Rifle traditions kentucky long rifle 33 1/2 barrel 495 round ball 1 in 66 twist this was my first deer ever

From last hunting season and the first hunt I did with my fowler

Why are people such aholes

Hey guys, new to shooting blackpowder. How’s my ticking and wad retention?

Shooting from .58 cal Antonio zoli rem 1863 repro, .570 Hornady round ball, .015 ticking lubed, “pre-lubricated” .58 wad, 80gr triple seven FFG.

Any other advice or notes are welcome! 2.5x3in group at 35 yards, just getting started and familiar with the rifle and everything else

Hello all, long time lurker of this subreddit here! I just wanted to see if any of you had recommendations for a beginner trying to get into black powder hunting this year. Deer season is coming up here soon and I’m looking for recommendations, ideally a kit I could buy and put together myself, but any input is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Hey everyone,

I recently got a Pietta 1858 Remington Sheriff in .44 caliber, and I’m curious about fanning it like you see in old Westerns.

For those who own or have experience with Pietta Remington replicas:

Are these revolvers mechanically durable enough for fanning, or can it damage the hand, bolt, cylinder notches, or trigger mechanism?

Does the Sheriff’s shorter barrel make any difference?

Is occasional fanning significantly different from doing it repeatedly?

Would you recommend avoiding fanning altogether to preserve the revolver’s lifespan?

I want to enjoy the revolver without unnecessarily damaging it or creating a safety issue.

I’m particularly interested in real-world experience with Pietta reproductions.

Thanks!

I tested my homemade powder. Nothing to be really proud of. Not better than GOEX. I shot it in 32 S&W, 38 S&W and my Euroarms Colt Navy. Easily 100 fps slower than GOEX. I was hoping for better but hey, it is just fine for punching paper.

I read somewhere if you make like the material that you use to hold the flint in the jaws out of lead, you get hotter sparks from the frisen but the flints don't last as long What's your experience?

Hey everyone,

I have a steel Pietta 1858 Remington Sheriff in .44 caliber, and I’m curious about the potential performance of homemade black powder made using toilet paper as the charcoal source.

Has anyone tested this type of homemade powder and compared it with commercial black powder, such as Swiss, or substitutes like Pyrodex and
Triple Seven?

Specifically, I’m interested in:

What kind of muzzle velocity and muzzle energy differences might be expected?

How consistent is homemade powder compared with commercial powder?

Does toilet-paper-derived charcoal significantly affect the powder’s performance?

I understand that homemade powder can vary considerably in quality, and I’m not assuming it will perform like commercial products. I’m interested in real-world experience and chronograph data, if anyone has any.

I’m not looking for a recipe , just information about performance and how reliably it can be estimated.

Thanks!

In this episode, Jake tested homemade blackpowder compressed to a density of 1.85 g/cm3 instead of the usual 1.75 g/cm3. If you want to read my video summary instead of watching the video, I'll put a TL;DW for you down below...

TL;DW

When shot through .36 and .44 caliber 1858 Remington revolvers, 1.85 g/cm3 powder turned out to be cleaner burning overall compared to the same powder pressed to 1.75 g/cm3. Regarding muzzle velocities, it seemed to be a bit of a wash regarding if 1.85 g/cm3 powder is better than 1.75 g/cm3 powder.

When shot through Jake's rifle, the 1.85 g/cm3 was also slower than 1.75 g/cm3 the patches he was using were disintegrating, and he thinks that his rifle is just really picky with powder density that it likes.

So it appears that if you value everything but cleanliness, 1.75 g/cm3 powder is probably the way to go but if cleanliness is your top priority, then 1.85 g/cm3 powder could be worth trying.

I bought a T&C .45lc conversion cylinder for my 1858 new army sherif, and it has been some of the most fun ive had with this revolver. I shot some 250g 820fps magtech, and 200g 890fps hsm. Both loads pull a little hard to the bottom left at 25yrds. (Stick for shell ejection lol)

Today I traded a Pedersoli .32cal Flint Long Rifle for this beauty!

With my initial and quite painstaking research, I've come to the conclusion that this is not a Native American trade gun (lol) but a purpose-built .50cal smooth rifle made by a Pennsylvania gunsmith named Samuel Pannabecker somewhere in the early 1800s (I've seen his active years anywhere from 1815 to 1844 but can't be sure). I live not far from Lancaster County where he operated which is pretty cool!

The brass collar used to repair/reinforce the wrist is so cool to me. I'm not sure if it was converted to percussion and then back to flint, but the touch hole is definitely a modern insert. This is my first encounter with a 'smooth rifle' as opposed to a fowler, differentiated by the dovetailed front and rear sights as opposed to just a front blade / bead.

Not sure how many parts aside from the barrel are original or were replaced over its massive lifespan, but by looking at a much fancier one that went to auction I can tell it's in original configuration.

I did have to sand and brush a bunch of crud from the first foot or two of the bore, but it feels smooth now and I can't wait to put it through its paces. With any luck, it'll take some game this hunting season just down the road from where it did 200 years ago!

In caplock muskets what is the reason you pour the powder into the barrel, instead of just putting the whole cartridge in.

like why didn't anyone just soak the paper in something flammable so you don't have to pour the powder in

Full 25 grain load with a 150 grain pure lead cast projectile. I did not survive one shot at printed layers. Root cause: Printed case layer orientation is perpendicular to primary load, tolerance exceeded inside the chamber giving the case space to move during powder expansion resulting in the longitudinal loads casing layer separations due to poor adhesion of cheap pla inter layers.

Arbutus has to be one of the most difficult woods to get a great charcoal from, the tree is known to be very hard and long burning with great heat output; however, the it can retain so much water that it often rots at the core before fully drying - but if seasoned correctly over a few years it is one of the highest energy density and lowest ash content woods out there (similar to Osage Orange).

You can see a highly accessible setup for making charcoal at a controlled temperature: propane BBQ with vent hood obscured and old paint can with 1/4 hole in the lid. At a steady 600F it takes about 1 hr for complete pyrolysis, ending with a 6 inch flame to retain enough volatiles for it to burn without being stoked. The brown tint on the charcoal is creosote, a small amount accelerates the burn and is the difference between good charcoal and dead carbon. When milled down it creates a dense powder even at air float consistency.

It has been historically used by the California Powder Works for artillery and blasting powder where a heavy shove is preferred over a sharp ignition delivered by woods like Willow or Hazel. When paired with a highly porous reactive wood, Arbutus excels at delivering fantastic muzzle velocity with a long pressure curve ideal for large bore muzzleloaders - utilizing the full barrel length and avoiding blown patches.

This is very early in the design process.

like last hour worth of concept

Idea use a globe sight modified, to be able to sighted in tube in camera will work as the magnifier. I'm just worried it might not focus properly. The camera would be long eye relief. Because there would be no eye relief. It would be a screen so it could be mounted forward for making longer range shots.

They said it wouldn't be worth it for me lol

Hey all four of you LeMat owners out there, anyone ever bothered replacing the hammer spring? Mine is super clunky My '51, '58 and '60 all have a hammer that you can just sort of throw back with a flick of your thumb, but the bloody LeMat requires a very thorough and constant thumb weld to move it back. Anyone else have this probelm or a solution.

(Make thumb stronger is not currently an option)

Thank you for your time.

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a Pietta Remington 1858 Sheriff .44 cap-and-ball revolver, and I’m trying to understand my options for obtaining suitable propellant legally in Germany.

From what I’ve gathered, purchasing black powder may require specific documentation or authorization, and I’m not sure what the exact requirements are for my situation.

For those of you based in Germany or elsewhere in the EU:

What permits or documents are generally required to purchase black powder legally?

Are there legitimate alternatives, such as commercially manufactured black-powder substitutes, that are legally available for this type of revolver?

How do the legal requirements and availability differ between Germany and other EU countries?

Are there reputable dealers or shooting clubs that can explain the legal purchasing process?

I’ve also seen discussions about homemade black powder, but I don’t want to risk an unsafe or unsuitable propellant in my revolver. I’d prefer to understand the legal route and use only a product approved for the firearm.

Any advice from experienced black-powder shooters in Germany would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I press these to an approximate density of 1.65 g/cm^3, I pressed them harder to the point that my backing plate was bending.

Hi everyone,

I recently bought a Pietta Remington 1858 Sheriff .44 cap-and-ball revolver, and I’m interested in finding a compatible cartridge conversion cylinder.

I’m based in Europe, specifically Germany, and I’m having a hard time finding these for sale here. I’m also unsure about the legal situation: are conversion cylinders restricted or prohibited in Germany or elsewhere in the EU, or is it mainly a matter of licensing, import regulations, and availability?

Does anyone have experience with buying one legally in Europe? I’d appreciate recommendations for reputable European dealers, information about compatibility with Pietta Sheriff models, or advice on the relevant regulations.

Thanks in advance!

I got this from an antique shop for $66 it was missing the mechanism so I would like to find out what model this is and what parts to make it work again.