Up until today, I have been using Blue Dot loads in my 8-bore double rifle. However, I finally decided to see what sort of fun it would be to duplicate the original regulating load for my gun.
Here is a copy of the original ledger for my gun (2982). It is hard to read but it says "10 drams Ro bullet", which I assume means 10 drams under a ball.:
The load I used today was 275gr of Schuetzen 2F, a half inch cushion wad, a healthy dose of homemade black powder lube, under a 0.85" ball.
Here is the target from the two test shots. The shots crossed (left hit is the right barrel), which I suspect is due to the mold not producing the best balls (0.852" x 0.845"). I haven't had great luck with these balls over smokeless loads either.
This test was a ton of fun! I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of recoil, but it wasn't a lot more than the same ball over a "nitro for black" load or at least it was still less recoil than my conical boolit "nitro for black" loads. Also, the amount of smoke rapidly burning 550gr of black powder produces is incredible! My neighbors house completely disappeared in the cloud!
My next test will likely be my 1200gr conical boolits (Accurate Molds 84-1200) over the same charge. These boolits have proved more accurate and regulate well. I also have a lighter mold on order from Accurate Molds which should replace my use of balls.