Shooting Buck and ball

[Mr.B]

So I'm pretty new to Black Powder rifles. I also just picked up a .58 reproduction Remington 1863 rifle.

I’ve read about Buck & Ball loads for muskets in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War.

How would I load this up since Ill be putting a patch on the round ball?

Load the round ball up then load up a few buckshot then put a wad on top of that?

-B

[ArmySGT.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_and_ball

Learn to make paper cartridges. Most folks didn't load all the components seperately. especially when expecting a fight.

*edit* adding links to paper cartridges.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNXTQ_NDNCs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L1-SXoswJM&feature=related

http://www.hackman-adams.com/guns/papermake.htm

[blackpowderbill]

So I'm pretty new to Black Powder rifles. I also just picked up a .58 reproduction Remington 1863 rifle.

I’ve read about Buck & Ball loads for muskets in the Revolutionary War and in the Civil War.

How would I load this up since Ill be putting a patch on the round ball?

Load the round ball up then load up a few buckshot then put a wad on top of that?

-B

Unless your rifle is a smooth bore I suggest against using the buck&ball loads.

You should be shooting a .570 or .575 Round ball with a 18 to 15 thousands lubed patch.

[Rick]

I'm not saying it's a good idea, or anything.

But, about 30 years ago I loaded 90 gr. of FFG black powder behind two .490 round balls. I patched both balls individually, packed them down over the powder with the bullets next to each other, and blasted away into a nearby tree stump. It was something I read about some hunter doing way back when he was hunting brown bears in Alaska. I dug the balls out of the stump and they were fused together in one big blob of lead.

The rifle was a .50 caliber Thompson-Center Hawkens. While I'm in self-disclosure mode, I also shot a ramrod out of the same rifle (no bullet) just like Brian Kieth did in the move "Mountain Men". Unlike the bullets, I never found the ramrod.

Probably, a maxi ball has more lead than two round balls, so there's no real good reason to double load a smokepole.

Ah, the perils of a misspent youth; ten feet tall, bullet proof, and fire-resistant.

[gunsmoke]

BUCK & BALL is not going to do a thing for you in a rifled barrel. First off the rifling is going to induce rotation, centrifugul force, which is going to cause a rapid dispersion of the buck. You pointed out that you read about the technique being used in muskets which were smoothbore.

Also if you load the ball first it is going to decelerate SLOWER than the buck (because of the difference in mass) and it is going to blow a hole through the buck pattern further dispersing the buck making it less effective.

There are commercially loaded 12ga buck & ball loads available with a 12ga slug up front followed by 6 pellets of 00 buck.

The double ball load Rick wrote of was a common technique used by hungry hunters in the day.

FWIW I've been shooting .58 cal MLs since the age of 10 that is 42 yrs mow. Years ago I settled on two bullets for hunting that I cast myself. IDEAL (Lyman) 577394 315 grs. over 120 grs og FFg for deer and average hawgs. IDEAL 57730 (Lyman 577030) 570 grs for bear and BIG HAWGS. I lube with pure lanolin which makes a great patch lube for ball, TC BORE BUTTER is almost as good.

LEE PRECISION Makes some really good moulds as well, they have a "WADCUTTER STYLE TARGET" .58 which is an excellent bullet for ML competition shooting. Your ZOUAVE would be eligible to compete in the Civil War reenactors ML competition matches.

GOOD LUCK and enjoy your new Rifle!

[Mr.B]

I found "modern day" buck and ball for the old single shot 12 guage! I think I might order some.

-B

[jim]

Who makes it?

[Mr.B]

Who makes it?

Sorry about that! I forgot to post the link!

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/12-ga-2-3-4-multi-defense-buckshot-shells.aspx?a=573019



-B

[jim]

Thanks, I appreciate it! I've been thinking of making a load like this myself, but have been too lazy to get around to it.

jim