777 Overload the Ruger Old Army?

[tacotime]

I see Hodgdon shows 40gr of Pyrodex but only 35gr 777 for the ROA. I have heard the ROA can not be overloaded with black powder. Is that also true with 777 in the ROA?

 

[Rclark]

heard the ROA can not be overloaded with black powder.

Yes that is true with 777. Load as much as you wish to find your load as long as you can still seat the ball. My load is 40g of 777 under the .457 ball. 777 is a bit warmer than BP and other substitutes, but nowhere near a problem in a revolver. Enjoy! All I shoot is 777 in mine....

 

[Kanook]

Clements deepened my cylinder, hang on if you use triple 7. It has enough recoil to release the loading lever during recoil.

Accuracy was not increased using round ball, 777 and deepended cylinder.

 

[tacotime]

I thought so, good to know, thanks. The results using a 35gr spout were not as good as I had with Pyro, so I will move up and down a bit and see how it does with the RB. The same load in Pyro shote pretty well, even though the bore on this ROA is badly corroded at the muzzle.

I had been giving the 777 a fair amount of compression, but later read that may cause inconsistent results. What kind of compression do you guys use with 777, or Pyro for that matter?

 

[Jbrown75]

I thought compressing 777 was a bad thing? I will admit it's been some time since I've fired any BP or subs, just thought I remembered it saying not to compress it on the can.

 

[Rclark]

I crunch it down like any BP load. Pour in my 40g of 777, pour in a bit of cream of wheat as wad, and seat the bullet below the lip of cylinder. Not really picky.... Haven't had any problems doing it that way for years. But, From manufacturer "(in a Cartridge) Loading density should be 100% with light compression not to exceed .100". So you don't need to really put your arm into seating the ball.

Doing it this way, a six shoot test out of 7 1/2" Old Army:

40.0g (V) Triple-7, .457 Ball, CCI #11, 1062fps, 32 SD, 87 ES, 6 Shots

 

[k22fan]

FWIW my favorite range load for a ROA is the chamber level full of Pyrodex RS compressed by a round ball. This avoids measuring powder. You can just wipe a little over flow off the cylinder with something like a credit card then the Pyrodex compresses easily. Accuracy is good and recoil is mild because the balls are so light. It takes a conical to make a ROA feel like a .45.

 

[tacotime]

No one mentioned lube over the ball - are you guys not in favor of it?

 

[k22fan]

I presumed you would know you need lube over the ball to keep flash gap flame out of other chambers.

Even though I had no doubt 777 couldn't hurt a ROA I didn't comment on 777 because I haven't used 777 and my manual was printed before 777 existed. From experience I can say that all the FFFFg you can squeeze in under a conical is one way to get highest velocity and that is an approved load in my instruction manual.

 

[Rclark]

I have never have used lube covering the ball while using cream of wheat as the wad on any of my BP revolvers.

 

[tacotime]

You presumed correctly - I was using the lube but no one else had mentioned it, and I know that a lot of people don't use it. I use a cardboard wad that is very lightly lubricated with Wonderlube plus TC bore butter over the ball. Overkill I guess but I assume it is safer and lubes the ball better to the barrel.

The only issue I see is the lube left loaded for some time in warm weather, is close to liquid, and I imagine the oil seeps between the ball and cylinder wall eventually, and I wonder about adjacent balls moving forward on firing. This happened over the weekend. One ball peeking out of the cylinder. Gun had been loaded for a day with temperatures in the 80's and 90's. I pushed it back in and fired.

This had never happened before except when I (in error) had loaded balls coated in ALOX. They didn't want to stay put even when just loading. They pushed back from compression and could move easy because of the Alox. Even with a tight fit, I think that oil will slowly seep around the ball in hot weather. Still watching whether this will be an issue in Summer. Really need a firmer grease. Ruger mentioned water pump grease.

 

[kendak]

I fill my cyl. level ful of 777 & seat a .457 lubed RB straight on the powder compress till RB is below level ...it'll put all 6 shots in 2 1/2" at 25yrd. off a rest ...thats as good as any of my SBH's with my old eyes ...take care