Getting started, newbie

[JollyWhiteGiant]

I would like to load up some BP loads in my Ruger .45 Colt. I am not planning on doing alot of them, just a few for the heck of it. I don't have any bullet casting equipemnt or any special re-loading stuff for BP.

What do I need and how do I do it? Is there an on-line how to or a book I can pick up locally to learn how to do it? What specail stuff am I going to need for it?

Thanks in advance.

[howdy doody]

Pard, get yourself some pyrodex or American Pioneer powder. Rig up a measure from cutting down an old case that will allow you to compress the powder 1/8" with the bullet seated and crimped. It looks scary at first having a full case of powder. Try a few out. Different recoil, lots of smoke, big boom. Clean up with windex and reoil after gun is dry. You don't need to clean much more than barrel, cylinder, topstrap and flashplate. It isn't rocket science. Go ahead cut a case down and fabricate a little handle onto it, so you can dip it into the powder. Try a few and come back. When you want to go full bore into BP, we can help. Remember, it was the only way for many, many years before the newfangled stuff was invented.  :-)

[Cuts Crooked]

Howdy Doody speaks the truth, Amigo! Iffin yer jist wantin to give it a try then keep it simple. Y'all might be  bit disappointed in accuracy unless you use a non-petrol based lube though.  You could load yer regular slugs over BP and then put a dollop of crisco in the end of each chamber, like a cap&ball shooter, fer a cylinder full just get a feel for it.

Then, once yer hooked, come back here and scroll down the pages reading anything that catches yer eye! The information is all right here, Pard! :grin:

They's all kinda esoteric stuff that you can get in too with this stuff, but fer the most part all it takes is a non-petrol lube, BP or pyrodex, and havin fun!

 Enjoy pard! :-D

[Pigeonroost Slim]

JollyWhiteGiant:

For the best harmony and least chance of disappointment follow some basic preperation guidelines.  Before shooting the Holy Black or Pyrodex you need to clean yer irons thoroughly with solvents that clean the heathern smokieless and then clean again with black powder technique which can be as simple as using hot soapy water to remove the solvent residue and then lubing with BoreButter or BP bullet lube.  With the American Select substitute powder you may not need to do that and maybe not with 777 either.  For just a few simple "let's see loads" with real BP I suggest ya charge sized/primed cases with 1.9cc ffg or fffg and press three layers of unwired medium brood foundation sheet over the case mouth before seating a 250gr lead boolit.  The foundation sheets are avaialabe at feed stores or beekeeping supply places or online from beekeeping supply houses sucha s Dadant, Glorybee, Brushy Mountain, Rossman,  or Kelly's.  No need to melt out original UPS lube for this experiment.  Seat pill to correct depth, crimp moderately, and the powder will be compressed under the wax.  You will get a decent oad with some room for improvment if the "but" bites ya.

PRS

[Pigeonroost Slim]

Fergot to tell ya the obvious; clean up after shooting with hot soapy water and lube with BP lube.  If ya used Pyrodex, patch again with lubeed patch about a week later if not shot more.  Pyrodex has a sneaky habbit of rusting later on.