Going to ask this in both places
 

I'm saying both places because it involves loading a black powder cartridge like the .45-70 with real black powder or a sub like Pyrodex.
I understand when using black powder that you must fill the gap between the powder and bullet with a filler (correct me if I'm wrong). If so, what kind of filler does one use? I've read some use oatmeal. Also, is it necessary to use a drop tube for the powder and is the powder measured by volume same as a muzzy?

You might get a little help here. Scroll down to the articles by Dick Trenk.

https://bpcr.net/site_docs-results_s...nformation.htm

Semi that doesn't help me. Its a broken link and my browser can't locate it when I click on it.

nevermind, it worked using Explorer - doesn't work with Firefox

Comes right up for me with Firefox?
https://bpcr.net/site_docs-results_s...dick_trenk.htm

Bronko,

Oatmeal???... I know some black powder revolver enthusiasts use Cream of Wheat as a filler which allows them to load lighter charges and seat each ball consistently flush with the cylinder face. It's supposed maintain consistency with regard to the compression of each charge and help improve accuracy by allowing the shooter to "tweek" the load.

Never heard of using Oatmeal...maybe that's a BP cartridge shooter thing.

BPS

Us Southern boys use grits.

No self respecting Southern boy wouldn't! :lolabove:

BPS

I don't light load BPS cartridges so I don't use fillers. But when I am working up wildcat cartridges and fire-forming cases for new chambers I use Cream Of Wheat. Never tried Grits but I do hear they work well. Hell of a lot more apt to use them for fire-forming rather than eating...Can't stand the things! Never did like them!

That's right, with honey on em!!!

Have to disagree on that sh54. I might be Yankee born and bred but I love grits! My Mom lived in North Carolina for about 10 years when she was a young woman. Fortunately for me, she had a love for Southern cooking and brought it home with her. I eat grits, collards, blackeye peas, pinto beans and hocks and cornbread is always best when baked in a cast iron skillet that's got a little melted bacon grease in it before you pour in the mix!!

BPS

Calf liver smothered in onions, over grits.

Grits topped with butter and crumbled bacon, with calf liver seared in bacon grease on the side.

Shrimp and grits.

It's all good.

:woot:

Hillbilly bred born and raised. Don't really like Black Eyed Peas either. They have an acrid taste I just don't care for. Can't stand Hominy either YUCK! But slap me a slab of ham on a plate with some cat head butter milk biscuits slathered in butter or gravy and you will see the boy come out in this old man :D Or my corn bread (and yep cast is the ONLY way to go there) with some pinto beans and collard greens is pure heaven! Though the wife would probably disagree with that after about an hour :D Old man always said I had some sort of "uppity" tasters (in other words a sophisticated palate) but he was also someone that took his T-Bone,,,wait for it,,,,WELL DONE!!!! :nonono2: Tried for years to educate the man letting him know he was flat out ruining a fine cut of beef! All my brothers were the same way..Took me forever to get them to try a dang steak mid rare...Once they did though it was like a light lit up in their eyes. Tasting how a cut of beef is SUPPOSED to taste. Let alone not having the same texture as boot leather!

Yea Semi... we may be many miles apart Bud, but we're on the same page!!

BPS

I know where you're coming from sh54... my Pap wouldn't eat meat unless it was extra well done. He liked his pork chops fried until the fat was black and crisp!! Never could get him to try a steak cooked medium... let alone med-rare!

I can make a meal out of biscuits and gravy! Mom used to make "poor man's gravy" with some flour, a little water and a dash of pepper scorched in a little bacon grease... Damn that was good on biscuits!

BPS

My mom and dad both were big fans of "Red Eye Gravy" (very runny gravy made with coffee and ham drippings from country style ham). I really don't like coffee..If I do drink it, I have a little coffee with my cream and sugar :D Yeah Yeah I know, A Marine that doesn't like coffee all that much...Go figure huh! My favorite gravy in the whole world was my Grammies gravy she made from her fried chicken grease!!! Her sausage gravy came in a VERY close second! I can duplicate her sausage gravy but I have absolutely NO clue what she did to her fried chicken to make it so dang good so my gravy from it is lacking as well.

OK OK all you old goats...y'all got to talkin about grits and gravy and other kinds of grub that y'all probably forgot what the original thread was about.
And ya got me hungry to boot!! I guess I'm gonna have to go mix me up a batch of red beans with sausage and pile it on some rice.

You hungry Bronko? Come on over. I've got some pork butt, smoked sausage and shrimp in the fridge that will be turned into Jambalaya in about an hour.

And what do you mean that we forgot what the original thread was about. I believe it was you who asked "what kind of filler does one use?". We're just trying to provide you with some filling options.

well guys I guess I was on the right track and it was cream of wheat and not oatmeal. Anyways I got me a Pedersoli 1874 Sharps in 45-70 which is why I was asking. Thanks. I'll be continuing this thread on the reloading forum.

Ya'll done got me packed on 5lbs just reading about those recipes!!! And bringing back memories of growing up in the same kind of household cooking ways. Nothin beats cast iron for making anything, even flapjacks on cast iron with bacon grease from the small crock on the back of the stove. My daddy was a meat cutter for 51yrs cept when he was in 'Nam. He ate more raw hamburger and headcheese than most people ate cooked!!!! And I have used grits and cream of wheat as filler for reduced loads in my 220 Swift and 22-250 for more urban work back in the day with a Hornet bullet. I thought it produced more consistent groups and was easier to load than cotton or pillow ticking.