My load came from Dixie Gun Work's website but I'm thinking it was a bit much...

190gr BB and 777

40grains of 777 behind a Buffalo Bullet 190gr bullet and a number 10 primer...

I touched off the first round... BOOOOM!!!

Hit my target at about 8" above the bullseye at about 15 yards and the recoil was similar to a 41mag revolver running wide open. Ouch!

Muzzle blast was SIGNIFICANT!

Counted all my fingers and seemed to be intact so I backed off about 10 more yards and carefully aimed at the bullseye again. BOOM!!!! About 2 inches lower and similar results.

OK... This is fun although it was a bit intimidating.

I touched off another round and found myself getting used to the unexpected muzzle blast and recoil and started to decide it was fun...

Then the trouble started!!! Fourth shot... BOOOOOM!!!! Something hit my right cheek hard enough to make it sting. Glad I was wearing Peltor shooting glasses.

After I recovered my senses I looked carefully at the revolver. Voila... I had blown the primers on the first four shots and they were NOWHERE to be found but I assumed that the fourth shot sent a piece that hit my glasses and deflected to my right cheek....

This was gettin' scary.

Well.... I screwed up my courage and decided to shoot the two remaining loads and next time maybe load this puppy a bit lighter.

I started to pull the hammer back and ..... my cylinder was LOCKED UP!!!!

The fifth bullet had been moved forward by all the recoil and it's nose was sticking out enough from the front of the cylinder enough to stop cylinder rotation.

Maybe I should back it off a mite?

Anyone have any ideas on what primers to use or to keep them from blowing?

How about how to keep the bullets from moving forward?

$bob$

I dont know about you but I was scared just reading it.
Man becareful bro.
I was expecting a blown apart receiver from the title. LOL
Take care.

I have no suggestions besides, BE CAREFULL. And keep wearing the shooting glasses.

When you say you loaded with 777, you ARE using the FFFG equivalent and not the 777 for smokepoles correct? Im not questioning your intelligence in any way, but I have known people to make that mistake. I shoot 42gr 777 FFFG in my old armys and havent experienced that problem. Be careful and double check your powder.

OOPS... I was using the FFG... What difference would the FFFG actually make? Wouldn't it be faster and therefore a hotter load?

I'm kinda a newbie to muzzleloading and cap and ball revolvers.

$bob$

i thought the difference in FFG or FFFG was only the coarseness........with FFF being finer grained for handguns n such.

KYODE's right coarseness is the only difference...But, how in the hell did you get 40 grains of 2f and a 190 grain bullet in. Try that load again but this time with 3f 777...lol BTW don't worry about the gun. Ruger says you can't hurt it and they tried to blow it up! You also might want to try some #11 primers...That's all I like to use on my Old Army. Just seems to fit better or atleast its easier to push them on.

Ernie,

Well... It was a bit tight and required a bit more pressure on the ram than I thought I should be using...

Yep... I actually read the manual for this revolver and Ruger flatly states that you can't put too much powder in.

I'll try to get some FFFG but so far NO luck around here.

$bob$

3FFF and 2FF are the same powder but the coarseness is different. Thus the burn rate is different. 3FFF burns hotter and faster than 2FF. Some of what your experencing is the "Detonation" of powder under an un-seated bullet, moved by recoil. If the bullet doesn't seat firmly you may want to find a larger diamiter or back up a bit on the 777.

Now I only shoot real black powder in my guns so I'm not all that formilier with 777. I understand that it is a bit hotter with higher pressures.

As far as the caps blowing off the nipples, you can try to get heavier constucted caps, or use different nipples that allow less gass to pass back through. Down side of these nipples is that it gets harder to ignight the BP sub powders.

I know that this is a very old thread but muzzleloader season for deer and hogs starts here Friday and I'm wondering if anyone has any more comments before I load my Old Army for the hunt?

I still can't find FFFg around here so will be stuck loading FFg. I'm thinking maybe backing off to 35 grains?

Comments?

$bob$

In an issue of Guns of the Old West, there was an article about the Taylor’s 1858 Remington Cartridge Conversion. It stated that with Black Hills 250-Grain RNFP ammo shot around 790 FPS with very nice groups in a 45 LC. What I also liked was the comparison of Black Powder. “Using a Lee Precision dipper I loaded 2.5 cubic centimeters of FF Goex Black powder topped by a 255-Grain PRS, big-lube bullet cast from a Lee Precision mould and lubed with my beeswax/tallow mixture.” He said that the velocity was 799 FPS.

I don’t know if this helps or not. I know the information is for a Rem 1858 conversion, but I thought you would at least be able to compare the information.

Duane