Black Powder 12g cartridges ?

[TheSquire]

You may be able to go higher I am no expert but I just was worried about over doing it.

[flintlok]

I've checked the weight of powder and its as near as dammit 120grains,,,,I think !!

Impressive. From Wikipedia

"A dram in the avoirdupois system is the mass of 1⁄256 pound or 1⁄16 ounce or 27.3 grains. The reasoning behind this archaic equivalence is that when smokeless powder first came out, some method of establishing an equivalence with common shotgun shell loads was needed in order to sell a box of shotgun shells. For example, a shotgun shell containing a 3 or 3 1/2 dram load of black-powder was a common hunting field load, and a heavy full power load would have contained about a 4 to 4-1/2 dram load, whereas a shotgun shell containing only a 2 dram load of black-powder was a common target practice load."

I tend to use 70 grains of 3F black powder for most of my loads however I load for rifle. My Springfield Model 1863 Mine Ball gun shoots a 540 grain soft lead bullet which is about 3/4's of an ounce. I've loaded it to 120 grains of 3F black powder. Over 120 grain the charge losses it efficiency and there's not much gain in muzzle velocity. That about a 4-1/2 dram load. I settled on a 70 grains load in order to reduce the fouling.

You need to remember that Pyrodex is loaded as a volume to volume (Pyrodex to black powder) relationship. There is no weight to weight relationship with black powder and Pryrodex so you are loading in uncharted territory. You really need to use a black powder volume measuring device when using Pyrodex.

[Hovannes]

For cases, consider brass ones from Magtech for a really "old school" look and longevity. They take LP primers which, in my neck of the woods, are less costly than 209s.

[Deallad]

Not much really once you can deal with the hassle of getting your FAC. You need a wooden storage box (of precise quality / dimensions) for the powder and somewhere secure for it. The forms are (well in North Yorkshire they are) available on line and you still get a visit from the FEO (well I did) to prove storage etc. The weird bit is once you have the licence to store it you then need to get a licence to carry it from the shop to your house! (Competent Transfer Authority I think its called) A quick fax / letter sorts this bit out. Not too much bother really just time consuming.

With the new explosives cert the 2nd part is on the back of the licence, have had mine about 6 months now.

1lb of the black stuff costs £13 from the firework factory the storage box will cost £75-00 on average or make it yourself

Mike

[Hares Ear]

For shotguns, a rule of thumb that I use is, 1 dram of Black to each 1/2 oz of shot.

I get my wads from Graham Deakin. If you have the means to measure your bore. He will supply you with fibre and card wads to fit the bore of your barrel.