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Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? (Read 4235 times)

Rek Ex Member	Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? May 1^st, 2014 at 1:55pm	Print Post
	I'm on the fence between black powder and smokeless for my old .43 (really 44/77). I'll soon have a mold made, and I'm wondering what performance difference there might be in shooting a bullet made for black powder and using smokeless.


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Schuetzendave Frequent Elocutionist Offline Retired Ex-Shooter Posts: 4227 Location: St. Albert, Alberta Joined: Jan 28^th, 2005	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #1 - May 1^st, 2014 at 2:07pm	Print Post
	Should not be of much concern. The black powder bullets have larger grease grooves to provide enough lubricant to keep your black powder residues soft. The extra lube does not significantly affect the accuracy of smokeless powder loads. The driving bands from the next bullet wipe out the surplus lube. If you want to shoot black and smokeless with the same bullet; then better to have a black powder bullet that has big enough grease grooves for shooting black powder. If only shooting smokeless then should have a bullet that has smaller grease grooves. Accuracy is most affected by gas cutting around bullets that are too narrow for the barrel; bullet noses that do not fit the throat properly, using spitzer noses for long range shooting, or the bullet length is not stabilized by the barrel's twist.
	« Last Edit: May 1^st, 2014 at 2:13pm by Schuetzendave »

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Chickenthief Junior Member Offline Posts: 81 Location: Here Joined: Aug 5^th, 2013	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #2 - May 1^st, 2014 at 5:03pm	Print Post
	The biggest difference is that smokeless wont bump up a bullet so it is paramount that the bullet is at least .001" to big. Second, you can just lube the bottom groove and get a fine result. Been there done that, great result!


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17960 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #3 - May 2^nd, 2014 at 11:06am	Print Post
	I use a bullet designed for BP in my .44-77SBN, and it works well. I've also used some BP bullets a friend gave me that were lubed with SPG for BP, but loaded them with smokeless and they shot well too.

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boats Frequent Elocutionist Offline Posts: 7725 Location: Virginia Joined: Apr 23^rd, 2004	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #4 - May 2^nd, 2014 at 12:39pm	Print Post
	Have used a number of molds for my 38/55 best results have been with a large greese grove bullet intended for BP even with smokless powder I think it's fit more than anything else Boats


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John Boy Ex Member	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #5 - May 2^nd, 2014 at 6:20pm	Print Post
	Quote: I'm wondering what performance difference there might be in shooting a bullet made for black powder and using smokeless. There were many bullet designs in the 1800's when black powder was the only gunpowder. Then in 1892 the 1st semi smokeless powder, Shultze, was invented and these black powder bullet designs were used. Then the turn of the century along came smokeless powder and the same BP designed bullets were used - including up to 2014. It's not the bullet - it's the lube used on the bullet, either black powder or smokeless powder lube. And there are lubes that work on both BP & smokeless reloads for those bullets designed in the 1800's Three lubes for instance ... Bullshop NASA Lube SPG 40% Mutton Tallow - 40% Paraffin and 20% Beeswax
	« Last Edit: May 2^nd, 2014 at 6:25pm by »

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.22-5-40 Oldtimer Offline Posts: 826 Joined: Feb 13^th, 2010	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #6 - May 2^nd, 2014 at 7:51pm	Print Post
	When I first started loading cast in my Shillen barreled Borchardt .22 Hornet, I tried every available mould I could find. Finally using an old Ideal 22636 60gr. mould, I cast up samples in Lyman #2. These were chucked up in a bench lathe collet & faced to 50grs. Some had gas check shank turned. Therse prooved to be the most accurate to date..I sent off samples to Fred Leeth at Pioneer Products for nose-pour copies in plain-base & gas-check.


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marlinguy Frequent Elocutionist Offline Ballards may be weaker, but they sure are neater! Posts: 17960 Location: Oregon Joined: Feb 2^nd, 2009	Re: Use a black powder bullet for smokeless? Reply #7 - May 3^rd, 2014 at 12:21pm	Print Post
	Quote: [quote] There were many bullet designs in the 1800's when black powder was the only gunpowder. Then in 1892 the 1st semi smokeless powder, Shultze, was invented and these black powder bullet designs were used. Interesting info! I thought Schultze was introduced in 1907 by Dupont? I have a 1907 ad here indicating it was something new then? Was this just a marketing thing for Schutze that was 15 yrs. old by then? Or was the original Schultze powder purchased by Dupont at the 1907 date?
	« Last Edit: May 3^rd, 2014 at 12:29pm by marlinguy »
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