Big Al Mass
Member
My brother bought some Pyrodex pellets formed in 30 grain pellets. Can these be used in a revolver? Any tips for loading?
Pyrodex Pellets in a Revolver
- Thread starter Big Al Mass
- Start date
- Status
351 WINCHESTER
Member
They should light off just fine. They are coated with b/p for easier ignition.
Naybor
Member
I've used them quite a lot in my BP revolvers in the past. When you seat the ball, you crush the pellet ~ it acts just like regular black powder/pyrodex.
Acorn Mush
Member
Have him check the ends of the pellets to see if there is a "starter" compound. If so, be sure that end is loaded so it is directly exposed to the cap flash.
A friend of mine had six of those pellets to try in his repro Remington .44 a couple of years back. He was using standard, not magnum, CCI caps. The pellets didn't burn completely and merely followed the balls downrange, trailing smoke.
It was a rather surprising sight. We were unable to determine if his had the "starter" compound on them or not or, if they did, whether or not he had loaded them correctly. We suspect they did and he didn't.
A friend of mine had six of those pellets to try in his repro Remington .44 a couple of years back. He was using standard, not magnum, CCI caps. The pellets didn't burn completely and merely followed the balls downrange, trailing smoke.
It was a rather surprising sight. We were unable to determine if his had the "starter" compound on them or not or, if they did, whether or not he had loaded them correctly. We suspect they did and he didn't.Naybor
Member
WOW ~ Pyrodex "tracers"!!! Interesting!
Big Al Mass
Member
They do not appear to have any starting compound. Can it be obtained separately? Also, What about wadding?
BADUNAME30
Member
Open the ends and see if one has 4f in there.
BADUNAME30
Member
Big Al Mass
Member
The tracer effect sounds fun. As for the pellets we have, they are just little cylinders with a hole straight through the middle. So all we would have to do is splash a little 4f into the chamber before loading? And again, what about wadding?
Just a little background: My brother bought a Remington and was trying to convince me to get one as well. The thing is I did not like the balance and the grip was not comfortably sized or shaped for my gorilla hands. So I bought the 1860 Army. That felt a lot better in the hand and I liked how easy it is to remove the barrel and cylinder for cleaning. Plus, I wanted the most popular .44 caliber revolver of the Civil War, not the second most. haha
Just a little background: My brother bought a Remington and was trying to convince me to get one as well. The thing is I did not like the balance and the grip was not comfortably sized or shaped for my gorilla hands. So I bought the 1860 Army. That felt a lot better in the hand and I liked how easy it is to remove the barrel and cylinder for cleaning. Plus, I wanted the most popular .44 caliber revolver of the Civil War, not the second most. haha
An article in Sept/Oct 2010 Backwoodsman magazine by Frank Twist is worth reading.His experience with Pyrodex pellets is pretty interesting.
In the article he is testing different loads using rounballs and a cast Lee 200 gr. conical.The powders were Goex 3f,Triple 7 and Pyrodex 30 gr. pellets.
He had inconsistent ignition with the pellets so he first tried filling the hole in the center with 4f. That worked very well. He then decided to put Triple 7 in the hole instead of the 4f. His words on the results"I wasn't prepared for what I got". I wish I would have been there shooting and testing with him.lol 200 gr. Lee conical average velocity of 1057fps. a muzzle energy of 496 ft/lbs.
After reading that article many times,I decided to pick up some of the pellets. I looked mine over after buying them and do not see any difference from one end to the other.I too had heard that one end was black with a few grains of black powder not mine.
In the article he is testing different loads using rounballs and a cast Lee 200 gr. conical.The powders were Goex 3f,Triple 7 and Pyrodex 30 gr. pellets.
He had inconsistent ignition with the pellets so he first tried filling the hole in the center with 4f. That worked very well. He then decided to put Triple 7 in the hole instead of the 4f. His words on the results"I wasn't prepared for what I got". I wish I would have been there shooting and testing with him.lol 200 gr. Lee conical average velocity of 1057fps. a muzzle energy of 496 ft/lbs.
After reading that article many times,I decided to pick up some of the pellets. I looked mine over after buying them and do not see any difference from one end to the other.I too had heard that one end was black with a few grains of black powder not mine.
mic214
Member
I have used the Pyrodex pellets in my Pietta New Army's and they worked just fine. However, when I tried them in my Uberti 3 Model Dragoon, I was getting a delayed ignition....not sure why though......
Naybor
Member
No wadding is needed on revolvers. When you seat the ball, the cylinder shears off a small amount of lead, effectively making the ball the exact caliber of the weapon.
Acorn Mush
Member
I've read that magnum caps are recommended for pellets and the loose-powder substitutes. After a disappointing experience with Pyrodex many years ago I have never used it again. I have shot a small amount of Triple 7 in an ROA and did not have any ignition delays using CCI standard caps.
Big Al Mass
Member
Naybor,
I am talking about the greased felt disk that is sandwiched between the ball and the charge. Is that necessary or advisable with these charges?
I am talking about the greased felt disk that is sandwiched between the ball and the charge. Is that necessary or advisable with these charges?
Assuming that the chamber doesn't have any significant irregularities from one end to the other. If there are any irregularities at the chamber mouth then there may not be a good seal between the ball, in its final position, and the chamber.
In fact, it's worse than that. It's very unusual for a cap and ball replica revolver to have the correct relationship between the chamber diameters and the bore (groove) diameter. In the majority of the ones I've owned the chambers are significantly (between 0.003" and 0.012") smaller than the bore groove diameter, resulting in a ball that just rattles around in the barrel. The correct relationship is when the chamber is 0.001" to 0.003" larger so that the swaged ball (or minie) engages the rifling and allows no blow-by.
With regard to wads, they are not absolutely necessary. Lubed wads have the advantage of softening fouling and provide some measure of secondary chain fire protection. They're much better at both than the traditional grease in the chamber mouth.
With regard to wads, they are not absolutely necessary. Lubed wads have the advantage of softening fouling and provide some measure of secondary chain fire protection. They're much better at both than the traditional grease in the chamber mouth.
Big Al Mass
Member
Thanks, mykeal. That is exactly what I needed to know.
I've shot Pyro pellets under a lubed "Wonder Wad" and Hornaday .454 roundballs out of both of my Pietta-built Remington NMA's a few times. Four times, there has been a "POP, fizzzzzz" and a stuck ball in the barrel; once, I had a ball jammed 1/2 in the forcing cone, 1/2 in the cylinder - not fun at all. This was from a brand-new tub of pellets - as in I ripped the paper off of the mouth of the tub before loading the revolvers at the range. This can only lead me to believe that I bought a tub out of a defective batch.
I still have the pellets, and use them if I'm asked to "sit in" at a re-enactment; because they really cut down on loading times, and I can take some ad-libbed teasing in front of a crowd when I shoot a squib.
For REAL shooting; I just use loose powder in my flask; along with a Wonder Wad and a ball. Shooting these old-fashioned revolvers is too much fun; trying to ram a ball out of the barrel and back into the cylinder with a 1/4" brass rod and a tack hammer just isn't fun. At least not for me, "Your Mileage May Vary".
I still have the pellets, and use them if I'm asked to "sit in" at a re-enactment; because they really cut down on loading times, and I can take some ad-libbed teasing in front of a crowd when I shoot a squib.
For REAL shooting; I just use loose powder in my flask; along with a Wonder Wad and a ball. Shooting these old-fashioned revolvers is too much fun; trying to ram a ball out of the barrel and back into the cylinder with a 1/4" brass rod and a tack hammer just isn't fun. At least not for me, "Your Mileage May Vary".
rodinal220
Member
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Howdy
I have never used Pyrodex pellets, but I always seat a felt wad between powder and ball when I shoot a C&B with Black Powder.
The wad performs two functions. First it helps form a good spark arrestor in case a malformed ball leaves a gap between the ball and the cylinder. Yes, some chain fires happen from the rear, cap end, of the cylinder, but they can happen from the front in case there is a void that leaves a gap between the ball and the chamber.
Secondly, the wad helps scrub some fouling out of the bore as it passes through behind the bullet.
I used to seal my chambers with Crisco many, many moons ago, but once I discovered felt wads I never do that anymore.
I have never used Pyrodex pellets, but I always seat a felt wad between powder and ball when I shoot a C&B with Black Powder.
The wad performs two functions. First it helps form a good spark arrestor in case a malformed ball leaves a gap between the ball and the cylinder. Yes, some chain fires happen from the rear, cap end, of the cylinder, but they can happen from the front in case there is a void that leaves a gap between the ball and the chamber.
Secondly, the wad helps scrub some fouling out of the bore as it passes through behind the bullet.
I used to seal my chambers with Crisco many, many moons ago, but once I discovered felt wads I never do that anymore.
Big Al Mass
Member
Thanks guys. So would it be a good idea to splash a small amount of 4f in the bottom of the chamber before loading for consistent ignition?
andrewstorm
member
filling the hole on pellets not safe
Are you aware u may be uping your pressure by 1000 fp........warning will robinson danger danger
Are you aware u may be uping your pressure by 1000 fp........warning will robinson danger danger
Driftwood Johnson
Member
Good Grief!!
Forget about adding FFFFg powder! FFFFg is meant for the priming pan of a flintlock. There is absolutely no telling how much you will be upping the pressure if you add FFFFg to the pellets. The reason there is a hole in the pellet is to allow the pellet to burn properly on all sides. Leave it alone! Use it as they were intended.
Forget about adding FFFFg powder! FFFFg is meant for the priming pan of a flintlock. There is absolutely no telling how much you will be upping the pressure if you add FFFFg to the pellets. The reason there is a hole in the pellet is to allow the pellet to burn properly on all sides. Leave it alone! Use it as they were intended.
- Status
