Fantastic resource on loading BP Shotgun Shells

[PatMarlin]

Brass too... !

Here it tis:

http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

[Nueces]

Very nice! Good poop on brass case loading, too. Thanks, Pat.

Mark

[missionary5155]

Hey PatMarlin EXCELLENT !... I printed it out !

[longbow]

Yes indeed Pat a good find! I have looked at that page in the past but did not save it and had forgotten about it. Not this time though, it is saved both in bookmarks and pdf.

Thanks for that.

Longbow

[Digital Dan]

Looks good to me too, but I would not use water glass in a shotgun bore due to its hardness.

[northmn]

Very good ideas on loading and an interesting article. I made a case trimmer but also like the idea of the washer. You can buy a roll crimper that works in a drill or drill press from Ballistic Products or precision reloading. I think Grafs or Midway or both handle BP's Roll crimper. Some plastic cases roll crimp some don't. Cheddite, Fiochi, Gold Medal are two that do and can be had relatively inexpensively. Also they are "straight walled" cases which work best for BP. On new cases I do not trim I just fill it with wads to crimp level. Star crimps also work OK. BP is very low pressure such that I do not worry all that much about case length. There's some discussion on that even with smokeless.
One common procedure for BP is to load equal VOLUME of shot and powder. 85 grains of powder is about 1 1/8 of shot. A 45-70 case makes a good light load. I sold off two 12 ga Hammer guns that I used BP cartridges in and shot ruffed grouse with, as both were getting a little loose. I now have a 16 ga Stevens 325 that is really in great shape and fun to load with black. Its also M-F and shoots tighter than H--L. While not quite a side lock it still has the nostalgia. One way they used to carry a double hammer gun like these was to carry them loaded and cocked but broken open. When the bird rose you closed the gun and had two shots at ready. Muzzle loaders took a little practice to get both hammers back and some used them like a single shot with an extra barrel in reserve in case another bird got up. (14 gauges were popular in England because they were easier to span for cocking) On ducks of course I used to be able to work both back when I saw them coming over the decoys. It was great fun before the no-tox rules came in. I have some Bismuth left but have been working on steel for loads in a ML as no-tox shot is just a little too spendy. Just ordered a bag of #5's for hunting loads for my flintlock and 16. Due to lower velocities I like a little heavier shot.
As to wads, some old timers used wasps nest between powder and shot and cut out the over shot wad. I believe they recommend an 11 gauge OS wad for brass cases for a snug fit in a 12. BP shotshells are not hard to load, and have no magic technique and are fun. They can even be used in the old single shots. You could load them with a nail to deprime them and the roll crimper as long as you used the same gun.

Northmn

[PatMarlin]

I had this page saved from some time back also, and just found it today. I wonder if you can use wax to seal brass shells?

I've got a box or 2 of brass 20 and 12ga somewhere.

[northmn]

Honestly, I think they use several methods. I do admit that I have not tried brass as I can go to the local trap range and pick up a trunk load of empty cases that work for BP. One does not have to use Gold Medals or AA's for BP. I have heard of using clear tube gasket materials, Goop etc. Wax would also likely work. BP does not need the pressure of modern shells. You only need to keep the shot in the shell when carrying them.

Northmn

[Digital Dan]

Paraffin has been used for many years to seal star crimps, some roll crimps and the old paper shells were impregnated with it during production. 'Tis one reason that chamber rust was rare during the reign of paper shells. I see no reason to not use it in brass shells if so inclined, if used sparingly. Never tried this myself but it might serve the purpose if the overshot wad was dipped in paraffin and allowed to set before seating it on the shot. Brass shells used in single shot guns may be used without crimp. Those in doubles need a gentle roll crimp on the case mouth and the charge column length needs to be right...there...spot on. The crimp is what will keep your load in one piece during recoil when the preceding round is fired.

I would like to bring to your attention that brass and paper shells are different creatures of dimension and were intended for different applications. In a great many circumstances, if not all, they were intended for specific guns with appropriate chamber/bore dimensions. Brass cases have thinner walls and no base wad, so there are significant differences in what components are used and what charge volumes are used. Do not assume that load "A" in paper or plastic is suitable for brass. The required wads for the latter are likely of larger diameter, the powder and shot columns will be shorter and resultant pressure levels will be different. In the world of shotguns, paper was first while brass cartridges are the Johnny Come Lately. Brass was commonly used and remains appropriate for a great many bore rifles....you need to verify your dims before proceeding if you want to find success.

None of the above goes to say you can't use brass cases, just don't make assumptions before the fact.