finally got the walker

B

bushmaster65

New member
OK, some final questions before I take this sweetheart to the range.

1-The walker has a longer well in the cylinder and I have heard all about using
"fillers" to top off the well.
a) what are the pros/cons of the "ball" sitting further down in the well as
apposed to "just below the mouth". I typically load powder+ lubed wad
+ball. I understand not to have a space between powder/ball.
2- I have read a lot about "seasoning" the barrel. I damn sure don't want
my bore looking like my favorite campfire skillet! Currently I use Ballistol to
clean and preserve the barrel/metal. No brushes/bore snakes have been
used on my dragoon after 3 trips to the range. Bore looks good but I'm
worried about lead deposits etc.
3- Am looking forward to the range next weekend (was supposed to go today)
But am very Anal about safety and keeping my excruciatingly handsome
face intact :eek: So any further advice for the operation of the Walker
would be appreciated.
 
IMHO

1. I have shot everything from 30 to 50 grains in a Walker and don't use fillers. I noticed that in my particular pistol the accuracy is good until I get to the real heavy charge. So I don't think there is a disadvantage to seating the ball further into the chamber. I would be careful not to put more lube over the ball because their just happens to be more space on top of the ball.

2. No opinion

3. Hearing protection and eye protection. Some like to load only five and rest the hammer on an empty chamber. I don't do that but I am a little fool hearty. Some will tell you it is a bad idea to load the chamber straight from the flask. It is obviously more dangerous and probably should be avoided. I don't personally mind loading from the flask to the chamber but I make use of two or three additional precautions to help reduce the risk. Did I say that I am a little fool hearty. Even if you load with a scoop the hot stuff remaining from the last shot can cause embarrassment, damage and injury. If a Walker is more dangerous in this way, it is because the chamber is extra deep, and for that reason more likely to sheild hot embers from being detected and removed.

You say you are risk averse and that is probably a good thing.
 
Pretty much what Doc said. You don't need to over lube the chambers, just a little around the edge of the ball is all you need. You can't "season" a barrel.
 
robhof

Welcome to the Walker club, I became a reluctant owner by bidding on one too good to pass up, but now I love it. 1st there's been many discussions about depth of the ball in the cylinder and after extensive testing by me, I've found no noticeable accuracy change from the ball being deeper in the cylinder. As for lead, I've not found any lead residue in any of my B/p revolvers after many rounds at the range, soft lead and relatively low pressures make leading a rere problem, unless you have an unusually rough bore, it does happen, lastly, seasoning isn't necessary, some breaking in, as in smoothing over tool marks by shooting is the only break in I've ever done. On some guns, accuracy will improve after 1 to 2 hundred rounds, but my Walker shot great groups when I 1st shot it(it was unfired, but sold as used, handled alot). We all like pic's.:D:)
 
What Robhof said....

I did not originally want a Walker. Didn't like the looks of them.

Then I got one and now I love the emotional experience of shooting it.

So now I don't like the looks of the Paterson and the LeMat. Don't care for the Schofield or 1875 Remington.

I better start saving some money.
 
Bushmaster-- In my Walker, I use 25g of 3F Triple Seven, then lubed cookie and then the ball. Snugged down all the way. #11 CCI caps. Like you I'm a devotee to Ballistol with all my firearms. The Walker is the only gun I own where I don't use a boresnake-- these BP revolvers are a mess to clean up so I use a typical wad on short dowel for cleaning. Solvent, Rem Oil -- same in the cylinder. Once the big pup is clean as a whistle the outside gets the Ballistol.

.02 David :)
 
Howdy Bushmaster. I've been shooting bp guns for about 30 yrds now. I've had my Walker for about two yrs and found that my pet load is 40 to 45 grs of Goex or Pyrodex P FFF or Pyrodex RS FF. The Goex bp is a little hard to get where I live and I'm not going to pay $250 to $300 dollars for 25 lbs of the stuff. Pyrodex P FFF or RS FF works just fine for bp guns of all kinds. I tried Triple 7 when it first came out and I could never get it to group my shots wroth a hoot in rifles or pistols. Yes it's easyer to clean than the Goex or the Pyrodex but bp shooting is what it is. I've had good results in all my bp pistols, and rifles using Pyro and the clean up only takes about 20 min per gun, rifles about 15 min. What I'd try if I were you is get to know your gun. The Walker is a fine hand cannon, and is a joy to shoot with .454 or .457 rd ball. Find out which rd ball yours likes. I went with the .454s because that size ball will work in all my .44 pistols. :) The Dragoons are next in line and Goex or Pyro will give you some fine accuracy. Start with 30 grs and work your way up 5 grs at a time till you fine the load that gives you the best groups. ;) I have gone all the way to 60 grs in mine and found it to be a wast of powder.:rolleyes: I also use lubed wads between the powder and the ball that way you don't have to put all that. I've tried using the .44 cal bullets from a Lee mold and found the rd balls to be more accurate in all my pistols. At the same time at close range a 230 gr bullet coming out of a Walker or Dragoon will flat lay a 200 lb hog on his butt with just 30 grs of powder. 30 grs of powder is a good target load for the Walker with rd ball. The trick was for me to know where the gun was going to put the balls with the loads I wanted to use. I don't know how others do it but I always start out with a new load at close range 25 yrds befour I try it at longer ranges. Most Walkers should be good to go at 50 yrds even 100 once you know the loads your going to use. I'm not going to pick on folks that like Triple 7 I just don't understand wanting to get into the world of black powder and then having a fit because they haft to do a little cleaning afterward. The way I see it, if folks did good 150 + yrs ago with what they had it's good enough now. Have fun with that Walker and yes I have found ballistol to be pretty good stuff to use on bp guns but have only been using it for two yrs and I'm still learning from folks on the forums just how to use it the right way. Maybe some of the guys that was teaching me will see this thread and come in and talk a little more about it for the both of us. Befour I ever knew what ballistol was all I ever used was hot soapy water followed by clean water once it's dry use dry patches. Then I would coat the inside of the barrel and cylinders with boro butter then wipe all the outside of the gun with oil made for bp guns heck I've even wiped them down with bore butter. Here lately I been wiping the outside of them down with ballistol and it works just fine and on bp pistols and rifles really makes the wood look good. I never use anything on a bp gun that I use on a smokeless powder gun. None of my guns have a speck of rust on them anywhere. I hate rust. I'm a big fan of the 1858 Remington New Army pistols and the 1860 Colt Army pistols. I have two of the brass Colt 51s that are sweet shooters. I know a lot of folks don't like the brass frame guns, but with light loades they're a lot of fun. I am a bp addict and love the sport. Now you have caused me to want to get up in the morning and go out back and shoot my Walker if the rain holds up. :D :p
 
New to Walkers myself, liked the first one so much I bought a second. Tried 55 gr to 30 gr FFFg with and without corn meal filler and found it made no difference in accuracy and finally settled on 40 gr with no filler and just push that ball way down there. I have yet to use a lubed wad or any lube and see no issues so far, maybe I'm doing it wrong but I have read most everything I can find on it and the comments go from gotta have to not necessary. Being lazy I went with simple.

I Used 35 gr with corn filler when I had my truck driving brother shoot it just so he could have a little extra smoke without the recoil. He has elbow problems and I try to keep that in mind when I choose guns and ammo for him to shoot.

I just wish the one Walker wasn't so dang hard to get the wedge in and out. I don't want to grind or file on it but dang it is driving me up a wall.
 
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