Author Topic: Cheap or Expensive (Read 1084 times)

MOGorilla · « **on:** October 01, 2003, 07:07:02 AM »

I noticed in a post earlier that the only thing cheap about shooting Cap and Ball, was the price of the guns. I got to thinking about this and put some numbers together. I just bought a pound of 777. Shooting 25 grains, I estimate 280 shots per pound of powder. Grand total, balls, wads, caps and powder, I came up with $0.22 per shot. I know it costs me $0.40 per shot to shoot my Henry Rifle. 22 cents seems reasonable to me, unless you regularly shoot .22 cal, I haven't found many other calibers cheaper, anyone else want to chime in?

Flint · « **Reply #1 on:** October 01, 2003, 09:53:49 AM »

I reload (smokeless) for a caliber like 44-40 for about $.08 a round, given that I already have the brass. If smokeless the powder costs about $.02 to $.03 , if black the powder would be about $.07 to $.10 a round. So I would load for my Yellowboy even in Black powder for about $.12 a round.

simonkenton · « **Reply #2 on:** October 01, 2003, 10:07:19 AM »

22 cents a shot seems cheap to me.
What does a box of .38 ammo cost? I bet it is that much per round, if not more.

howdy doody · « **Reply #3 on:** October 01, 2003, 10:45:28 AM »

Flint nailed it. You are talking BP shooting and of course with C&B there is no brass in the equasion. About 8¢ for smokeeless and depending on your powder anywheres from 20¢ to 40 ¢ sounds about right.
I know that powder wise I shoot near a half a pound per match, pistols, rifle and shot gun and a pound of American Pioneer is around 18$ then for shotgun we have wads to figure too. Yup, BP is expensive to shoot, but danged if it ain't twice the work, but four times the fun. :grin:

1860 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 01, 2003, 01:22:18 PM »

It just doesn't Matter!!!!

Famous or imfamous quote from our groups of shooters, meaning, if you have to ask you can't afford it. Fun is fun, and it has no pricetag... :grin:

1860

R.M. · « **Reply #5 on:** October 01, 2003, 02:26:19 PM »

What I've done to bring down the cost of shooting my C&B is casting my own balls, and using Cream of Wheat instead of a wad. Considering that a wad cost about 1/2 that of a ball, I just had to do something. I tried to cut my own wads, and it did work well, but the cereal's just plain cheaper.

howdy doody · « **Reply #6 on:** October 01, 2003, 04:07:26 PM »

Cobutch, make yer own wads with a hole punch from Harbor Freight and old hats. You can buy an old felt hat from the thrift store and get hundreds of wads from it for only a buck or two. Soak them in a crisco/beeswax mix and you have a wad that will beat a wonder wad 4 ways to sundown. :grin:

David L · « **Reply #7 on:** October 01, 2003, 08:05:42 PM »

Hmmmmmm, I don't care how much it costs, I just know it relieves tension and I've turned the cleaning process into a labor of pure love. IN spite of my problems with my Pietta .44 I LOVE it man for the way it fits me hand.

I've herd of these punches for wads but never actually saw a link posted, guess its time to do some searching.....

David L

David L · « **Reply #8 on:** October 02, 2003, 04:52:28 PM »

Still searching for that .45 punch tool......Wanna buy it but just can't find it,,,,

David L

howdy doody · « **Reply #9 on:** October 02, 2003, 05:33:39 PM »

David, the tool is a gasket punch and you can get one in Sears or an auto supply or where tools are sold. You can hit it with a hammer and it cuts the round wad out of the material. The way I do it is I take my drill press and unplug it. I then chuck up my punch and then just crank the punch down and make the wads. Try that.

The Shrink · « **Reply #10 on:** October 03, 2003, 02:36:07 AM »

David

If you want an exact size for .44/45 you need to go to Buffalo Arms. WWW.Buffaloarms.com They have .45 wad cutters for both rifle and pistol. The Rifle is larger, for .458 bores. You want the Pistol wad punch. They have a hammer struck one and one that mounts in a reloading press. I reload, but got the hammer struck one. I soak felt door and window seal (hardware store - make sure it's wool felt) in my rifle bullet lube and punch them out.

For .36 caliber you can use the hardware store 3/8" hollow punch, but I had to sharpen mine before it would cut through the wool.

R.M. · « **Reply #11 on:** October 03, 2003, 03:46:56 AM »

What I used was a .45 ACP case, drilled out the primer pocket to the best size, inserted a screw from the inside, nut on the outside, and mounted it in an electric drill (drill press would be better) and started cutting away. To vary size, you could use a different caliber of case like a 45-70, or .458.

howdy doody · « **Reply #12 on:** October 03, 2003, 06:10:21 AM »

And yet another thing I have done to my punch is that I cut a couple of notches in the sharp cutting edge. What the heck for you might ask? Well, when I come down and press my punch to the felt and it goes through to the piece of wood under the felt It doesn't cut a perfect circle out. I have the wad still held in place by the two notches I cut . This keepes me from having to work them out of the punch and I can just push them out of the felt after I have punched a million holes in the material (a hat)

Ain't BP shootin' fun? There must be as many ways to do things as there is shooters of the true powder. :lol:

Dutch Canyon Red · « **Reply #13 on:** December 05, 2003, 03:34:50 PM »

Wish you guys would quit putting those links up..... just spent $80.00! :roll: :eek: :roll: Thanks for the info.

Jeff Vicars · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2003, 05:36:40 PM »

A 11mm gasket punch is exactly the same size as Wonder Wads for a 44/45.

Full House · « **Reply #15 on:** December 09, 2003, 09:22:45 AM »

I shoot some American Pioneer Powder (previously known as Clean Shot) mainly for effect (smokeeeee). I make my wads with milk cartons and a #11mm gasket punch. I bought the punch on-line for $5.85 plus s/h.

The waxed paper of a milk carton is great -- you can stack them as thick as you want for light loads, a la, corn meal, cream of wheat, grits, etc.