Blackpowder Loads In Pardner????????

[slayer]

I am going to buy a 12 gauge Pardner to try some Blackpowder loads thru it with the Magtech Brass hulls. anyone ever try this? What choke is best? I know some fiber wads are tight going thru Modified and Full chokes, as they do in muzzleloading shotguns. Any advice on loads and components would be appreciated. I won`t be doing high volume, maybe a couple hundred a year at the very most. Thanks-Jack.

[coltnavy36]

I've been dove hunting in the past with the set-up you speak of.
They do quite well.
For the load, I use the same volume of powder as shot. Same dipper.
This always gives a good load for blackpowder purposes when throwing shot.
I first started by using newspaper as wads, but graduated to the BPI card wads as soon as they arrived in the mail.hehe
The BPI wads are slightly undersized for the magtech hulls.
So, I compromized, and loaded a card wad over powder, a slight amount of paper over that, and another card wad over the paper, then the shot, and capped it all off with another card.
This has worked well for me, although I still do not like the set-up.
The magtech hulls are problems.
As much as I love brass hulls, they are simply too thin for use with modern components.
Especially when dealing with more detailed loads like round balls, or bullets such as the Paradox cotton-reel, or even cast slugs.
I am at a point at this time when I feel they should offer thicker walled cases if any at all.
To be honest, and to make a long story short, the above works fine for loading slowly and a few shells at a time, but at this time, I have returned to plactic cases. Which is dis-heartening, as I love brass ones the most.
If only they were thicker.
Hope this helps.
---coltnavy36---

[Critter]

Look at this website for all the info you need and also the proper size wads to use with Magtech brass shotshells.  In the menu on the left side is a reference to loading BP cartridges and the shotgun loading info is in there.

http://www.circlefly.com/

Here's another one I had in my favorites:  http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

I don't load brass shells, just plastic, with BP so can't be of much help but I hope these websites do the job.

[Froghunter]

Gentleman,

Are you using FFG or FFFG blackpowder? I use FFFG in my T/C New Englander, both .50 cal and 12 gauge barrel. Mr. Bullock said in his article to use only FFG and not FFFG because of the pressure! This has been a question of mine for a while. Does someone have the pressure differents or burn rates of these powders. What is it in comparison to the Swedish FFG powder, from what I have read it's a fast burning powder too!

[slayer]

I appreciate the info fellas!! I will check out the link. I definitely want to use the Brass Hulls, but only going to use with shot, no slugs and such. I will probably get a Modified fixed choke pardner and use felt wads so they compress well and try the paper also. As for the Shotgun FFG and FFFG, alot of guys use the FFFG in Shotguns and have no problems and say they are much cleaner. The same guys use FFFG in all of their black rifles also, all the way up to the big smoothbores, once again, no problems and cleaner. Regards-Jack.

[Critter]

I do quite a bit of Cowboy Action Shooting so I go through a lot of BP shotshells.  I load whatever I have handy FFFg, FFg, Fg, Goex, Elephant, Pyrodex, 777, American Pioneer Powder, whatever.  It doesn't seen to make much of a difference.  I really wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Rustyinfla]

Critter,
    That brings up another question about CAS. If you are shooting BP in pistols and rifles are you required to shot it in the shotgun as well to be in that class?

     thanks,
      Rusty <><

[Critter]

Rusty,
The short answer is yes.  To participate in the Frontier Cartridge, Frontier Cartridge Duelist or Fontiersman classed all ammo has to be loaded with BP or a sub.  You can shoot smokeless in the shotgun and BP is everything else but you would have to be in a smokless powder class; Traditional, Duelist, Gunfighter etc.