black powder data for "modern" cartridges

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lee n. field

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I stumbled across this in rec.guns yesterday:

http://groups-beta.google.com/group..._doneTitle=Back+to+Search&&d#927f37c23dcf4d2c

In case the link gets munged:

[email protected] Dec 18, 5:12 pm show options
Newsgroups: rec.guns
From: [email protected] - Find messages by this author
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 01:12:37 +0000 (UTC)
Local: Sat, Dec 18 2004 5:12 pm
Subject: target shooting SMLE .303 with black powder
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I tried something a little different lately- full case of black powder
in my .303 SMLE, 150 grain bullets. Ran 40 rounds through it.

Big bang, big kick, big cloud of smoke, low velocity, and equal to
better accuracy at 100 yards than my smokeless cartridges. After the
shot you could hear the bullet hit paper a moment later.

But man does it do a number on the cases- they corrode very quickly
shortly thereafter, if you let them sit around.

Which sounds like fun. I've got the Enfield. I've got the brass and bullets. Pyrodex is a trip to Wally World away.

Anybody got load data for a stunt like this?

What say ye? Go for it, or foolish beyond words?
 
.38 Specials filled up with 19 grains of FFFg and a 125-gr lead bullet got only about 700-750 fps for me out of a 6-inch and at 45 degrees. Haven't done anything else. I suspect a heavier bullet will also go about that same speed.

Probably should use Magnum primers, too, for BP.
 
You might try Triple7 instead of regular blackpowder. Either way I think it would be difficult to create dangerous loads without compression.
 
You might look

at the BPCR website. In the technical section there's a ton of stuff on cartridge reloading...do's and don'ts. As above, BP is extremely corrosive to brass. Needs to be neutralized almost immediately.

I'd be careful about randomly substituting BP substitutes for regular BP. They give the guidelines HTH
 
I load .44 Specials with those .433" round balls...

A Wonder Wad, and a case full of FFFg. Thank goodness my S&W 696 is stainless steel!
 
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