• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Pyrodex pellets in a revolver...any one use these?

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Screenshot_20210205-022055_Chrome.jpg
 
I have used them several times. I used 777. The only problem I had in my pistol was that I use a loading stand with my 1858 and if i pushed down too hard i had a tendency to crush the pellets. It did effect the accuracy a bit. I also used a lubed wad. Never had any ignition issues. Somebody gave me a bunch so I thought I would try them. I prefer black powder, but with the way things are going today it isn't always easy to find it.
 
'Shoot what you got'.

Here in UK they are as rare as very rare things, and although I tried them out back in 1980 or so, I was less than impressed - 30gr or nothing? What kind of a choice is that?

Meh, if you gots 'em. shoots 'em.
 
I have seen pellets used with amusing results. Squib loads, Tracer loads (when the pellet partially ignited and sent a line of flame to the backstop) to bloopers to fully functional fine forceful loads. You choose which one you want, but not when you want. If hunting, I want something more dependable to shoot with.

ADK Bigfoot
 
Dustin, of the "Guns of The West" YouTube channel did a review a little more than a year ago. He found them pretty consistent. I'm not necessarily advocating for them but it might be interesting to try a few.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
I just remembered I bought some of these a few weeks ago with my Midway birthday discount. They were $17 a piece plus shipping and hazmat.

pelleta.jpg
pelletb.jpg
 
I just remembered I bought some of these a few weeks ago with my Midway birthday discount. They were $17 a piece plus shipping and hazmat.

View attachment 62293View attachment 62294
I guess if you don’t shoot much and they work that’s ok, but by my math that’s just over $79 per pound plus shipping and hazmat. And people complain about the price of Swiss......
 
I was given a mostly full box and tried them.. theyare fine for plinking or small game hunting. Got good accuracy from these in one 1860 so I just used them up in that gun. Pay attention when you ram the ball down, the velocities were inconsistent when the pellet was crushed.
 
I bought 4 of them and a couple of boxes of Speer round balls the total price was $136.43. Midway only charges $11.99 for Hazmat and the shipping was $10.40. That would be around $89 for 4 hundred of them I think?
 
I bought 4 of them and a couple of boxes of Speer round balls the total price was $136.43. Midway only charges $11.99 for Hazmat and the shipping was $10.40. That would be around $89 for 4 hundred of them I think?
If boxes have a 100 pellets each, you are about $52 per pound. Saw 50 pellets in your photograph, but guess they are double stacked.
 
I have shot several hundred pellets in my '58 and '60 revolvers. Someone gave me 8 containers. I put one in the cylinder and use a card wad before seating the ball. Regular CCI #11s (they fit the nipples properly) and not one issue with the pellets. They go boom, are accurate and easy and quick to load. I've not chronographed loads with the pellets but I don't care, they're not loaded for hunting or defense. I have kept the '58 loaded for 6-months with pellets in the cylinders and they all went off as expected with what seemed like "full" power.
 
Dustin, of the "Guns of The West" YouTube channel did a review a little more than a year ago. He found them pretty consistent. I'm not necessarily advocating for them but it might be interesting to try a few.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Thanks for posting that video.
 
I saw a video of someone using Pyrodex pellets with a 200 gr. Lee bullet. He claimed to have filled the hole in the pellet with ffff powder. This was in a Remington steel frame. If I remember he claimed around 1000 fps. I could never find the video again.
 
I saw a video of someone using Pyrodex pellets with a 200 gr. Lee bullet. He claimed to have filled the hole in the pellet with ffff powder. This was in a Remington steel frame. If I remember he claimed around 1000 fps. I could never find the video again.
They will provide good velocity, even without stuffing them with 4f. The average velocity of a .457 ball is around 1050 in several 8” 1860s. I used pyrodex a lot before Swiss became widely available. It definitely gives more velocity than Goex...
 
A fellow shooter loaded up ten cylinders of the in his 58 REM for a shoot the night before. He had 43 rounds FTF because they drew moisture over night. If that is all you got go for it. I bet he still has some pellets he would sell.
 
I was at the LGS a couple weeks back and they had a box of Pyrodex pellets, 30 grain for 44 cal revolvers. So I grabbed the last box. I figure I could leave these in the truck with a tin of caps and some lube. Then all I would need to do is grab a gun and go shooting.

I have never used a pellet in any gun so this is a first.

A question for you guys that have used them, do you put a wad between the pellet and the ball?

Anything else I should know.

Thanks
I tried them and with or without a fiber wad, they suck. Even when hit from behind by a crushed cap they are hard to ignite and I even got a hang fire, which is not good when you are trying to shoot a stage during a CAS match. In addition, the smallest drop of oil or cleaning fluid will render them useless. If it's all you've got and you've got to shoot your cap and ball revolver them I wish you luck, but I will never spend money on those things again.
 
Back
Top