New to black powder revolvers, need advice

[Hankster1962]

Need some advice. Never owned a black powder revolver in my life and am looking to purchase a Pietta 1858 with adjustable sights. I am looking at the 36 cal, simply because it uses less powder. Should I get this or should I go to the 44 cal. I have a Lee ball mold in .375, weighing 79 grains. If I use FFFG powder, how much could I load if I get the 36 cal? I have been casting for many moons and realize that I will have to use pure lead. I will also be making my own wads using 1/8 " wool felt, beeswax and mutton tallow.
I will be purchasing a flask, measuring device, nipple wrench and capper. I have shot IPSC, PPC, Bullseye and trap. I am into a new adventure and am seeking as much advice and opinions as I can. I own 26 handguns and a whole slew of long guns, but never a black powder. Looking to hear from everyone and what they have to say. thanks

[Nobade]

I like my 36s. They do basically the same thing as a 44 but use less powder and lead to do it. Unless I want to kill something the smaller caliber works just fine.

I do like using a loading press with Remington revolvers. Not only easier to load, but taking the cylinder out every 6 shots lets me wipe off the base pin and keep it from binding.

-Nobade

[bob208]

there are 7000 gr. in a pound of powder. so if you use 20 gr. per shot devide 20 into 7000.

i have some .36's they shoot good and save powder and lead.

[rodwha]

Though the .36 holds less powder you can always download the .44. From what I understand is that a .36 holds ~35 grns and the .44 holds ~45 grns.
The lead and felt wads are where the real "savings" would be IMO.
If you'd be inclined to hunt medium game with it (if legal in your area) I'd certainly opt for the .44, which can also be used on small game as well.
Another aspect is the boom. I have an Old Army (.45) and I always have someone come over and ask about it. The thunder and smoke makes a commotion.
Powders all weigh differently.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
If you have no intentions of hunting with it then get a caliber .36. I very much enjoy them.
But if I was going to only have one BP revolver and thought I might one day go hunting with it or ever need to repel boarders I would want the caliber .44. The difference in impact is at least 35%. That is a big difference. Plus bigger holes are always better for leaking out liquids.
The caliber .44 is bigger, heavier and you will notice the difference. But it is not so bad that it is prohibitive from carrying in a holster all day. I started with caliber .44's and have no regrets. I only wish I would have started with a Ruger Old army instead. They are as nice as a BP revolver comes.
Mike in Peru

[Hanshi]

I've owned only two of them in the past - 1858 R and a Rogers & Spencer - and both were .44s. But the next one I get will likely be a .36. Why; well it will be a side arm for when I hunt (coup de grace) and maybe small game. And I want something shorter and portable and lighter.

[Fly]

Funny people look a the .36 cap & ball as not having enough knock down punch.Wild Bill carryed two &
most likly killed as many men as any gun fighter in the day.I offened wondered why not a .44????

But he trusted them more than any other.
Fly

[WOLF257]

I shoot a Pietta 58, with fixed sights, with a .451 ball on 15 grains of Pyrodex P and it'll hold a 6 inch group at 50 feet with no problems.
I found that the .44 seems to be more accurate with a reduced load and they tend to shoot a little high anyway so the 15 grains is just about dead on with my pistol at that range.
I have both the 1858 Remington and the 1851 Navy Colt, both in .44 and while a consider the Colt to be prettier the Remington is much more user friendly.
Both of them are very economical to shoot as well as being fun.

[DCP]

I just shot a 1861 colt navy .36 for the 1st time this week
.
Got 30 shots before the cylinder was hard to turn. used 20 grains fffg and wads I punched from a cardboard egg carton.

I enjoyed it so much I am looking at getting a 1858 Remington navy in .36

[Chamfered]

I think I would go for the 36 based on your reasoning. Less lead less powder and primary purpose is shootin for fun. I think Elmer Keith mentioned that he started six gunning with a 36 caliber blackpowder that his father provided along with several pigs of lead and a keg of black. It would still be good on small game I would say up to coyote. Although that would be some serious good calling skill. If you find yourself itching to shoot larger game you could always add a 44 later, but you could get a pile of shootin in with the 36 before you got bored.

[Hellgate]

A minor correction: The 36 will hold about 25 grs under the ball and the 44 about 35. I use my 1861 Navy 36 for about 20 years as my all around trapping, plinking, rabbit, snake, & hideout gun. Once I got into Cowboy Action Shooting I went to the 44s (in the navy model) and never looked back. We used to shoot a lot of targets that had to fall over to count and the 44 did that much better. The Remingtons hold a little more powder than the Colts. If you are going to do mostly informal shooting then the 36 is the most economical and will do 90% of what the 44 will do with fewer components.

[Southron]

In the N-SSA, black powder revolvers are shot in both Individual and Team competition.Some of the revolver shooters are among the finest pistol marksmen in the country and they have tried everything [that is legal under N-SSA rules] to gain an edge.

Here is what is common:

[1] The .44 Remmies and the .44 Rogers & Spencer are the most used revolvers.

[2] The favorite projectiles are round balls seated on top of either a wad or a filler like Cream of Wheat or Grits.

[3] Moderate loads, for example, like between 21 and 25 grains of black powder is the most widely used.

[4] Many of the top shooters use Tresco nipples (Available from 'The House of Muskets.')

[5] Some will drill a hole and thread it in the plunger of their revolver. By placing a headless screw in the threaded hole, you can be sure that the plunger will STOP IN EXACTLY THE SAME DEPTH IN EACH CHAMBER. This assures that all the rounds are loaded equally.

[Alan]

I would also recommend a .36. If I knew then what I know now, I would have started w/ a .36. I've never seen a Remington target in .36, but would love to have one. I would also recommend you try 2F powder. I don't like reduced loads w/ a lot of filler, and going to 2F and a tighter ball has worked on most of my C&B revolvers to cut the group size in half or better. A good gun should be capable of less than 2" at 20 yards, and some of mine will beat that considerably.

If I had to make do with ONE and ONLY ONE C&B, however, it would be my ROA.

[DCP]

What does ROA stand for?

Remington Old Army (pistol)



I would also recommend a .36. If I knew then what I know now, I would have started w/ a .36. I've never seen a Remington target in .36, but would love to have one. I would also recommend you try 2F powder. I don't like reduced loads w/ a lot of filler, and going to 2F and a tighter ball has worked on most of my C&B revolvers to cut the group size in half or better. A good gun should be capable of less than 2" at 20 yards, and some of mine will beat that considerably.

If I had to make do with ONE and ONLY ONE C&B, however, it would be my ROA.

[winelover]

ROA=Ruger Old Army

Winelover

[troy_mclure]

with 30gr of pyrodex rs in my my 8" bbl .44, makes the same muzzle energy as a 4" .40s&w.