Less expensive black powder shooting?

[Gary Grayhair]

I just love my T/C Omega and the deliberateness needed with loading a black powder rifle but current prices for ammunition and Pyrodex tablets are pushing each shot to around a dollar. Since I'm primarily a paper puncher/bottle exploder who shoots at a range, that gets a bit expensive. What have other people done to bring down the cost of practice shooting their black power guns? I'd like to keep the same "powder" load for consistency so I guess that leaves finding cheaper bullets. Suggestions?

GG

[hunter63]

I have both traditional muzzle-loaders T/c Hawkens's, and in-lines.
The in-lines seem to be designed for use with Pyrodex, or other BP substitutes and sabots.

The Hawkens's, I shoot pretty much regular BP and either patched round balls, or Maxi's.

I just got back into moulding my own round balls, and Maxi's as well as 12 ga slugs, with a Lee pot and several molds, using "found" lead.

So this does keep the cost down, as I'm not buying pyrodex in pellets, manufactured sabots, and shot gun primers, much.

So, I guess you could say you are paying more for the convenience of the in-line.

I just picked up a pound of loose Pyrodex, supposed to be the equivalent of XX- BP.
I going to compare the loads of like grains, between BP and the Pyrodex as it getting to be harder and harder to get the BP.

[Major Tom]

I've been shooting my smokepoles for years with loose pyrodex,I've never used pellets(I'm a cheapskate).I like the 300grn buckslayer bullets in both my inlines and sidelocks.My firebolt inline(name:Meatinthepot) will toss that bullet sitting over 110grns loose pyro and federal 209's very accuratley out to 200yds(3 inch grooups).Another bullet I like and shoot alot in my non magnum is the Buffalo Ballet.It's a cross between roundball and bullet with gascheckson the hollowskirt.I've pretty much hunted with my smokepoles exclusively for several years and practice as much as possible.I've been thinking of builing a Lyman hawkin with 2 different barells one for ball and the other for bullets.Smokepoles are a passion for me I'll stop there.Keep you're powder dry!

[Mad_Professor]

You can get REAL backpowder delivered in 25 lb lots from Powder Inc. Will cost you less than 15$/lb. I prefer Kik or GOEX

Get some molds and some REAL lead and start casting your own bullets/balls.

Make your own patches out of pillow ticking.

Make your own lubes out of rendered fat and oils.

With REAL black powder you can clean up with warm water.

Want to save more? Get a Flinter so you don't need to buy primers.

[oeb]

Cheaper powder? Here's a thought:

http://www.musketeer.ch/blackpowder/homemade_bp.html

I suppose you could even leach your own saltpeter; extract your own sulphur.
This is somewhat fanciful... no labor costs included.

Happy GOEX shooting.