Baby Steps

[Guy La Pourque]

How many of you shoot smokeless in your BPCR's? I want to eventually graduate to shooting the Holy Black and blessed paper patch boolits... but I just got a new Pedersoli roller that I want to shoot with smokeless propellants first. I am an experienced reloader with conventional guns... but these big ol' single shot guns have a few twists I need to iron out first.

I am using loads from that cast lead reloading manual by Mike Venturino. I got some cast boolits from a commercial supplier (Bullet Barn) and I am ready to load up some ammo. I dunno where I saw it - it might have been here with you fellas - but I think the guys were using corn meal or cotton batting as a filler for when they shot their smokeless guns. There seemed to be some dissention among the ranks over the issue too if I recall.

I never shot fillers in my Marlin Guide Gun but did see some very erratic velocities with my paddy-cake target stuff. Should I be using fillers in the big roller...?

As always, your two cents is sincerely appreciated! Happy Friday!:wink:

[Toymaker]

Generally, I don't like fillers. However, I have improved accuracy of some loads by using them. I bought a bag of bio-degradable packing peanuts from Staples and use a piece of them (usually an inch) to take up all the empty space between the powder and bullet. I've posted these pictures several times on various threads. IMR SR 4759 is no longer available, but Accurate 5744 is a good substitute. Something around 23 grains is very pleasant to shoot and has very good accuracy to 200 yards (the max on my range). The rifle is a Pedersoli Creedmoor Rolling Block.
187034 187035

[1Hawkeye]

Filler can be a two edged sword sometimes. You could ring your chamber if not done right. Most trapdoor loads don't really need them. Try powders like imr3031,a5744, or if you can find some sr4759.varget and reloader 7 are good also. A good bulky powder will take up that air space. I've had some great chronograph results with 4759,3031,varget,& reloader7. I haven't tried 5744 yet cause I'm kinda cheap but I hear good things about it.