Recoil of BP

[chute2thrill]

I know its pretty much sacrilegious to own a new gun and not shoot it for a year but thats what I did. Just didnt have time or a handy place available to shoot my new Pietta 1858. This was also my first experience actually shooting a cap and ball revolver. I've shot a .50 inline muzzleloader, and that had a little kick to it but not much. Is it just me, or does BP not have any kick to it at all? I'm aware I'm a little bit of a recoil junkie, but shooting .357 mag all day starts to eat my hand down a little. But wow! I dont know the max charge for a Pietta but I was pretty sure it could handle 40 grains and it did just fine. Also the recoil was just about the same as a .38 special. Its not bad to load that much up is it? because I really like the performance I got out of that load, and it didnt kick much so it shouldnt blow up on me right?

 

[arcticap]

No, it won't blow up.
Your steel frame Remmy can handle full chambers of powder.
What kind of powder are you shooting with?

 

[4v50 Gary]

BP generates lower pressure that smokeless, hence the less felt recoil. For accuracy, the lighter loads generally work better than the heavy ones do.

 

[KenHulme]

BP doesn't "kick" -- it pushes you because of the slower burn rate than smokeless powder.

 

[mykeal]

If you like the performance of a full chamber load, you'll love the performance of 30 grains even more.

 

[Pulp]

I love the phrase, "it doesn't kick, it pushes". Whoever came up with that idea never shot my T/C .50 with a 380 grain Maxi-Ball under 100 grains of powder.

 

[loose noose]

Or my 54 Caliber Hawkins, just shooting ball and a full charge of bp.

 

[towboat_er]

When pressing the ball in, make sure ya feel the powder compress.
I use a 454 ball in my Pietta 1858. Tighter ball more compression and more groove gripping power.

 

[Pulp]

Dang, I just re-read my reply on this thread and would like to inform y'all that,

No, I don't load a Maxi-ball UNDER 100 grains of powder. Normally, anyway.

 

[Pancho]

Anyone who has shot a 58 cal. H&R Springfield Stalker with 80gr. of powder and a Maxi-ball will not describe the recoil as a push.
Light gun+heavy projectile+enough powder to get it down range= WHEW! Headache.
Action=Reaction

 

[Blue Hill]

Quote: "Dang, I just re-read my reply on this thread and would like to inform y'all that,
No, I don't load a Maxi-ball UNDER 100 grains of powder. Normally, anyway."
__________________
Pulp

If ya did Pulp, it would explain how ya came by the title of world's worst cowboy action shooter.
Sorry man. Couldn't resist.

 

[Noz]

Sharps 45/70 with 510 gr bullet over 65 grs of black doesn't push. It knocks the snot out of me.

 

[Busyhands94]

85 grains of Triple Seven FFFG and a round ball in my .50 is a pretty stout load, one range trip I fired probably 50 of those loads. My shoulder was fine, but it did kick. Then again I like to sometimes shoot 20 grains of pyrodex pistol with a .454 round ball and a thick patch from my .50, it's sorta like shooting .22s with the way it kicks. It sure isn't inaccurate though, it would be a good rabbit load.

 

[doubleh]

My rolling block replica in 50-140-550 Sharps will really get your attention. Five shots off a bench is all I can tolerate. Now when I load it with 70 grains it's much nicer to me.

 

[BigG]

The reason the kick seems less is the pill is likely a round ball of ~ 140 grains whereas a conical bullet of similar 44 caliber is 240 grains.

If you shoot BP with a rifle buttplate model long arm with a heavy conical bullet you will see that it kicks right smartly.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

The reason the kick seems less is the pill is likely a round ball of ~ 140 grains whereas a conical bullet of similar 44 caliber is 240 grains.

If you shoot BP with a rifle buttplate model long arm with a heavy conical bullet you will see that it kicks right smartly.

+1!

 

[Curator]

Physical law says for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. BP kicks the same as smokeless IF the powder charge and bullet weight/velocity as well as gun weight is the same. BP seems to kick less because veocities gained are usually less than a similar amount of smokeless powder will produce with the same weight bullet. Powder weight is figured into the equasion as part of the "ejecta." However, 75 grains of smokeless powder will send a 250 grain projectile out a lot faster then 75 grains of black powder, and so kick somewhat more if the rifle weighs the same.

 

[hang fire]

If you shoot BP with a rifle buttplate model long arm with a heavy conical bullet you will see that it kicks right smartly.

Aye on that, my Ballard #5 Pacific .45-70 weighs in at over 10 pounds. With a 500 grain boolit and just 63 grains 2F, if that deep curved butt plate is not placed just right, it can lay a hurt on me.

 

[scrat]

Dang, I just re-read my reply on this thread and would like to inform y'all that,

No, I don't load a Maxi-ball UNDER 100 grains of powder. Normally, anyway.
__________________
Pulp

Sure Pulp Sure.....

Remember we all have seen your videos.

 

[chute2thrill]

I was just using pyrodex. And yeah I would say it feels like more of a push than a kick.