Hello everyone. This is my first post to the Forum, but have been reading for a while now and enjoying every aspect of it.

I have recently purchased a Ruger Old Army in .45 Caliber. I also purchased Pyrodex P for the propellent and some Remington #10 caps. I have a box of Speer .457 round balls also.

I was wondering if anyone else uses this combination, and if so, what load would be a good starting point. I have been reading so many Forums, and searching out so much information on the internet, that I have finally decided to ask.

I have read some articles where people would put a wad between the powder and the round ball, and other articles that say not to use wads. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Mark

You've got the right componets, and are also right about there being two trains of though on the use of a wad between poowder and ball. Some use one, others don't and use heavy grease over the ball, and a few use BOTH a wad and the grease over the ball. All can work.

Wad does take up space taht could be used for powder...but most percussion guns shoot their best groups at least than max. charges, so that's not really and issue. If shooting elss than the absolute max, then the ball would be seated deeper...a wad brings the ball back to the front of the cylinder, offering powder compression and less jump from cylinder to forcing cone.

Worth trying both ways and making up your mind for yourself.

When i know I'm going to be carring the gun for a long time, in rougher weather, will load up the first cylinderful with a wad under the ball AND grease over the ball...kind of a suspenders and belt kind of thing. WIth that in teh front end, and beeswax wroked arroudn teh seated caps on the other end, can carry in a driving rain and be sure it will fire....at least until it comes time to reload in a rainstorm.

Thanks ribbonstone for the quick reply. I have also read that some people use sawdust or something similar to take up the space between the powder and the round ball.

I agree with you though, I think I will try different combinations and see which work best for this particular pistol.

I will also be casting my own round balls for it when I get the mould/mold. Definitely cheaper than paying 10 bucks for 100 speer round balls. I do have some fishing weights that I acquired from a neighbor, however, I don't have a brinell test meter (YET), and don't know for sure if they are pure lead.

Mark

IF cost is a factor, wads add to the cost of shooting unless you have the ability to punch them yourself. Even then, their cost depends on the base material being punched...and thick felt isn't easy to find. Are some substitute materials that people have reported having good luck with...but I'd be careful about what I choose to use. Fillers/wads shouldn't melt (makes for an unholy mess in teh bore) or ignite (which makes for fire hazards).

Some use corn meal as an inert filler...some cream of wheat. Have tried them, usually using corn meal. But have only found fillers to be useful in very light loads where you need to elimate some excess volume in order to get good powder compression.

Does add a step to the loading process.

Have seen one shooter with a "baby" flask filled with corn meal. He had cut the flask spout to deliver the correct charge of corn meal...so he's charge the powder from a "daddy" flask, then give it a shot from the "baby" flask (being sure to hold the gun vertical in a wooden stand while he did this), then seat the ball and grease it.

Aside: I guess it may have made a difference if he could shoot...but from watching him, he was lucky to hit the target backer most of the time as he'd kind of close his eyes at the last moemnt and jerk the trigger.

Merc - Welcome to the forum. Your Old Army is one of the finest black powder pistols made IMHO. I've had one for 15 years and it is both accurate and reliable. I used to use 30gr. FFFg Pyrodex, a wad (ox yok) over the power, and a round ball. I tried the 30gr. Pyrodex pellet, and while it was quicker loading, was not as accurate in my pistol (seemed harder to "light"). I'm currently working with "Triple Seven" (FFFg), which is a tad easier to clean up; however, "loose" Pyrodex is my "go to" load. The other combinations, as Ribbonstone has commented on (grease, corn meal, etc.), all work. Half the fun is finding the "right combination". An old method of determining whether the lead is "soft" enough is to see if you can "engrave" the "questionable" lead with your finger nail; if you can, it's soft enough to use in a black powder firearm (old Lyman manual info). You can readily compare "hardness" to "wheelweights". It may not be "scientific, but it better than a "wag". Anyway, have fun loading and shooting a fine "piece". Riley

I've been using 35 grains of Triple 7, felt wad, and .457 round balls in my Ruger. Superbly accurate and fun to shoot. My Old Army ranks as one of my all-time favorite handguns of any type! :-)

Thanks Gentlemen for all the information. Looks like I have some trial and error phases to run through before I find the right combinationn that is right for my Ruger. I believe it will definitely be fun trying.

A few years ago, I had a Thompson Center Hawken Black Powder Rifle in .45 Caliber. I shot Conicals and Roundballs in it. That was a fun rifle to shoot. Really did enjoy it. Pure lead round balls worked good in it. I used wheelweights for the mini-ball (I believe that is what it was called).

Mark

Merc41
I had and Old Army -should have never gotten rid of it either but alas it's gone! My favorite load was 30 grs of P with enough corn meal over it to allow the ball to seat flush with the chamber mouth and plain Crisco over the ball! Very accurate load! Had a conversion kit which that alowed me to shoot 45 LC Cowboys through it -thats when I got rid of it to get my first BH in 45LC and then my SRH 454! Thats when the Old Army went bye bye. Didn't get totally out of BP still have a .36 and .44 CB they just don't get shot much though.

I can relate to getting rid of guns I wish I never did get rid of. Thanks for the load information, I will definitely give it a shot, *pun intended*

Have been pondering on what BH and SRH are. Not too familiar with the phonetics yet, as I believe that was another thread I read about. I would believe that CB is cap/ball, could be wrong though, after all, I am guessing.

Thanks again for the information, looking forward to many hours of BP'ing.

Mark

BH = Blackhawk (Ruger Single Action)
SRH = Super Red Hawk (Ruger Double Action)

Ahhh, now I see. Know what both are now. Have a Ruger Black Hawk .41 mag. and though I have never owned a Ruger Red Hawk, I am familiar with them.

Thanks.
Mark