[millwright]

BS112,

Don't even THINK of making your own BP unless you really want to visit with all the Dupont employees that 'went across the river' ! Making it takes specific knowledge, equipment and skills and even the best blow up a powder maker or two regularly. Buy FFg.

Absolutely use new brass and magnum primers, or at least a "hot" primer.

Use a drop tube to get better ignition and reduced fouling. Use a gas checked bullet or get the right size arch punch to make a .030" cardboard powder card to put twixt powder and bullet. You should feel a slight 'crunch' from compressing the powder about .060" to put the bullet on the crimp cannalure. This bullet seating depth regulates the amount of powder you can use and BP is shock sensitive so be conservative with compression.

These are extremely thin walled necks so extreme care must be taken to prep case mouths and when seating the bullets. Bullets must be flat nosed and crimped in order to work in the tube magazine.

Deprime and wash cases with detergent and water and dry thoroughly immediately after shooting and before reloading. Cleaning a Winchester is harder than a Marlin because you can't remove the bolt as easily as I recall. Hot water and soap works here too. Or you can find one of the products specifically designed to clean BP. Hoppes or smokeless cleaners won't work and can do harm to an old gun.

I load the same cartridge with BP. I got dies from RCBS and lubed/checked lead bullets from Mt. Baldy. If your haven't done it, slug the barrel to check on the size you need. I wouldn't shoot jacketed bullets through a barrel that old, the steel is too soft to stand up to the wear. >MW