MacTech
Member
Ever since last week's experience with a flintlock single-shot pistol, I can't get black powder shooting out of my head, so much FUN!
Thing is, I'm stingy, and laz....err...efficient, and I want to get into BP shooting for as inexpensively as possible (to try it out, as it were) and I want a firearm that is relatively maintenance free, at least as maintenance free as you can get with black powder, yes, I know more cleaning is involved, and it needs to be done immediately after the range trip
So, my options are;
1; load up some BP cartridges in .45LC for my Ruger Blackhawk
Pros; all I'll need is the BP itself, I have all the other supplies, primers, cases, bullets
Cons; I'll have to detail-strip and clean the Blackhawk after every time I shoot BP cartridges in it
2; load up some BP cartridges for one of my shotguns (Mossberg 500 or Parker VH side-by-side hammerless, vulcan steel barrel)
Pros; I already own the guns
Cons; I'll have to get reloading equipment for shotshells (Lee Load-All?), cleaning BP residue out of the gun (the Parker has 98% of the original case hardening and a nice bright bore, it'd be a shame to damage it with the corrosive BP residue)
3; purchase a dedicated BP gun
Pros; I'll have another gun, you can never have too many , this gun would be a BP only gun, so no need to worry about BP fouling damaging my smokeless guns
Cons; I'd have to purchase yet another gun, plus all the necessary accesories, bullets, powder, patches, ignition devices (for 209-primed inlines or caplocks) and cleaning supplies, it's not going to be as cheap as I expect, I know this already
The most logical choices I can see are loading BP cartridges for the Blackhawk, or buying a dedicated smokepole, problem is, inlines are generally "meh" to me, caplocks, neither here nor there, what I *really* like are flintlocks, but they're too bloody expensive... I like the flintlock for the self-sufficency nature of it, you're not tied down to using caps or shotgun primers for ignition
The worst part is, Dad had a flintlock musket a while back, and for some bizzare reason, he sold it, it would have been nice to bring that old flinter back to use....
So, what's the best course of action for a newbie to black powder?
Thing is, I'm stingy, and laz....err...efficient, and I want to get into BP shooting for as inexpensively as possible (to try it out, as it were) and I want a firearm that is relatively maintenance free, at least as maintenance free as you can get with black powder, yes, I know more cleaning is involved, and it needs to be done immediately after the range trip
So, my options are;
1; load up some BP cartridges in .45LC for my Ruger Blackhawk
Pros; all I'll need is the BP itself, I have all the other supplies, primers, cases, bullets
Cons; I'll have to detail-strip and clean the Blackhawk after every time I shoot BP cartridges in it
2; load up some BP cartridges for one of my shotguns (Mossberg 500 or Parker VH side-by-side hammerless, vulcan steel barrel)
Pros; I already own the guns
Cons; I'll have to get reloading equipment for shotshells (Lee Load-All?), cleaning BP residue out of the gun (the Parker has 98% of the original case hardening and a nice bright bore, it'd be a shame to damage it with the corrosive BP residue)
3; purchase a dedicated BP gun
Pros; I'll have another gun, you can never have too many , this gun would be a BP only gun, so no need to worry about BP fouling damaging my smokeless guns
Cons; I'd have to purchase yet another gun, plus all the necessary accesories, bullets, powder, patches, ignition devices (for 209-primed inlines or caplocks) and cleaning supplies, it's not going to be as cheap as I expect, I know this already
The most logical choices I can see are loading BP cartridges for the Blackhawk, or buying a dedicated smokepole, problem is, inlines are generally "meh" to me, caplocks, neither here nor there, what I *really* like are flintlocks, but they're too bloody expensive... I like the flintlock for the self-sufficency nature of it, you're not tied down to using caps or shotgun primers for ignition
The worst part is, Dad had a flintlock musket a while back, and for some bizzare reason, he sold it, it would have been nice to bring that old flinter back to use....
So, what's the best course of action for a newbie to black powder?