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Thread: load of loose ball & lowder

  1. #1
    toot is offline
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    load of loose ball & lowder

    i have just acquired a SHARPS carbine. and i would like to know if i can shoot loose ball & powder in it? i have heard of guys doing it in stead of using paper cartridges. i don't want to use paper. how much powder do i use and what size round ball do i use in it? is it safe?

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    Nothing wrong with using loose powder. It's slow and not fun, but it's not any more unsafe than loading a muzzle loader. Use common sense. Don't smoke while you're a doin' it. A round ball is probably not the best bullet to use, but they would go downrange. You really need to know what the groove diameter is to properly fit a bullet. Once you know the groove diameter, get a bullet .002" bigger than that. My wife shoots a .544 Christmas Tree bullet in her original Model 1859.

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    Some people use "Yore's Tubes", which is a setup that uses some clear plastic tubing, combined with a rubber sleeve, to hold both the bullet and the powder. You insert the bullet end into the Sharp's chamber, and then push. The bullet gets ejected into the chamber, and the powder follows behind it. You can think of it as a giant syringe full of black powder, with the bullet acting as a "cork".

    The end result is a bullet in the throat of the rifling and powder behind it.

    http://www.yoresupply.com/ShellTube.html

    Personally, I like paper cartridges for my Sharps.

    Steve

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    Jim_Burgess_2078V is offline
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    Loose Powder in Sharps

    I have been using loose powder behind my ringtail ("Christmas tree") bullet for years using soft vinyl tubes to seat the bullet in the chamber and drop the loose powder behind. Works great and is not that slow. I use 50 grains FFg with my ringtail bullet and that still leaves some space in the chamber of my Shiloh Sharps. With a roundball you will likely need more powder to fill the chamber. If you don't fill or nearly fill the chamber you risk misfires. You need hot caps to send a spark through the vent which makes two 90-degree turns and then it must jump any air space in the chamber to ignite the powder. Paper cartridges allow you to use filler (if desired) and keep the powder directly behind the vent.

    Jim Burgess, 15th CVI

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    toot is offline
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    loose powder and ball

    the yore site i have ear marked and will send for some of them. thank you for the site. it will let me shoot loose ball / bullet and powder in it.. my bore DIA is .530, that would make it a .54 CAL. CARBINE? so to start can i push a .530 or a .535 DIA round ball into the chamber and fill it up with 2FG, or 3FG, and cap it and send it down range? what size DIA. cast bullets should I buy for it? does any one have any i could buy to try in it? thanking you, toot.

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    toot is offline
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    loose powder and ball

    JIM Burgess, thanks. i went to my first shoot this past SATURDAY at FIN- FUR- FEATHER in CHAMPLAN, CT. but was just a spectator and couldn't get up to the line and ask questions. it was a great time, and bunch of guys. there was a lot of SHARPS there.

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    Lou Lou Lou is offline
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    I saw you there Toot. If you said something, you could have shot our guns. Thought you were with the host team
    Lou Lou Lou Ruggiero
    Tammany Regt-42nd NYVI

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    Fred Jr is offline
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    I know Jim has had great results with his shiloh with the loose powder method. I tried it and was not at all happy with my results. I use charlie's tubes and 41g 3f goex. Old Ideal ringtail mold. i guess it is what ever works for you! I did have a great practice target a couple weeks ago - 95-4x. was sure I would bring home a bunch of medals next shoot, didn't happen!!!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by toot View Post
    the yore site i have ear marked and will send for some of them. thank you for the site. it will let me shoot loose ball / bullet and powder in it.. my bore DIA is .530, that would make it a .54 CAL. CARBINE? so to start can i push a .530 or a .535 DIA round ball into the chamber and fill it up with 2FG, or 3FG, and cap it and send it down range? what size DIA. cast bullets should I buy for it? does any one have any i could buy to try in it? thanking you, toot.
    I have a bunch of the yellow Yore tubes and some of the clear ones. If you are interested in them let me know. What ever you wantcto pay is fine. I'll get a count and let you know how many
    14th VA Cav.
    " No man has ever been shot in the back doing dishes"

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    toot is offline
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    Your tubes

    snapcap14, i sent you a PM. when you get it please let me know? toot.

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