Historical Shooting of the Nineteenth Century

The Figure of Merit is vastly superior to the group size as a gauge of shooting precision, that is, as a test of the rifle and ammunition. Its most valuable use is to determine the best load for a given piece. My blog post with a more detailed discussion of the Figure of Merit: https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2021/01/calculating-figure-of-merit.html My blog post showing how to use the FoM to determine the best load for a given piece: https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2023/01/working-up-load.html The British Muzzleloaders FoM video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAntq2M0o30 The British Muzzleloaders spreadsheet: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/britishmilitariaforums/victorian-accuracy-measuring-figure-of-merit-calcu-t18600.html

A video showing how I make .36-caliber combustible revolver cartridges using the Eras Gone .36-caliber bullet. A far more detailed article explaining the process (albeit focused mainly on .44-caliber cartridges) can be found here: https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2020/10/making-civil-war-style-paper-cartridges.html

This video shows how I load ammunition for my Snider-Enfield rifle. For a more detailed explanation of this process, read the blog post at: https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2021/01/loading-ammunition-for-mark-iv-snider.html

In this video I demonstrate how I make Poultney & Trimble style foil-wrapped cartridges for the Smith Carbine. The bullets were cast from a Smith carbine bullet mold by Eras Gone Bullet Molds: www.erasgonebullets.com/ The information used in this video came from a video by Balázs Németh of CapandBall.com which can be seen here: https://capandball.com/the-civil-war-smith-percussion-carbine/ You can read a detailed pictorial essay about loading these cartridges on my Blog at: https://historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2020/12/ammunition-for-smith-carbine.html

This video demonstrates the method I use to load nylon cases for shooting from the Smith Carbine. The bullets were cast from a Smith mold by Eras Gone Bullet Molds www.erasgonebullets.com/ The nylon cases were purchased from Northeast Trade Co. www.northeasttradeco.com/online-store The paper disks were made by soaking unbleached coffee filters in a supersaturated solution of potassium nitrate and then cutting them out with a 1/2 inch paper punch. A detailed pictorial essay for loading Smith cartridges can be found on my blog here: historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2020/12/ammunition-for-smith-carbine.html

This video demonstrates how I make linen cartridges of the style used for the 1859 Sharps; these cartridges post-date the far less successful ring-tail paper cartridges. The bullets were cast from a Richmond Laboratory Sharps mold by Eras Gone Bullet Molds: www.erasgonebullets.com/ The linen for the cartridges was purchased from Burnley & Trowbridge Company: burnleyandtrowbridge.com You can read a detailed pictorial essay about loading these cartridges on my Blog at: historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2022/10/loading-ammunition-for-1859-sharps-rifle.html

This video shows the process I use to make combustible paper cartridges for cap and ball revolvers. The cartridges in this video were made using the cartridge forming system sold by CapandBall.com. The Kerr bullets used here were cast from pure lead using a mold made by Eras Gone Bullet Molds (erasgonebullets.webstarts.com/) The cartridge packages were made using a kit from The Tube Factory on Etsy.com A detailed pictorial essay covering the making of combustible cartridges can be found here: historicalshooting.blogspot.com/2020/10/making-civil-war-style-paper-cartridges.html