I am brand new to the black powder shooting hobby , I have read a lot of stuff and the more i read the more confused i get
What do I need to buy in the way of shooting supplies for my pistol . I have all the hardware but i read about many different patches and caps and such things . Some with grease some without , I read about something called Bore butter?? that you stick in the cylinder after loading is it compulsory ??? The powder goes in then a cap then the ball then the butter ???? , Some say that lard works as well or some such stuff .I just want to do what is right and safe , so any advice will be well received . I buy most of my items online so any suggestions as to where i might get all this stuff would be helpful also
Thanks Guys
To shoot, you will need powder, balls, caps, and, probably, filler and lube.
You will probably want to use 3F powder. Some people have found superior accuracy using 2F, but 3F is commonly used for pistols.
The amount of powder depends on the bullet caliber. Historical 1851 Navies were .36 caliber. Some reproductions are made in .44. I don't know what yours is.
You will probably find that optimal accuracy is delivered at a sub-maximum load. For .36 caliber, some people shoot 12-15 grains. For .44 caliber, some people shoot 18-25 grains.
Most people shoot round balls and the reproduction revolvers are said to have twist rates optimized for them or small conicals. Your balls should be of a size such that when they are rammed into a chamber it shaves off a small ring of lead all the way around the ball. This is critical as it insures a gas-tight fit. Without this, there is an increased chance of a "chain fire" where firing a chamber sets off the chambers next to it.
You should seat the ball only so deep that it is flush with the face of the cylinder. The idea is that by being seated closer to the rifling it will not be moving so fast when it engages the rifling and so less apt to strip lead.
If you are not using a maximum powder load, this may result in an air gap between the powder charge and the ball. This must be filled with some kind of filler or wad. I use cream of wheat.
Many people spread lube over the mouth of the chamber on top of the ball. This lubricates the bullet but also keeps the powder fouling soft making cleanup easier and allowing for more shots to be fired before the gun becomes too fouled to shoot. Many people claim this helps prevent chain fires but I am of the opinion that the majority of this is solved by a proper-fitting bullet. People have lots of recipes or store-bought solutions for this. Plain Crisco works. I use 50/50 beeswax/Crisco.
I suggest heading over to YouTube and searching for "how to load a black powder revolver" and you will no doubt find many videos of people loading and shooting BP revolvers.
Steve
