duplexing

[bigted]

just wondering why the duplexing smokless with black powder is so frowned on?

[Nobade]

It contaminates the HOLY BLACK!

Hehehe, seriously, I don't know. Maybe makes things too easy? Not allowed in competition? Not traditional? Might blow yourself up if done wrong? All of those I suppose.

I shoot straight black sometimes, smokeless sometimes, duplexed sometimes, whatever I happen to be working with at the moment. It all works if you do it right.

[NickSS]

I have duplexed loads in the past and did ok in competition but I found that when I went to straight black two things happened. One was that my groups got smaller and two the rifle was much easier and faster to clean. So I use pure black powder for the last 15 years and never looked back. Also it is not allowed in certain NRA sponsored events such as metallic silhouette. Use straight black and a blow tube for target shooting. For hunting if you plan on more than one or two shots use duplex or smokeless..

[0verkill]

I'd always been told duplex loads with 2 smokeless powders was a no-no because of the lack of data. The Lyman cast bullet manual (3r edition I believe, not the newest one) has some loads for the big 45- cartridges with 5 grains Holy Black placed in the case first to set off a large dose of heathen powder I think. I can't find my copy but I'm pretty sure it's where I read those loads.

[Hang Fire]

I do find it a bit odd that on a Black Powder thread, Harry Pope was rightly celebrated, including by some BP only purists. Yet Pope was a great proponent of duplex loads and set some records using them.

[wiljen]

I think the fears of duplex loads stem largely from the fear of the unknown and from a lack of understanding on how to do it correctly. There is nothing any more inherently dangerous about a duplex load than there is about any other load. Most all larger guns (artillery) use a form of duplex load involving a priming charge and a main charge. What those guns prove is done right, its a perfectly viable practice. Unfortunately the host of horror stories floating the web prove that if done wrong, it can have less than good results.

[bigted]

i agree completely with you guys that there is probably a very real danger in duplex loading. i also find that this is really not any new ground being plowed refering to folks like pope and mathews for two that aproved heartilly of this practice. i believe that the whole art of reloading in whole is a dangerous persuit in that if done improperly there is catastrofic experiences that nobody wants ...ever...however like all who reload succesfully i am carefull with all reloading exercises ...including my smokeless...blackpowder ...and now the duplexing of the two together. i still find way more positives then negatives with this practice. thanks for the answers and keep em coming.