I'm getting conflicting information on what for FFFG and or Pyrodex P should and shouldn't be loaded into an 1847 Uberti. Also, I've never used filler before, can someone enlighten me on this? I take it you load the powder, load some cornmeal, then press the bulletdown? How do you know how much to put in? I know this sounds dumb to those experienced so I apologize in advance. This is my second blackpowder revolver, I ended up selling my 1851 a while ago. Have to say the size and weight alone are very impressive on the 1847.
Uberti 1847 Loads?
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Fingers McGee
Member
Walkers will take 60 -65g rains of powder. You can load as little as 40 grains and not use a filler. Filler would be appropriate if you were shooting a load light enough that the ball would not compress it when loaded. IIRC, on a Uberti Walker, that's around 30 grains. IME, a 40-45 grain load is about the most accurate. If you load 60 grains, you need ear plugs and ear muffs to protect your hearing.
elhombreconnonombre
Member
30 gr is a powder puff load for a Walker. Back in 1847 they filled each chamber to the top of each chamber with black powder (about 60 gr) which was arguably more powerful than your typical Goex fffg today, with no filler and no lubed felt wad, just a 220 gr conical bullet on top of the powder. While a full load like that is a hoot at least once for a youtube video, it may not be the most accurate or safest.
EljaySL
Member
Mine likes 40gr Goex (35 of 777 powder). I'd shoot it at that point until you're comfortable with the whole thing, then start going up or down in 5gr increments and get a sense of what the groups do and at what point the recoil becomes annoying. But 40gr should be a good starting point.
D. Buck Stopshere
Member
Manufacturers alway face liability lawsuits, so they tend to promote on the conservative side of loads. If one is making lots of money in manufacturing, he/she is a prime target for aggressive lawyers. IMHO.
Why do you suppose firearms have caution messages on the frame and/or barrel?:banghead:
The idea of the filler is to position the ball closer to the forcing cone of the barrel, which would put the ball just under the face of the cylinder to allow cylinder rotation. This position reduces the deforming of the ball when it enters the forcing cone, than if the ball were an inch or so away from the forcing cone of the barrel. The filler also allows the shooter to use reduced loads instead of full-power loads.
If one is using a filler, first, load the measured charge, 30 grains for example. Then, take your filler (cream of wheat, cornmeal, etc.) and pour it in the revolver or removed cylinder. How much to pour in?
Experiment by pouring the filler into the cylinder about 3/4 up, then seat the ball and see how far down the ball sits in the cylinder. On the next load of filler, pour in a little more than 3/4 full. Eventually, you will arrive at an amount that allow the ball to seat just below the cylinder face. Too much filler will not allow the ball to seat below the cylinder face, so, take it easy on the loading. The filler will only compress so much. I like using a cylinder press like Powder, Inc sells.(www.powderinc.com)
When you have figured out how much filler is needed to place the ball correctly, make a filler scoop, using a cut-down 45-70 case, for example. Last step is to add a smear of grease on top of the balls. Using wads AND filler is counterproductive.
It is more labor-intensive, however, one advantage is twice the number of loads out of the same can of 3FG black powder. Thirty grains will carry that ball about a hundred yards, and with less recoil. Can't speak for SASS, but competition NMLRA line shooters have using this method for decades, winning national & state championships and getting their name in the record books.
Someone said, "If you load 60 grains, you need ear plugs and ear muffs to protect your hearing."
Whether shooting 20 grains in a Remington New Model Army or 60 grains in a Walker, everyone should be wearing hearing protection, ear plugs and/or ear muffs. Take it from one who didn't, starting out in the '60's, shooting thousands of rounds competing in N-SSA matches.
Now, I am "paying for that indisgression" by chucking out about $4,000 every five or six years for new hearing aids. I'd recommend hearing protection for shooting even .22 rimfire ammunition.
Why do you suppose firearms have caution messages on the frame and/or barrel?:banghead:
The idea of the filler is to position the ball closer to the forcing cone of the barrel, which would put the ball just under the face of the cylinder to allow cylinder rotation. This position reduces the deforming of the ball when it enters the forcing cone, than if the ball were an inch or so away from the forcing cone of the barrel. The filler also allows the shooter to use reduced loads instead of full-power loads.
If one is using a filler, first, load the measured charge, 30 grains for example. Then, take your filler (cream of wheat, cornmeal, etc.) and pour it in the revolver or removed cylinder. How much to pour in?
Experiment by pouring the filler into the cylinder about 3/4 up, then seat the ball and see how far down the ball sits in the cylinder. On the next load of filler, pour in a little more than 3/4 full. Eventually, you will arrive at an amount that allow the ball to seat just below the cylinder face. Too much filler will not allow the ball to seat below the cylinder face, so, take it easy on the loading. The filler will only compress so much. I like using a cylinder press like Powder, Inc sells.(www.powderinc.com)
When you have figured out how much filler is needed to place the ball correctly, make a filler scoop, using a cut-down 45-70 case, for example. Last step is to add a smear of grease on top of the balls. Using wads AND filler is counterproductive.
It is more labor-intensive, however, one advantage is twice the number of loads out of the same can of 3FG black powder. Thirty grains will carry that ball about a hundred yards, and with less recoil. Can't speak for SASS, but competition NMLRA line shooters have using this method for decades, winning national & state championships and getting their name in the record books.
Someone said, "If you load 60 grains, you need ear plugs and ear muffs to protect your hearing."
Whether shooting 20 grains in a Remington New Model Army or 60 grains in a Walker, everyone should be wearing hearing protection, ear plugs and/or ear muffs. Take it from one who didn't, starting out in the '60's, shooting thousands of rounds competing in N-SSA matches.
Now, I am "paying for that indisgression" by chucking out about $4,000 every five or six years for new hearing aids. I'd recommend hearing protection for shooting even .22 rimfire ammunition.
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There were various powders and each was unique as to "power". The powder used by the Mexicans was not an overly powerful sort. The English had many hard hitting sporting powders. What was used in the west was different than the powder used in the east. The factories were all in the east.
Also, how the powder was stored made a difference. Damp powder could still fire but used a lot off energy just getting going.
Prior to the Revolution, the powder made in the colonies was much inferior to the English made powder. DuPont came here from France and showed how to make proper powder. He also built mills to help us.
Kevin
There's a fellow who uses his Walker for hog hunting. His load is 66 grns of 2F Triple 7 with a ball. And though Kaido is one of his hunting buddies, and most, if not all of them use Kaido's bullets, he says the wound from a ball is much more severe within 25 yds with a ball.
45 Dragoon
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45 Dragoon
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Hovey is the only guy I know that hunts with a Walker and is friends with Kaido . (doesn't mean he's the only one though!!).
The Walker Hovey uses is called the Super Walker, and there are some videos of it.
Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
The Walker Hovey uses is called the Super Walker, and there are some videos of it.
Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
FreddyKruger
Member
I've been tinkering with loads and found 20gr ffg with 40gr volume of polenta aka cornmeal filler. .457 round ball and just some lube on top to be one of the most accurate loads in my gun. The weight of the gun absorbs all the recoil which is a bonus too.
Using filler is easier than you think, just have it between the powder and ball. Polenta and semolina seem to be the most used.
Using filler is easier than you think, just have it between the powder and ball. Polenta and semolina seem to be the most used.
FreddyKruger,
There is a difference between polenta and cornmeal. In the grocery store cornmeal is about $1 a box, polenta is a lot more!
Kevin
FreddyKruger
Member
well... ive always gone off the package "Polenta. Ingredients: Cornmeal" since ive never actually seen cornmeal labelled as such for sale over here in Australia, but getting onto google... jeez there is a whole lot of what the differences are.
BUT you can use cornmeal as a filler anyway. the cheaper and coarser the grind the better i suppose. ive tried semolina and found the stuff i bought too fine and messy compared to the polenta i use.
BUT you can use cornmeal as a filler anyway. the cheaper and coarser the grind the better i suppose. ive tried semolina and found the stuff i bought too fine and messy compared to the polenta i use.
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