This hobby is hard work!

[Nobade]

After melting down 3, 5 gallon buckets of reclaimed bullets and pressing 2 kilos of gunpowder into pucks, I have had enough for the day. Should be set for supplies for a while though!

-Nobade

[dondiego]

I read somewhere on here that "if it were easy, anyone could do it."

[Mgderf]

It doesn't need to be.
I use Jim Shockey's American Pioneer powder, or IMR White-Hots under Power-Belt sabots.
Accurate, and deadly on deer at good distances for me, and clean-up is a breeze.

[dondiego]

Mgderf - What is your cost to shoot 1000 rounds with that recipe? Many here shoot several thousand rounds per year.

[Mgderf]

Mgderf - What is your cost to shoot 1000 rounds with that recipe? Many here shoot several thousand rounds per year.

Got me there.
My muzzle loaders are mostly limited to hunting applications.
I probably shoot way less than 100 rounds per year, but my costs aren't what you might expect.
I try to optimize my funds by buying on sale when I can.
For the past several years I've hit every Wal-Mart, Meijer, K-mart, and local gun shop just after the season ends, and the sales begin.
This year I bought up a couple hundred rounds of Power-Belt bullets for >1/4 of the normal cost.

Granted, I'm not shooting as much, and it does cost me some extra coin, but I don't cast my own lead. Not yet anyway.
I just started reloading anything this past fall.
Still a youngin', wet behind the ears, even though I'm over 50.

For my uses, I'd rather pay a little extra and not have the clean-up issues some worry about.
My clean-up generally takes 5-10 minutes.

[pietro]

pressing 2 kilos of gunpowder into pucks




? ? ? ? ?

Could you please expand on that ?

Why ?

How ?



.

[dondiego]

One method of producing your own black powder is to mill the components, wet slightly and press them into discs or pucks under pressure. When dried, break them up and screen for size. See sticky at top of this page.

[Nobade]

Yep, what he said...

-Nobade

[wicket]

I generally enjoy the work that goes along with blackpowder shooting, though puck crunching isn't my favorite task. I can watch lead melt all day though, and am currently scrounging around in the odd corners to see whether I can round up enough lead to justify firing up the dutch oven for some ingot casting.

[Fly]

After melting down 3, 5 gallon buckets of reclaimed bullets and pressing 2 kilos of gunpowder into pucks, I have had enough for the day. Should be set for supplies for a while though!

-Nobade
Well you ole candy a$$. Life is tuff & we are REAL mountain men. Suck it up you slacker (wink)

Fly (smile)

[Nobade]

:guntootsmiley:

-Nobade

[Fly]

Guys I give Nobade a hard time, but we are buddys. But it is a two fold thing with us. Ya cost
is cut from $20 a Lb for powder to less than $4 a Lb. Casting your own bullets a great saving
also. But it more about making that stuff your self. If your not into that just buy it. Everyone
has there own reason for shooting these ole girls.

No matter just enjoy it. Fly

[triggerhappy243]

As much as i love being creative, making things the hard way, i'd much rather buy the pyrodex,(heh-heh-heh) and cast my own boolits. Spend the rest of the free time shootin.