. Be sure that the lube grooves are the wide type for BP. A max charge in a modern case is 35-38gr of 3fg. If you want a REAL bang try 35gr of 4fg. It will do over 1000fps from my Uberti 7 1/2".

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas

 

[BullRunBear]

oneshooter,

Thanks for the suggestions and the welcome. I've got some hard cast 255 grain LSWCs to play with in the 45 Colt while I get a proper mold. Fortunately, the molds I have for the 45-70 have the correct lube grooves. It also helps knowing I can use standard large pistol primers since I always have a large number on hand for other calibers, especially 44 specials that I use in action pistol competition.

Regards and Merry Christmas,

Jeff

 

[BullRunBear]

Here's an update. I tried the same load (Pyrodex P this time instead of 3F but used the same scoop) only this time I used 255 gr. LSWCs. They took care of the elevation problem and grouped a little better. I suspect when I can cast some softer 255 gr. bullets the groups will shrink a bit more.

One note: the Pyrodex P was dirtier in this load than the 3F Goex. I'm brewing up some homemade felt wads using the formula Gatofeo listed a few years ago. That should help. The commercial wads I had on hand were too soft and too dry.

Once I have a punch for 38 caliber wads, I'm going to try some 38 special BP loads in a 50th Anniversary 357 Blackhawk. It's superbly balanced and should be fun to try.

Seems I'm shooting less and less smokeless powder these days.

Regards, Jeff