HOCK DOLLARDAYS` BP CURING AND CLEANING

CLEAN AND CURE THAT BP IRON

Welcome Pardners and Pardettes to the, hopefully simplified, methods of cleaning and curing those BP guns. All the information here was, at sometime, contributed by the members of "SASS-CAS"tm on "The Wire"tm.
What I`ve tried to do here is categorize it to make it a little easier to use for each type of Muzzle loader or Breech loader. Bear with me while I edit the info and add it to it`s proper place.
Feel free to use this info and pass along this link to your friends.
If you have something to add, just email it to me . I`ll be glad to include it if it is appropiate for this page. Please keep your emails on the "BP Cleaning & Curing" subject.
Thanks to all who have contributed info to :The Wire"tm on this subject.
**********************************************
INITIAL CLEANING OF NEW OR USED BP GUNS
***********************************************
LIST OF DEGREASER PRODUCTS FOR NEW OR USED IRONS FOR INITIAL PREP FOR BP USE.

WARNING: THESE PRODUCTS ARE HARMFUL TO WOOD FINISHES . AVOID CONTACT WITH WOOD. USE IN WELL VENTILATED PLACE.

GUN SCRUBBER. tm AVAILABLE AT YOUR GUN STORE
AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE CLEANER
ELECTRIC MOTOR AND IGNITION CLEANER, AVAILABLE AT YOUR AUTO SUPPLY STORE
VERY HOT WATER AND DETERGENT

*************************************************
LIST OF RECOMMENDED LUBRICANTS AND CURING AGENTS.
ALL THESE LUBES ARE NONPETROLEUM ALL NATURAL.

BALLISTOL tm.(LIQUID CLEANER AND LUBE)
BIRCHWOOD CASEY BP LUBE AND CLEANER (LIQUID)
NO.13 BORE CLEANER (LIQUID CLEANER ONLY)
T C BORE BUTTER tm. (SOLID BASE LUBE)
WONDER LUBE tm. (SOLID BASE LUBE)
Cabela`s BP Solvent (LIQUID CLEANER ONLY)

YOU MAY KNOW OF OTHER PRODUCTS FOR BP CLEANING AND LUBE, IF SO, LET ME KNOW AND I WILL ADD THEM TO THE LIST IF THEY ARE FOR BP ONLY.
**************************************************
WARNING; BE SURE ALL ARMS ARE UNLOADED BEFORE CLEANING
************************************************

Step1.....
It is imperative that all petroleum based cleaners, lubes, smokeless fouling, lead and copper be completely removed. Copper and lead should be removed with the appropriate solvents, brushes and patches.

Step 2...
Petroleum lubes and cleaner removal is best accomplished by use of one of the following products. "GUN SCRUBBER" tm. Electreic Motor and Ignition Cleaner, Brake Cleaner or VERY HOT water and detergent. Some people use DENATURED ALCOHOL (from your hardware store) It`s very flammable and I do not not recommend it`s use.(WARNING; THESE DEGREASERS ARE HARMFUL TO WOOD AND WOOD FINISHES, AVOID CONTACT WITH WOOD AND USE IN A WELL VENTILATED PLACE).

Spray all the inside of the action and bbl. with the degreaser to remove the petroleum products therein.. Follow immediately (to prevent flash rusting) when the cleaner dries, with one of the following products. "BALLISTOL"tm,, "Cabelas BP Lube" tm,,"T C Bore Butter" tm,, "Wonder Lube"tm. or "Birchwood Casey BP Lube",tm.available at most of the larger toy stores. It is not necessary to completely disassemble your irons to do this initial cleaning. The spray degreasers and BP lubes work best to get down in the actions.
It is best to use a JAG and Patch (Do not use wire brushes again for cleaning or lube)to lube the bbls inside as they fit tight and will squeeze the lube into the pores of the metal.
Once the initial cleaning and lube is done, never again use any type of petroleum based cleaners or lubes on these irons as it will undo any seasoning that has taken place. Seasoning is a gradual process and can be easily reversed with careless cleaning in the future.

Step 3....
KEEP THOSE SIX SHOOTERS ROLLING THROUGH THE DAY.
BEFORE USE PREP
Use a generous amount of one of the heavy based lubes on the cylinder pin and front and rear of the cylinder bushing where they meet the frame. Don`t be afraid to load it up in these areas, you can hardly get too much lube in this area.
If the action becomes stiff during use, just spray a little of one of the liquid lubes around the cylinder and it should free up. Wipe away any outside fouling and relube with a heavy based lube.
With the muzzle loaders you should get through about 30 rounds before thorough cleaning. With breech loaders, probably as many as 40 or 50 rounds.

AFTER THE DAYS PLAY IS DONE.

Most of the following instructions will be used on most all of your irons, some exceptions will be noted.
Now that all the fun is over , it`s time to get those irons ready to put away . Not too bad a job if you start off right.
For those muzzle loaders, remove the bbl. , cylinder and remove cones. and flush thoroughly with one of the liquid cleaners or VERY HOT WATER and soap. Use patches on a jag in cylinders and bbl to loosen caked fouling.( no brushes here). To clean in the action, one of the spray cleaners works best, flush action until cleaner comes out clean, wipe dry and spray in a liquid lube. Clean cones and threads thoroughly and lube them with a pipe cleaner. Lube inside of bbl and cylinder with one of the heavy based lubes. Wipe outside with rag dampened with cleaner and lube with heavy based lube. Reassemble. With a little practice this should be done in about 15 minutes.
A complete disassembly (all the innards) and cleaning will be necessary about every three to six months. Depends on how much you use the irons. "Ballistol" tm. seems to be the best cleaner to keep the innards flushed to prolong having to do a complete disassembly. This has been my experience.

For those BP revolvers with solid frame, proceed as above except bbl removal.

Step4......
All projectiles for these irons should be lubed with a nonpetroleum based lube. "SPG" tm,, Beeswax/crisco,, Bear Grease/Crisco,, Animal Tallow (BEEF, VENISON, BEAR)usally home brewed. (PARAFIN is a petroleum product and is a NO NO, don`t even ask)c}:).( Be ware that some lards have sodium (salt)in it and is not to be used) check the lables on container. c}:)
**************************************************

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE EASY ONE TO CLEAN AND LUBE
Your SXS
Remove forearm and bbls. Flush inside of bbls with one of the above liquid cleaners and let set for a couple of minutes. Push a patch through bore with a mop to remove the bulk of fouling. Flush a second time and repeat moping. Mop a third time with wet cleaner patch and dry with another patch or two. clean around extractor with a liquid lube and thoroughly dry this area. Lube extractor with one of the liquid lubes. The action should be wiped on the breach face and locking area with a damp cleaner rag and then dried and lubed lightly. Little fouling gets in the action area of your SXS so there is no real need to go into it for cleaning very often.Lube the outside of bbls where it is covered by the forearm wood and then reassemble. Wipe the entire outside with one of the firm base lubes . You`r all done now. Took about 15 minutes didn`t it?

**************************************************

NOW ON TO THE LEVER ACTION

One extry tool will be needed here to direct the cleaner into the bbl through the open action. a small nonplastic funnel works well.
It will be necessary to clean the bbl from the muzzel end unless you have one of the rope type cleaners that can be pulled through the bbl.(see note below for simple cleaning cord) If cleaning from the muzzle, it is necessary to place a small amount of rag or several patches in the action to prevent fouling from geting down into the small working parts. Very little fouling gets into the action due to the cartridge acting as a seal. What little does get there can be removed by holding the rifle upside down and spraying generous amounts of liquid cleaner into it and then wipe dry with patches and cotton swabs.
Bbl. Cleaning.
Placing the muzzle down on a soft rag or paper towels, insert funnel into bbl. through open action and pour or spray in generous amount of cleaner and let soak a couple of minutes. Push or pull a patch through to remove the bulk of fouling. Repeat until patch is clean. Wipe with dry patches and then lube with one of the solid base lubes.
A simple cleaning device I use consist of a heavy gague nylon cord with a loop tied in one end to accept a large patch and a lead weight on the other that will pass through the bore. Just drop the weight through the bbl. from the action end and pull the patch through. When cord and weight become dirty, just give it a quick rinse in water and wipe dry. Eliminates fouling from geting into action.
If complete action disassembly is necessary, I would recommend having a technical manuel or have a good knowledge of smithing these long guns. They are not too simple in their reassembly.

SPECIAL NOTE ON CURING

It has been recommended by some that placing a revolver or the longarm bbls in an oven to cure them is good practice. I totally disagree with this method. It is too easy to overheat these parts and do permanent damage to springs and the temper of other metal parts which may lead to an unsafe shooting iron. I believe the only safe method is the natural and easy way by using the proper lubes on irons and projectiles and just shoot them. Curing is a very gradual process of building up a protective shield in the bbls that resist corrosion and eases cleaning. There is little or no worry about too much buildup of the curing because of natural wear through shooting. The curing may never reach more than a few tenthousants of an inch in thickness, therefore not presenting any problem in reducing bore diameter.

NOTES ON LOADING BP & SUBSTITUTES

There have been many request for loading data and methods of loading BP and their substitutes (Pyrodex, Cleanshot, Clearshot). I thought I would add a little help here in this department.

Lets deal with powder measuring.
All BP and their substitutes are loaded on a volume basis based on the equivelant of BP in grains. Example, if a load calls for 30g BP, the equivelant of that in a substitute would be the same volumeas the BP load but not the actual same weight. Substitutes have a different weight to volume ratio than BP. In simpler terms, if the load calls for 30g BP, set the measure to the 30g mark and use this same volume for the substitute.
The general rule in loading BP is that the case must be filled with powder to a point where it is compressed by the bullet when seated to the proper depth. This is best accomplished by using an adjustable dipper to get the proper charge. Then using this to load all cartridges of that caliber which you have set it for. (I make my dippers from empty cartridges by cutting them off to the proper lenght to get the right amount of powder for that cartridge I`m loading). Example, if loading 45 Colt, cut off 1/8" to 3/16" of a 45 Colt case and you have the right dipper for that caliber. If you want to go to commercial dippers, LEE makes them in a set.
Some shooters would like a reduced power load for ease of shooting. This is easy to do by reducing the powder charge and adding a lubed wad or cardboard and beeswax wads or a filler (cornmeal or cream of wheet) on top of the powder and seating the bullet. It seems that all these methods work equally well to reduce recoil. There is allways the danger of using too light a load as not to propell the bullet out of the bbl. creating a very dangerous situation. My thoughts on this is DON`T REDUCE THE CHARGE BY MORE THAN 15%.
The one thing to remember is that no matter what you use for filler it MUST fill the case enough to compress the powder charge. There must be no air space below the bullet.

A little on bullets.
Most important is the type of lube when using BP or equiv. subs. A nonpetroleum based lube is the only way to go. It keeps the fouling soft and makes cleaning much less often and easier. SPG is the perferred lube for most BP shooters. Most mfgrs. of cowboy bullets have SPG lubed ones in the cowboy cals. If you like to make your own lube it can be made from most any animal fat that is properly rendered. Deer tallow, bear tallow, beef tallow, moose or whatever you have at hand works well. These were the choice in the old days of the BP guns and they work as well today. If you cast your own bullets , SPG is available in bulk.
Bullet weight is a thing of your own choice but I have found that the heavier bullets work best with BP. They give the powder time to burn and build the proper pressure before leaving the bbl.
(heavy bullet=slower movement=longer burn time=higher pressure=cleaner burn).

Loading those pistol rounds.
Caliber is of little concern here as they are all loaded using the same methods.
Starting with a new or cleaned used brass, size and decap and reprime as usual. Using the before mentioned proper dipper for this caliber and funnel, pour in the BP charge, insert it back into the loading press and place SPG lubed bullet in place and seat to proper depth and apply a TIGHT CRIMP. Tight crimp is very important with these rounds. It affects burn rate of the powder and prevents bullet setback in tubular magazine rifles.

BP Shotgun loads.

This is what I use and it is easy on the shoulder, does those knockdownd and cleans easily.

Winchester AA hulls
Winchester RED plastic wads
Standard primer. Make is not important, BP lights off easy.
Goex FFg 70grains.
One oz. #6 soft shot
I compress the powder charge with seating the wad to 35#. dump in shot and crimp with original star crimp.
I find that this load does not leave plastic residue in the bbl. and no lead fouling. There is the normal BP fouling that washes out easily.

LRR BP LOADS
I`ll not get into this aspect of loading due to the wide varaitions used by each and every rifle and loader for these fine guns. It is an acquired art that only long experience can teach you through trial and more trial with your particular rifle. Just ask any LRR BP shooter and they will smile and give you some basic tips to get you started but will not be able to finetune your loads for your rifle.(These rifles are as temperamental as an old mule). What works for one will be a total flop in another. Now, go ask your LRR buddy for some help and watch him smile. He`ll be glad you asked, they like to talk about their rifles and all the thousands of loads they brewed for it before it shot right. :)

Until next time,

Hope all this blather will help you enjoy your BP experience.
Have lots of fun and be SAFE.
Hock Dollarday SASS #26245

PS: There are several links listed below to suppliers of Ballistol and SPG lubed bullets. Hope these will help in finding the right products for your loadings. There are many more suppliers of these products, however this page doesn`t allow more entries in this field. I`ll be back and list more in this space as I get their web addresses together. Thanks for taking a look. I would like to extend a very special thanks to my young pard Will Bury SASS #34165 for his assistance in moving this webpage to the new server. Thanks Will, you were a great help. Hock Dollarday SASS #26245

Helpful links to some BP shooting supplies

Ballard Rifle, (bullets)
Long gun bullets
Ballistol cleaner -lube




	HOCK DOLLARDAYS` BP CURING AND CLEANING

	CLEAN AND CURE THAT BP IRON Welcome Pardners and Pardettes to the, hopefully simplified, methods of cleaning and curing those BP guns. All the information here was, at sometime, contributed by the members of "SASS-CAS"tm on "The Wire"tm. What I`ve tried to do here is categorize it to make it a little easier to use for each type of Muzzle loader or Breech loader. Bear with me while I edit the info and add it to it`s proper place. Feel free to use this info and pass along this link to your friends. If you have something to add, just email it to me . I`ll be glad to include it if it is appropiate for this page. Please keep your emails on the "BP Cleaning & Curing" subject. Thanks to all who have contributed info to :The Wire"tm on this subject. ******************************************** INITIAL CLEANING OF NEW OR USED BP GUNS ******************************************* LIST OF DEGREASER PRODUCTS FOR NEW OR USED IRONS FOR INITIAL PREP FOR BP USE. WARNING: THESE PRODUCTS ARE HARMFUL TO WOOD FINISHES . AVOID CONTACT WITH WOOD. USE IN WELL VENTILATED PLACE. GUN SCRUBBER. tm AVAILABLE AT YOUR GUN STORE AUTOMOTIVE BRAKE CLEANER ELECTRIC MOTOR AND IGNITION CLEANER, AVAILABLE AT YOUR AUTO SUPPLY STORE VERY HOT WATER AND DETERGENT ********************************************* LIST OF RECOMMENDED LUBRICANTS AND CURING AGENTS. ALL THESE LUBES ARE NONPETROLEUM ALL NATURAL. BALLISTOL tm.(LIQUID CLEANER AND LUBE) BIRCHWOOD CASEY BP LUBE AND CLEANER (LIQUID) NO.13 BORE CLEANER (LIQUID CLEANER ONLY) T C BORE BUTTER tm. (SOLID BASE LUBE) WONDER LUBE tm. (SOLID BASE LUBE) Cabela`s BP Solvent (LIQUID CLEANER ONLY) YOU MAY KNOW OF OTHER PRODUCTS FOR BP CLEANING AND LUBE, IF SO, LET ME KNOW AND I WILL ADD THEM TO THE LIST IF THEY ARE FOR BP ONLY. ********************************************** WARNING; BE SURE ALL ARMS ARE UNLOADED BEFORE CLEANING ******************************************** Step1..... It is imperative that all petroleum based cleaners, lubes, smokeless fouling, lead and copper be completely removed. Copper and lead should be removed with the appropriate solvents, brushes and patches. Step 2... Petroleum lubes and cleaner removal is best accomplished by use of one of the following products. "GUN SCRUBBER" tm. Electreic Motor and Ignition Cleaner, Brake Cleaner or VERY HOT water and detergent. Some people use DENATURED ALCOHOL (from your hardware store) It`s very flammable and I do not not recommend it`s use.(WARNING; THESE DEGREASERS ARE HARMFUL TO WOOD AND WOOD FINISHES, AVOID CONTACT WITH WOOD AND USE IN A WELL VENTILATED PLACE). Spray all the inside of the action and bbl. with the degreaser to remove the petroleum products therein.. Follow immediately (to prevent flash rusting) when the cleaner dries, with one of the following products. "BALLISTOL"tm,, "Cabelas BP Lube" tm,,"T C Bore Butter" tm,, "Wonder Lube"tm. or "Birchwood Casey BP Lube",tm.available at most of the larger toy stores. It is not necessary to completely disassemble your irons to do this initial cleaning. The spray degreasers and BP lubes work best to get down in the actions. It is best to use a JAG and Patch (Do not use wire brushes again for cleaning or lube)to lube the bbls inside as they fit tight and will squeeze the lube into the pores of the metal. Once the initial cleaning and lube is done, never again use any type of petroleum based cleaners or lubes on these irons as it will undo any seasoning that has taken place. Seasoning is a gradual process and can be easily reversed with careless cleaning in the future. Step 3.... KEEP THOSE SIX SHOOTERS ROLLING THROUGH THE DAY. BEFORE USE PREP Use a generous amount of one of the heavy based lubes on the cylinder pin and front and rear of the cylinder bushing where they meet the frame. Don`t be afraid to load it up in these areas, you can hardly get too much lube in this area. If the action becomes stiff during use, just spray a little of one of the liquid lubes around the cylinder and it should free up. Wipe away any outside fouling and relube with a heavy based lube. With the muzzle loaders you should get through about 30 rounds before thorough cleaning. With breech loaders, probably as many as 40 or 50 rounds. AFTER THE DAYS PLAY IS DONE. Most of the following instructions will be used on most all of your irons, some exceptions will be noted. Now that all the fun is over , it`s time to get those irons ready to put away . Not too bad a job if you start off right. For those muzzle loaders, remove the bbl. , cylinder and remove cones. and flush thoroughly with one of the liquid cleaners or VERY HOT WATER and soap. Use patches on a jag in cylinders and bbl to loosen caked fouling.( no brushes here). To clean in the action, one of the spray cleaners works best, flush action until cleaner comes out clean, wipe dry and spray in a liquid lube. Clean cones and threads thoroughly and lube them with a pipe cleaner. Lube inside of bbl and cylinder with one of the heavy based lubes. Wipe outside with rag dampened with cleaner and lube with heavy based lube. Reassemble. With a little practice this should be done in about 15 minutes. A complete disassembly (all the innards) and cleaning will be necessary about every three to six months. Depends on how much you use the irons. "Ballistol" tm. seems to be the best cleaner to keep the innards flushed to prolong having to do a complete disassembly. This has been my experience. For those BP revolvers with solid frame, proceed as above except bbl removal. Step4...... All projectiles for these irons should be lubed with a nonpetroleum based lube. "SPG" tm,, Beeswax/crisco,, Bear Grease/Crisco,, Animal Tallow (BEEF, VENISON, BEAR)usally home brewed. (PARAFIN is a petroleum product and is a NO NO, don`t even ask)c}:).( Be ware that some lards have sodium (salt)in it and is not to be used) check the lables on container. c}:) ********************************************** THIS IS GOING TO BE THE EASY ONE TO CLEAN AND LUBE Your SXS Remove forearm and bbls. Flush inside of bbls with one of the above liquid cleaners and let set for a couple of minutes. Push a patch through bore with a mop to remove the bulk of fouling. Flush a second time and repeat moping. Mop a third time with wet cleaner patch and dry with another patch or two. clean around extractor with a liquid lube and thoroughly dry this area. Lube extractor with one of the liquid lubes. The action should be wiped on the breach face and locking area with a damp cleaner rag and then dried and lubed lightly. Little fouling gets in the action area of your SXS so there is no real need to go into it for cleaning very often.Lube the outside of bbls where it is covered by the forearm wood and then reassemble. Wipe the entire outside with one of the firm base lubes . You`r all done now. Took about 15 minutes didn`t it? ************************************************ NOW ON TO THE LEVER ACTION One extry tool will be needed here to direct the cleaner into the bbl through the open action. a small nonplastic funnel works well. It will be necessary to clean the bbl from the muzzel end unless you have one of the rope type cleaners that can be pulled through the bbl.(see note below for simple cleaning cord) If cleaning from the muzzle, it is necessary to place a small amount of rag or several patches in the action to prevent fouling from geting down into the small working parts. Very little fouling gets into the action due to the cartridge acting as a seal. What little does get there can be removed by holding the rifle upside down and spraying generous amounts of liquid cleaner into it and then wipe dry with patches and cotton swabs. Bbl. Cleaning. Placing the muzzle down on a soft rag or paper towels, insert funnel into bbl. through open action and pour or spray in generous amount of cleaner and let soak a couple of minutes. Push or pull a patch through to remove the bulk of fouling. Repeat until patch is clean. Wipe with dry patches and then lube with one of the solid base lubes. A simple cleaning device I use consist of a heavy gague nylon cord with a loop tied in one end to accept a large patch and a lead weight on the other that will pass through the bore. Just drop the weight through the bbl. from the action end and pull the patch through. When cord and weight become dirty, just give it a quick rinse in water and wipe dry. Eliminates fouling from geting into action. If complete action disassembly is necessary, I would recommend having a technical manuel or have a good knowledge of smithing these long guns. They are not too simple in their reassembly.

	SPECIAL NOTE ON CURING It has been recommended by some that placing a revolver or the longarm bbls in an oven to cure them is good practice. I totally disagree with this method. It is too easy to overheat these parts and do permanent damage to springs and the temper of other metal parts which may lead to an unsafe shooting iron. I believe the only safe method is the natural and easy way by using the proper lubes on irons and projectiles and just shoot them. Curing is a very gradual process of building up a protective shield in the bbls that resist corrosion and eases cleaning. There is little or no worry about too much buildup of the curing because of natural wear through shooting. The curing may never reach more than a few tenthousants of an inch in thickness, therefore not presenting any problem in reducing bore diameter.

	NOTES ON LOADING BP & SUBSTITUTES There have been many request for loading data and methods of loading BP and their substitutes (Pyrodex, Cleanshot, Clearshot). I thought I would add a little help here in this department. Lets deal with powder measuring. All BP and their substitutes are loaded on a volume basis based on the equivelant of BP in grains. Example, if a load calls for 30g BP, the equivelant of that in a substitute would be the same volumeas the BP load but not the actual same weight. Substitutes have a different weight to volume ratio than BP. In simpler terms, if the load calls for 30g BP, set the measure to the 30g mark and use this same volume for the substitute. The general rule in loading BP is that the case must be filled with powder to a point where it is compressed by the bullet when seated to the proper depth. This is best accomplished by using an adjustable dipper to get the proper charge. Then using this to load all cartridges of that caliber which you have set it for. (I make my dippers from empty cartridges by cutting them off to the proper lenght to get the right amount of powder for that cartridge I`m loading). Example, if loading 45 Colt, cut off 1/8" to 3/16" of a 45 Colt case and you have the right dipper for that caliber. If you want to go to commercial dippers, LEE makes them in a set. Some shooters would like a reduced power load for ease of shooting. This is easy to do by reducing the powder charge and adding a lubed wad or cardboard and beeswax wads or a filler (cornmeal or cream of wheet) on top of the powder and seating the bullet. It seems that all these methods work equally well to reduce recoil. There is allways the danger of using too light a load as not to propell the bullet out of the bbl. creating a very dangerous situation. My thoughts on this is DON`T REDUCE THE CHARGE BY MORE THAN 15%. The one thing to remember is that no matter what you use for filler it MUST fill the case enough to compress the powder charge. There must be no air space below the bullet. A little on bullets. Most important is the type of lube when using BP or equiv. subs. A nonpetroleum based lube is the only way to go. It keeps the fouling soft and makes cleaning much less often and easier. SPG is the perferred lube for most BP shooters. Most mfgrs. of cowboy bullets have SPG lubed ones in the cowboy cals. If you like to make your own lube it can be made from most any animal fat that is properly rendered. Deer tallow, bear tallow, beef tallow, moose or whatever you have at hand works well. These were the choice in the old days of the BP guns and they work as well today. If you cast your own bullets , SPG is available in bulk. Bullet weight is a thing of your own choice but I have found that the heavier bullets work best with BP. They give the powder time to burn and build the proper pressure before leaving the bbl. (heavy bullet=slower movement=longer burn time=higher pressure=cleaner burn). Loading those pistol rounds. Caliber is of little concern here as they are all loaded using the same methods. Starting with a new or cleaned used brass, size and decap and reprime as usual. Using the before mentioned proper dipper for this caliber and funnel, pour in the BP charge, insert it back into the loading press and place SPG lubed bullet in place and seat to proper depth and apply a TIGHT CRIMP. Tight crimp is very important with these rounds. It affects burn rate of the powder and prevents bullet setback in tubular magazine rifles. BP Shotgun loads. This is what I use and it is easy on the shoulder, does those knockdownd and cleans easily. Winchester AA hulls Winchester RED plastic wads Standard primer. Make is not important, BP lights off easy. Goex FFg 70grains. One oz. #6 soft shot I compress the powder charge with seating the wad to 35#. dump in shot and crimp with original star crimp. I find that this load does not leave plastic residue in the bbl. and no lead fouling. There is the normal BP fouling that washes out easily. LRR BP LOADS I`ll not get into this aspect of loading due to the wide varaitions used by each and every rifle and loader for these fine guns. It is an acquired art that only long experience can teach you through trial and more trial with your particular rifle. Just ask any LRR BP shooter and they will smile and give you some basic tips to get you started but will not be able to finetune your loads for your rifle.(These rifles are as temperamental as an old mule). What works for one will be a total flop in another. Now, go ask your LRR buddy for some help and watch him smile. He`ll be glad you asked, they like to talk about their rifles and all the thousands of loads they brewed for it before it shot right. :) Until next time, Hope all this blather will help you enjoy your BP experience. Have lots of fun and be SAFE. Hock Dollarday SASS #26245 PS: There are several links listed below to suppliers of Ballistol and SPG lubed bullets. Hope these will help in finding the right products for your loadings. There are many more suppliers of these products, however this page doesn`t allow more entries in this field. I`ll be back and list more in this space as I get their web addresses together. Thanks for taking a look. I would like to extend a very special thanks to my young pard Will Bury SASS #34165 for his assistance in moving this webpage to the new server. Thanks Will, you were a great help. Hock Dollarday SASS #26245

	Helpful links to some BP shooting supplies Ballard Rifle, (bullets) Long gun bullets Ballistol cleaner -lube