Sorry to have started a heated debate that veered away from the original topic. It began innocently enough as a "I'd like to do the same as the OP - with a wrinkle" and went from there.
I think it's a good convo, but it has highjacked the OP's topic, so I have created a new topic in the Florida forum:
link
Sorry for the highjack. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Hey, no apologies needed. You posted something that, IMHO, was completely on topic. The thread may have devolved from there, but I can't point fingers at anybody - it's just where the conversation went. Although, it is good to have moved the conversation away from this thread.
If you're new to blackpowder firearms, and need any tips or advice, feel free to PM me and I'll see what I can offer. I'm not particularly proficient with them myself, but I can get around, and am pretty decent with powder volumes and different loads. Accuracy with these things is another story, I still haven't figured it out. I mean, I can put all my lead on a target at 25 yards, but not with any great grouping. I'm sure that if I actually made the time to go out and practice, I'd get the hang of it, but I haven't been able to get out and shoot in months.
As a note: Pyrodex and the like are great: they burn much cleaner than black powder, and make cleaning your gun A LOT easier. However, the burn rate is considerably slower, and you lose quite a bit of velocity. Pyrodex makes great general-use powder, but you'll want to get your hands on some REAL black powder and try it. It's so much more fun, makes a bigger bang and boom, and pushes roundball like nobody's business. Be careful with it though, there's a reason it's classified as an explosive. Very volatile. Never load a BP with real blackpowder after firing it - make sure there is NO WAY there are any burning bits of powder left in that gun.