Newbie on black powder

[HawaiiMort]

I just started to get into black powder guns. I purchased an Uberti 1851 Navy .36 caliber revolver. I need to load it correctly and don’t want to blow myself up. Uberti recommends a 15 grain load. How to measure powder is confusing. This grain vs volume, etc., is so puzzling. The powder I have is Hodgdon Triple 7. I have a revolver powder measure. Do I just load the Triple 7 into the powder measure to 15 grains and drop into chamber, drop in a lubed wad, the bullet and I’m set? The confusion, is they say 15 grains, but of what?, BP substitutes like Triple 7, or Pyrodex-P or is it just for black powder like Goex? Videos just show dropping the black powder from the flask either to the chamber or to the powder measure, then to the chamber. No reference to powder type.

Thank you for your help.
Mort Krajec
[email protected]

 

[Noz]

You will be fine with the load described.
Ignore the weight versus volume. Load by volume and you're cool.

 

[CANNONMAN]

Both will work. Since your now into BP,I suggest you stick with the tried-n-true technique as Noz describes. Oh by the way, your probably going to be inundated with suggestions. From what I can tell of this group... well... they are all going to be correct and that will be confusing. You won't blow your self up either way and the learning process is much of the fun. Enjoy! And when you can, get a cannon!

 

[Erwan]

Well. Uberti/Beretta gives the weight of powder for Europe for the swiss black powder #1 (4fg), nothing to see with Pyrodex or T7..

15 gr is equal to 1cc so if you work with volume you can easily found your really good weight of powder if you know the weigh value of your 1cc black powder substitute or you can work in weight ...

Anyway the first thing is the volume and after you can do in another way ...

 

[HawaiiMort]

Black powder newbie

Thanks to all of you for all your help. I think I'm ready to hit the black powder trail!
Thanks again,
Mort

 

[4v50 Gary]

Get yourself an adjustable powder measure that you can load with your flask.

Go to this link and read this thread: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=65820

 

[Skinny 1950]

For the 1851 Navy you should use a .375" round ball of soft lead, Triple 7 is about 15% more powerful than black powder of the same volume.
There is some debate about using a lube on top of the ball to prevent chain-fire, I do others claim it is not required.