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I went to a gun show last Sat where the only vendor with BP supplies had #11 caps for $15 a tin. I've got a couple thousand caps in my stash, so I passed. He also had a couple of 1860 Army's for $400-450 which I also passed on. Crazy prices out here on the left coast. The local Bass Pro shop has pretty much phased out all BP supplies. Slim pickin's in these parts........
 
Anybody have any experience using musket caps/nipples on traditional sidelock guns? Yeah, I know, musket caps are also rare and expensive these days, but if they will make Triple Seven go bang in my T/C Hawken, I'll give 'em a chance. Waiting for Estes to get Old Eynsford back into production any time soon seems a bit optimistic.

I bought a thousand #11 caps a few months back, paying a hundred bucks for 'em at Sheels. Had to drive fifty miles. NOBODY local had ANY in stock and I was told that none were even available to order wholesale.

Something rotten in Denmark.
Musket caps are all I use. I have a few Thompson Centers with them and they work great. I usually shoot real black powder, I can't speak for Triple Seven, but I've shot them with Pyrodex and they light off just fine. A big bonus to me is that they're easier to handle with gloves or cold hands.
 
Sometimes you get lucky by accident. Last year I ordered several pounds of powder from Graf's for an excellent price; so I'm set for a while. Then a few years ago I ordered 1000 #11 caps. No more than I shoot percussion the caps will last me a looong time. From year to year I shoot flint nearly 100% of the time.
Ditto
 
What is the draw weight on the bow on the scale back there?
The one in my hand is 50# at 28", the one on the tree was just beginning tillering process so hadn't been strung yet. It was going to be a bow from a hickory limb, but unfortunately had too many knots in it and beyond my knowledge of how to tiller it properly so it broke in the process.
 
That’s why I reload ammo. The pricing on modern ammo is insane. I can reload 500 rounds of .45 ACP for a small fraction of the store sticker price. 😎
I always toyed with the idea of reloading, but never drilled down and studied enough, never had the patience to set up and do it! You deserve kudoes. I knew a guy who made 9mm ammo reloads indistinguishable (spell that word without thinking!) from factory.
 
I always toyed with the idea of reloading, but never drilled down and studied enough, never had the patience to set up and do it! You deserve kudoes. I knew a guy who made 9mm ammo reloads indistinguishable (spell that word without thinking!) from factory.
If you know what you're doing, reloads are not only indistinguishable (I did it), but far better than factory, basically custom for each weapon.
 
Paid $15 each at Cabela's because I was too lazy to drive another 40 miles where I could have gotten them at Bass Pro for $7.
I ordered a case last Saturday of #11 caps from Cabelas on line. $155.00 supposed to be here tomorrow. Not nary a one at the local store. Nuts! Oh well better than none at all. I have a kit for making caps from .22 Sharpshooter. Just haven’t got around to making any. 😏
 
I got a couple of those 😃 work great on the rats around the hen house and horse shed! Quiet too😁



I've been reloading since the early 70s. I reload for a slew of calibers and the tally has to be many thousands of rounds. Except for .22LR I've NOT bought any factory ammo in decades. And of course with MLs you have to reload after every shot.
 
I have a feeling that not a lot of 'homemade' powder is all that high of a quality, too. Just sayin'
It is not hard to make high-quality powder. I used scrap poplar wood from Home Depot, I'm pretty sure I way over-cooked my charcoal, and I still ended up with powder that was only 100 FPS slower than Goex. Quite a bit dirtier though, but not a real problem. Later batches made of Willow charcoal were indistinguishable from Goex in terms of fouling and FPS.
 
It is not hard to make high-quality powder. I used scrap poplar wood from Home Depot, I'm pretty sure I way over-cooked my charcoal, and I still ended up with powder that was only 100 FPS slower than Goex. Quite a bit dirtier though, but not a real problem. Later batches made of Willow charcoal were indistinguishable from Goex in terms of fouling and FPS.
How do you find out about making your own without bringing certain people to your front door?
 
I found 15 tins of forgotten Rem no 11 caps in a box in my workshop so I brought a .54 Leman rifle to shoot them . If I get down to 5 tins remaining I'll sell the rifle with the caps , but that is not likely as I usually shoot flintlocks .
 
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