Looking for black powder low pressure load data for my 10 gauge

[PennStateCarry]

Just to answer one of your initials questions about Track's pamphlet, it indeed has very little load data. The whole reason I bought it was in hopes of some data since Ballistics Products only have brass shell loads for 12, 16, and 20. The pamphlet is well put together and goes over loading techniques, terms, and practices. The one load listed that works best in the author's gun is fairly hot at 4 1/2 drams propelling 1 1/2 ounces of bismuth shot. I doubt I'll be using it in my 1894.

Since Track is out of cushion wads, I am going to try using a 7/8 inch ID pipe to serve as a mold for paper mache wads. I know they are available other places, but I'm already using an arch punch for making over-shot and over-powder cards so might as well become fully self-sufficient in that arena. It'll be a lot cheaper than buy sheets of 1/4 inch felt I think. My goal is also to develop a turkey load for this spring. My starting point is going to be 3 1/2 drams (96 grains) of FFG propelling 1 1/2 ounces of #6 shot and seeing where that gets me.

[Greg5278]

Have You tried Circle Fly Wads? I believe Owner's name was Craig. He could punch almost any size of Filler Wad/Card.
I've used Him numerous times, and He often has stock that no one else does.

They only material that He does not have is the heavy Wax impregnated Card stock. I think only Fiocchi makes that special item.
It would probably save You some work for experimenting.
Greg
AKA 12 Bore

[PennStateCarry]

I use Circle Fly for all of my 12 gauge shooting, but want to play around with the 10 a bit. If my results are awful, I’ll probably buy 500 sized at 9 gauge!

[Tripplebeards]

Well, after just refinishing three three guns in a row during our cold spell in the last few weeks I was brave enough to refinish my 10 gauge. I refinished the barrel and wood. It’s not perfect but imo it looks a million times better. There are still some dings in the metal and wood so it still has an old weathered look.





I ordered up a box of RST #6’s for turkey hunting back up if I didn’t get to reloading yet. I wasn’t to impressed with the group of the RST #5’s. I was sent wads from another member to get started, thank you BTW! I picked up a mighty 10 gauge load manual. I also picked up a bunch of various kinds of black powder along with green dot, red dot, unique, and 700x from a widow liquidating her passed husbands stash. I have some saved hulls from my 3.5” 10 gauge I can cut down. I also picked up a lee loader from another member here and have an old plastic 8 point crimp starter to get the shorter 2 7/8” hulls crimp fold over so I can finish them off in the longer lee loader. If not I’ll just cut the crimp off and glue a cardboard disk over the shot. I am down to finding some 5 or 6 shot,preferably 6, and some brass 2 7/8” shells so they will match my 1873 Charles Daly time wise. Turkey hunting is a month and a half away. I better get looking for lead!

I skimmed the mighty 10 gauge load data and it looked like no loads were larger then 1 1/4oz of shot for Damascus barrels. I’d really like a 2 oz or close to it load.


I figured after a few more coats of BLO I’ll wax the wood furniture to make it waterproof. I would assume this how the wood was finished by Charles Daly back in 1973?

[Tripplebeards]

I finally loaded up a few shells and headed to the range yesterday...

I loaded up a few light loads with DuPont FG and worked my way up in powder charge weights/loads today. My left barrel definitely has a tighter choke than my right. I started with 1 3/8 oz loads of #6 and worked my way up to a square load of 4.5 drams (116 grains of FG) and 1 5/8 oz load of #6 listed on track of the wolf. The best patterns came from a powder charge of 100 grains of FG along with 1 5/8oz of nickel plated #6’s. The recoil with the 100 grain, 1 5/8 oz load was pretty comparable, if not just a hair more recoil, to the RST 1 1/4oz loads. It was the funnest time I’ve had in a long time with my pants on.lol

Here are my best two targets out of the 10 rounds I tried today. They were patterned at 25 yards. I had 40 hits using one single 1/4” nitro card over 100 grains of DuPont FG and 1 5/8 oz of BPI nickel plated #6’s. I glued a shot card over the top. The second best load was exactly the same accept I split one of the nitro cards in half and seated it on top of the first nitro card.








A few other targets with left a d right barrel comparison patterns. The right kept blowing the pattern. Two of my loads were 15 and 16 hits with the right barre...The best with the right barrel was 21 hits.







Here were my loads...




I tried to video a few shots and placed my gun across my arm instead of my shoulder. It was a little sore yesterday. Almost gone this morning. Done it many of times with every gun I own off the bench at one time or another. Next time I’ll shoot standing up.

[Tripplebeards]

I removed the side plates today to inspect for any signs of stress or cracks in the wood furniture... everything looked great. I gave the wood under the side plates another good coat of boiled Lind seed oil, greased the side plates and triggers, re cleaned the barrel, and gave the complete gun a coat of boiled Lind seed oil. I loaded up my 11 empty hulls with a 100 grain FG/1 5/8oz #6's. I trimmed them all down to approx the same height. Would have gave myself a C- on the trim job. I canceled my brass shell order figuring 11 rounds will last me a few seasons of turkey hunting. I have a few more RST loads to shoot up so i have couple more hulls for reloading.

[W.R.Buchanan]

3B: If you get a Roll Crimp Tool you can finish those hulls and not have to mess with the glue. They will look better too.

That one Fold Crimp in the first pic looked close. Did you use your drill press to push it closed?

Randy

[Tripplebeards]

I used a black plastic 8 point crimp starter like the one you posted. Then I used a rubber mallet to tap on my lee loader to get it to tuck down flat. I definitely will have to get a 10 gauge roll crimper.

[W.R.Buchanan]

3B: Do you have a Drill Press? I thought you had said somewhere that you did? What I found on the last go round with using the Lee Loader was the pre-crimp had to be squished down several times to get it to close down like I showed in the pic. The press did this best and I tried a small dead blow hammer and a plastic mallet too. They just wouldn't hold the pre crimper tool down long enough for the pre crimp to take a set.

Same with the Final Crimp. I had to push it down several times to get it to look right. Maybe a cheap HF 1/2 ton Arbor press if you don't have a Drill Press.

With the Drill Press you could chuck up a piece of 1/2" dowel for a pusher to push on the Pre Crimp tool and the Final Crimp Die.

Also with the Roll Crimp Tool, I pre heat it using my Heat Gun and then coat the inside of the tool with Vaseline which makes the plastic flow nicer. This will make it perform much easier with the cordless drill.

Like I said earlier, there is a Learning Curve with these tools so don't get Frustrated.

We'll help you get the process perfected.

Randy

[Tripplebeards]

I don’t own a drill press. I used the force of my hands to start the crimp with a plastic 8 point crimp starter that looks like an inch long plastic bottle cap. Like the one you posted a photo of. I then put the round in my lee loader and tapped it with a hammer till I got it to close up flush. I’ll have to order a 4 pin roll crimper and find a drill press. I have a hand held cordless drill but no press. I figured if I roll crimp I can use them in my semi auto gold as well.

[megasupermagnum]

You can roll crimp just fine with a hand drill. I have a drill press, but use a hand drill exclusively for roll crimping. It is much easier than carrying shells to the garage.

[Cap'n Morgan]

What MegaMag says.
This is what I use most of the time - a drill press makes for a more even result and is great for larger batches, but a hand drill is... well, handy. If placed on a not-too-slick surface, you don't need any fancy shell holder.

[sharps4590]

Like the Cap'n says, the drill press gives nicer, more consistent crimps and like mega, my drill press is in the detached shop, up the hill sooooo, I use a battery drill also.

Get the roll crimper, you cannot possibly regret it. One day one of those glued in OSC's will let go and you'll hear the distinct sound of shot rolling out the barrel.

[Tripplebeards]

I removed the side plates today to inspect for any signs of stress or cracks in the wood furniture... everything looked great. I gave the wood under the side plates another good coat of boiled Lind seed oil, greased the side plates and triggers, re cleaned the barrel, and gave the complete gun a coat of boiled Lind seed oil. I loaded up my 11 empty hulls with a 100 grain FG/1 5/8oz #6's. I trimmed them all down to approx the same height. Would have gave myself a C- on the trim job. I canceled my brass shell order figuring 11 rounds will last me a few seasons of turkey hunting. I have a few more RST loads to shoot up so i have couple more hulls for reloading.

Did I leave enough excess hull above my shot card to be able to roll crimp and do my cases have to be cut perfectly even?


I just ordered the Cadillac of the three rollers I could find. The $49, quad pin roller from the reloaders network. Didn't know it was “loads of bacon” who makes them. I’ve watched a lot of his expanding cast hollow point videos. I figured buy the time I ordered either the one pin from ballistic products or two pin roller from precision reloading and paid shipping and tax for $10 (or less)I could get the 4 pin with free shipping and zero tax. The 4 pin seems give a nicer crimp and work a lot better. I see a lot of 12 gauge and smaller roll pins from Russia on eBay for $12 or less bit no one makes an economy knock off in 10 gauge or I would have probably got cheap and ordered one.

[W.R.Buchanan]

3B; Yes a hand held drill will work just fine. I use my milling machine because it is opposite my bench and it is convenient. You'll just run your drill on slow speed. I run around 200 rpms but it is not that critical.

When I was talking Drill Press I was mainly looking at you using it as an Arbor Press with the Lee Loader. However it would work nice for Roll Crimping too.

You need something to hold onto the hulls while you're roll crimping. If you are doing more than a few your hand gets tired trying to hold them so they don't rotate.

I made this.

Randy

[Tripplebeards]

I'm using the old lee "hand tools type" loader. I'll have to make something to hold my shells while I crimp them.

[Tripplebeards]

So how many times can I Re roll crimp a shell on average? Do I need to keep trimming it down after every shot?

[Markopolo]

i doubt the plastic hulls will last more then a few shots with BP... that is why I use the brass shells with bp.. all the plastic ones I used in the past tended to melt.

sure love the gun Trip. you have done a fine job on it, and I love the damascus's pattern you brought out... it really looks cool!

[W.R.Buchanan]

3B go to the sticky On Roll Crimping at the top of this forum and read thru it. There is alot of good info that should answer most of your questions. Lots of people contributed and the subject got covered pretty well.

Randy

[dsh1106]

Tripplebeards
If you go the this link

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/...ic/subpage/faq

FQA #20 provides some black powders loads for muzzle loader shotguns, not sure how applicable that will be for your situation.

Scott