8 bore bp loads

[Daryl S]

That muzzle blast is awesome!
My .458 2", with 68gr. H335(smokeless ball pdr.) and a 350gr. Hornady used to put out about a 3' diameter ball of flame. - About like the first picture.

 

[¡Señor.Casualidad!]

That muzzle blast is awesome!
My .458 2", with 68gr. H335(smokeless ball pdr.) and a 350gr. Hornady used to put out about a 3' diameter ball of flame. - About like the first picture.

Ive seen some posts on Facebook about 458 2" never knew it was a thing until recently. Its been added to "my list"

 

[Daryl S]

I have done extensive loading for mine, since 1977, 1st one on a VZ34 action, the second on a Mark 10 Mauser action. Both guns did well. Quite the round on a good action.

 

[fourfive8]

One thing about black powder is that It is very forgiving and inefficient compared to smokeless powder. It uses a bunch of its chemical energy to push about 50% of its own mass out the barrel each shot

 

[Daryl S]

Yes- about 57% is solid waste.

 

[fourfive8]

Senor Casual, you said you “dipped” bullets in lube. You may have meant pan lubed. If so, my apologies. I use a cake pan to melt SPG lube then set each bullet base down. Overheating lube tends to degrade it. Wait til lube solidifies then push bullets out by pushing on nose.

Pics show process.

 

[matt85]

Interesting gun! Very light for caliber and a surprising long case.

My own 8-bore is far more standard. My rifle weighs around 16.5lb and has a 0.847" bore. I make my cartridges with 3.25" RMC brass, a 1200gr 0.849" bullet from accurate molds, a healthy stack of wads, and 67gr of blue dot.

 

[Daryl S]

A good nitro-for-black load will have a LOT less recoil than a full BP load.

 

[matt85]

A good nitro-for-black load will have a LOT less recoil than a full BP load.

While it does reduce recoil, it didnt make as much of a difference as i thought it would with my rifle. Ive done both 67gr of blue dot and 270gr of FFg black powder with a 1200gr bullet. The recoil felt only slightly more with the black powder. I was never able to measure muzzle velocity with black powder (the smoke screws my chronograph readings) but im getting 1300fps with my smokeless loads.

 

[¡Señor.Casualidad!]

Senor Casual, you said you “dipped” bullets in lube. You may have meant pan lubed. If so, my apologies. I use a cake pan to melt SPG lube then set each bullet base down. Overheating lube tends to degrade it. Wait til lube solidifies then push bullets out by pushing on nose.

Pics show process.
View attachment 742122View attachment 742123View attachment 742124

Yes that's how I do it!
I bought a couple of silicone square pans just for that purpose. Super easy they just peel right off the lube once hardened

 

[Daryl S]

I find that quite interesting, Matt58. I'm going by what my 12bore SxS did with 191gr. 2F compared to SR4756 running the round balls at the same 1,550fps vel. The smokeless kicked a lot less. Perhaps in the big bores, it's a different scenario.
Silicone trays makes a bit difference in handling. I've always used a cookie cutter using a ctg. case for pan lubed or a lube sizer for greater production.
Using the BW/Vaseline, I've also just hand wiped, which with practice and developed technique took very little time.

 

[¡Señor.Casualidad!]

I find that quite interesting, Matt58. I'm going by what my 12bore SxS did with 191gr. 2F compared to SR4756 running the round balls at the same 1,550fps vel. The smokeless kicked a lot less. Perhaps in the big bores, it's a different scenario.
Silicone trays makes a bit difference in handling. I've always used a cookie cutter using a ctg. case for pan lubed or a lube sizer for greater production.
Using the BW/Vaseline, I've also just hand wiped, which with practice and developed technique took very little

I believe it is due to the bore size/bullet weight. Reducing the charge weight by nearly 150 grains in your 12 bore. Well, 150 grains has to be close to 25%-35% the weight of your round ball that's a BIG bump.
whereas reducing the charge by 150-200grains in an 8 bore with a near 900 grain round ball is 17%-25% the weight of projectile
or a conical close to 3 times the weight of your 12 Gauge round ball. 10-13% the weight of projectile
Its like adding 200lbs to a miata
Or adding 200lbs to a tahoe
Same difference but one will be much more noticeable?