Just for Newbies ... mostly

[jackrabbit]

What does one consider a soft alloy? Is 14:1 soft? How about 16 pounds lead 1 pound tin 5 pounds clip on wheel weights?

I was wondering the same thing Ian. I have had more problems with bullets that were too soft, than ones that were too hard.

[OneLegGuy]

OnelegGuy

Like Kurt said, let us know when you get your rifle and hopefully we will see you at the Quigley or maybe in Missoula Montana. Keep reading and learning all you can ahead of time. I am relatively new to BPCR myself and have learn a lot from everyone here.

Dave

Thank you. I'd love to make it out to the Quigley eventually. I've never been to Montana yet and hoping to change that once my rifle is finished. Figured it would be a fun road trip.

[Kurt]

OnelegGuy

Like Kurt said, let us know when you get your rifle and hopefully we will see you at the Quigley or maybe in Missoula Montana. Keep reading and learning all you can ahead of time. I am relatively new to BPCR myself and have learn a lot from everyone here.

Dave

Thank you. I'd love to make it out to the Quigley eventually. I've never been to Montana yet and hoping to change that once my rifle is finished. Figured it would be a fun road trip.

It's just the Quigley there is also the Big hill shoot at Baker Mt. That is a week before the Q and the following week again. The Baker Range is a very challenging range. I take several rifles and 1800 too 2000 rounds when I go and I have run out of ammo. When I get home I have a 5 gallon bucket almost full of empty cases to clean.
And if you want to stick around for a couple weeks there is the Montana 1000. I usually drop down into Wyoming and cool off in the Bighorns waiting for the MT 1000.
Take a Gypsy wagon and Join us.
I been going west since 05 and the Q is like a yearly family reunion.

[horsefly]

Good morning, Board;

Yes, Shooters was a long time ago. It was great, too. I think it brought a lot of us along with information we might not have had otherwise. That's not to mention some of the other things we managed to get done! It's good to hear from fellow refugees and know some of us are still around.

Thank you everyone for your remarks. Let me answer a couple of them and then I will be done. For bp, I consider the good range of "softness" for bullets to be between one tin to 20 lead and one tin to 30 lead. If you have another mixture and like it, shoot it. I like wheel weights for a lot of other things and I know a few who shoot it very successfully with bp rifles. They're not beginners.

So many suppliers of bought bullets advertise "hard cast" you would think it's a religion. When I buy pistol bullets to shoot with the other stuff, that's what I buy. Shoot what you want, but I firmly believe the BEGINNER will be best off with bullets in the 20 to 30 range.

May I quote myself? I said, "but I want to describe generally accepted procedures." I believe that applies to no petroleum in the lube. What 50% lube do you use? I'm not trying to pick a fight ... I am genuinely curious. I don't know it. I use Emmerts with Jojoba.

Would someone tell me how to edit my first post? I want my paragraphs back! I forgot about formatting on this site. Sorry.

Yeeee Gods, Mac. Twenty years and you had to bring it up. Are you sure? Doesn't seem like it. I do wish Ray would tell us what he did with Gunny. The Mad Mexican is still kicking ... just not very hard.

Y'all be good;
horsefly

[TexasMac]

Horsefly,

You're SOL on editing an earlier posting here. A few short minutes after submitting a post the timer goes off which prevents editing. If you're lucky and can catch your error prior to someone posting a response, you can delete the post and resubmit it. But if anyone posts to a thread after you you're out of luck.

Yup, 20 years & I'm still learning. When I think of Shooters.com, you, the Mad Mex. & XXGrampa (God rest his soul) always seem to come to mind.

Wayne

[jackrabbit]

Thank you Horsefly for taking time to type up that very useful guide to beginners. I am sure it will be useful to folks just getting started.

The lube I use is made and used by Brad Rice and his family. Those that know Brad and Ty know they are adamant blow tubers and never wipe, no matter the conditions and that they are many time past national Champions. They are truly some of the very best rifleman to have ever lived. In my testing of several lubes, I have found it unquestionably superior to anything else out there. Although I know what is in it, I am not at liberty to say. You would have to ask Brad.

I also understand what you are saying about bullet hardness. Many guys coming in from the smokeless world think that only really hard bullets will do, and we know you want something softer than that for BPCR. When I started I had advice telling me I needed really soft bullets and I have found that to be false as well. 16-1 to 20-1 seem to be the best to me.
Thanks again, Cody

[Jim Kidwell]

Horsefly,
Glad to see you are still breathing. Shooters.com was a great learning experience. Before that I didn't know grasshoppers loved to eat checkered stocks in Texas. You had to be there.....
Stay healthy my friend......Aka Jimofatl............

[Don McDowell]

From a Lyman/Ideal reloading handbook publish 1949

[horsefly]

Good morning, Folks;

I decided to bring this forward so Mr. Bullets wouldn't have to search for it.

Y'all be good;
horsefly

[GPeterson]

I remember you too, horsefly, and I remember all the b.p.c.r. gleaning I did on Shooter's Talk.com, too. What a great site that was, and especially having that site to go to after getting my first Shiloh back in 2001...priceless. There was another feller who posted good stuff (among the many others, besides) who was also a good shooter, too. Saw him at the "Q" once many, many, moons ago, and his name was Chuck Raithel, a.k.a. coydog (pretty sure that's right). He put this info out a long time ago for newbie shooters; pretty basic, well written, and quite good instruction for a new (any) b.p.c.r. shooter. Here it is:

yumpu.com/en/document/read/49112630/introduction-to-black-powder-cartridge-rifle-loading-by-chuck-raithel

Thanks for the memories, horsefly, it's all good history, our history.

GPeterson
Buffalo, WY (my handle on the site was buffaloWYguy; geeze that seems like a long time ago...)

[Kenny Wasserburger]

G it Was good to see you, at the State Convention.

Thanks again for the Warbonnet Creek fight print.

Kenny W

[beltfed]

Yes, I too remember learning a lot from the Shooters forum.
I enjoyed the Dan Theodore posts a lot. He contributed greatly on line
and I corresponded directly with him in Bullet design thoughts.
Is Arnie Moos "around" yet? I adapted my following handle so as not to be confused with him
beltfed/arnie

[GPeterson]

Good visit certain sure, Kenny. Glad I remembered to bring the print, and glad you were there to get it! Great attendance down there, all good.

Yeah, and from the old Shooter's Talk days, I always looked forward to most any post by xxgrampa. I understand he made the last journey a while back. He always signed off with his famous, TTFN. I always got a kick outta that.

[DeadEye]

Beltfed,

Arnie is still 'around'. I sent him an email a couple weeks ago and got a reply right back but I haven't seen him post here for quite a while.

Paul

[Clayguy]

I just went to Chuck Raithel's very well written, like horsefly's, with equally great information. I recommend reading it, newbie or otherwise.