As the title says, I am wondering if the expense, learning curve, and quality worth the effort to get good BP? I know it would bring satisfaction if I could do it. Right now I use Swiss and only use about 5 lbs a year. Your thoughts are welcomed.
As the title says, I am wondering if the expense, learning curve, and quality worth the effort to get good BP? I know it would bring satisfaction if I could do it. Right now I use Swiss and only use about 5 lbs a year. Your thoughts are welcomed.
Perhaps my learning skills have diminished in my senior years.. 50 years ago I could read something once and then "have it"... Now I read it about three times, do it a couple of times and then... "have it" only about half the time.
There is a long sticky on making black - and reading through that will give you a very good idea about the complexities of doing it. If you make it through reading that complete stickie you probably have the patience to do it! At five pounds a year and, if you have plenty of spare time and the room, it probably is worth it.
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
It's not that hard to do and is a lot of fun. I've made a few pounds of screened black powder that works well in my front stuffers, it's when you start to make corned (compressed) bp the process gets a little more complicated and you need more equipment. At five pounds a year you are right on the bubble. The hardest part is getting the density of the home grown comparable to commercial powder.
What Eddie says ..not that hard to do ..screened works just fine in muzzle loaders .. only need to go to corned if you wanna load cartridges and even then if ya only plinking with say a 44/40 or a 45 colt screened is ok ...... cost is highly variable .. buy your KNO3 as bagged fertiliser, make your own charcoal, material cost is down around a buck a pound........anybody uses 20 pound a year (plenty do I bet) the equipment pays back in short order.
I have been making mine since 11 and have taken 3 deer and small game with it in front stuffers and cartridge rifle. Density is the big problem with cartridge rifles. I started with a 40-65 and with my corned powder I could get enough in the case to get close to commercial powder velocity wise. My homemade actually giving more velocity per grain than Swiss. It actually did pretty good out to 300yd but not good enough for me to use it in competition. I could get 54gr in a 40-65 case and 65gr of 2F Swiss for 1200fps and 1275fps respectively.
If you like DIY projects, which I do, it is very satisfying and put meat in the freezer as well. I just compress my powder in a 2" PVC pipe with a vice so not much expense.
Bob
GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!
It’s a lot like reloading in general. Most reloaders but not all, are into the quest to see if they can, make a good round, make their own Boolit, kill something with something they made and so on.. so, if your a reloader, and a bullet caster, then you can make and find joy in making black powder, as I do.... it’s just another quest in learning. Well worth the effort and minimal expense.
Any technology not understood, can seem like Magic!!!
I will love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.
Thanks all for your input... sounds like I may want to venture into it... I fletch my own arrows, cast and reload for centerfire and blackpowder cartridge... I started to read the sticky, but only thru about 12 pages so far... does anyone know a resource that would guide me through the equipment and process for making corned powder? I'm sure it is in the sticky, but may take me a good while to glean out the information.. I would want to use in in 45-70's and my muzzle stuffers too...... I even have a small willow that is dying in my back yard only about 8"diameter, but could try my hand at making charcoal..
Thanks again,
TheMoose
Thanks again
Perhaps my learning skills have diminished in my senior years.. 50 years ago I could read something once and then "have it"... Now I read it about three times, do it a couple of times and then... "have it" only about half the time.
If you use much, its cost effective, and there is the satisfaction of 'beating the system'.
If you only use a pound every once in a while, it probably wouldn't be worth the trouble.
..……. Then again, if you ever wanted to make your own fireworks, you'll need a pretty fair amount...
In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.
OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
EVERYONE!
Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.
I have never done it but if it floats your boat give it a go why not. You will never know what you can do if you don't try.
Themoose
Are you going for wet method or the dry. To me it is interesting
I'm not sure which method is best...and I am still trying to get thru the sticky.. so I don't know the advantages or disadvantages of each. I'm probably not going to have time to get into it very deep in the summer, but thinking it would be a good winter project.
Perhaps my learning skills have diminished in my senior years.. 50 years ago I could read something once and then "have it"... Now I read it about three times, do it a couple of times and then... "have it" only about half the time.
I do the wet method... and have great results... I would speculate that both methods can produce wonderful acceptable powder... each method has a learning curve, and the powder I make now is way way better then my first attempt, thats for sure...
Marko
Any technology not understood, can seem like Magic!!!
I will love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.
No reason not to make the charcoal now... it’s easy. I keep mine in a coffee can, one of the large Yuban plastic 2lb types with airtight lid. Be sure to grind or mill it down to airfloat. You can do the rest during the winter.
Marko
Any technology not understood, can seem like Magic!!!
I will love the Lord with all my heart, all my soul, and all my mind.
I have given it a thought and got some willow, a can for charcoal making and a grinder together then figured out I might want to do what I advise people new to casting to do. Buy your lead to remove a significant hurdle. Batch of WW ingots from S&S plus some solder or tin and you have a direct path to making good bullets. I think same holds true for BP. This place sells kits and has good instructions. Will allow one to focus on making the BP not making the ingredients and knowing one is starting with ingredients that are known to work. Like buying good lead.
For first time without needing a ball mill. Gets you started, tells you the mesh sizes you need and step by step.
https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how...m-black-powder
Using this kit
https://www.skylighter.com/collectio...-chemicals-kit
At $67 for ingredients to make 10 lbs. you are paying $6.70 a pound. Can then expand into making own charcoal and buy the other ingredients if you decide to make more.
There is also a slightly cheaper kit that is for using a ball mill (rock tumbler)
https://www.skylighter.com/products/...s-black-powder
Along with direction for making powder using the ball mill
https://www.skylighter.com/blogs/how...quick-and-easy
If I ever get around to making BP I will most likely go the route of the red gum kit. I don't use enough to warrant a bunch of equipment and would be doing it mostly for fun and the excitement of making my own and having it work. I have sort of started watching the Salvation Army and thrift store/ garage sales for those coffee grinders they suggest using to pulverize ingredients.
Any way good luck, remember get the willow or cotton wood de-barked early because later it is a beast to try and strip down to wood for making charcoal. Fresh bark peels best from willow.
Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.
Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.
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I started making bp about 35 hrs ago at 10. Dad made it for his friends that had a bp group. I still do it now because no one near me has it. Too many storage laws. So really even a pound is worth it. After a few batches, mine is as good as my dads was. And I liked his better than the store ****. It’s very consistent.
RogerDat - I looked at those kits after you had posted. I also noticed on another thread that Fly had mentioned staying away from places that sold the charcoal supplies for fireworks as they are not really comparable in making BP. Do you know if the kits make acceptable BP? I am still trying to figure a bunch out before I get started down that road. Thanks.
Ron
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |