# Hunting > The Magazine >  Making Blackpowder

## madjon_

As no one in the district has any BP, with google as my guide, so it began.Green willow sapling,stripped of all bark in a paint tin and a fire by the river
so we have charcoal :Thumbsup:

----------


## mikee

Waiting waiting.................for the next bit

----------


## madjon_

more
So a bit of that and a bit of this and down the garden in case of Murphy,6 hours later we have gunmeal.
dampened and through a mesh screen,Blackpowder :Omg:

----------


## Bavarian_Hunter

What rifle are you running that through? Didn't wanna order in factory stuff? ha

----------


## Kiwi Sapper

So, the "bit" is Sulphur and the "that" is Potassium Nitrate.
How fine did you grind the charcoal and what ratios to each did you use?

----------


## Gibo

> So, the "bit" is Sulphur and the "that" is Potassium Nitrate.
> How fine did you grind the charcoal and what ratios to each did you use?


Use google, jon did  :Grin:

----------


## madjon_

> What rifle are you running that through? Didn't wanna order in factory stuff? ha




have to pick up Jack, 4hrs each way. anyway adds to the spirit of the whole thing

----------


## sako75

:Cool: 

I know of someone in the Waikato who makes their own rocket powder in a similar way

----------


## Bavarian_Hunter

> Attachment 16463
> 
> have to pick up Jack, 4hrs each way. anyway adds to the spirit of the whole thing


That is a beautiful gun! i've ordered a black powder rifle from the US, got a 4 month wait on it though.

----------


## Tasbay

I have found crack willow to be best for the charcole. Disolve the potasimnitrate over heat in about a cup of water. Probably pay to mention I make a kilo at a time. Mix in the charcole and sulpher and force through a cive. Let it dry for a few days and she`s all go.

This method bypasses the need for a ball mill.

Works well in the flintlock, Martini 577/450, 44 Magnum and the kids tennis balls!!!

----------


## Haggie

> I know of someone in the Waikato who makes their own rocket powder in a similar way


You can make a real basic one with just the KNO3 and sugar, doubles as a pretty good smoke bomb if you just make a huge clump of it

----------


## Maca49

Da I just buy it from where ever, use FFG, used to make it when I was at college after getting the formula from a science tech.charcoal easy, sulphur easy, saltpetre was always a prob. Used to get it from the freezing works, when no one was looking. Made our own fireworks and fired the cannons we made in metalwork. Still got all my fingers, limbs, hair and eyeballs, just a bit deaf!

----------


## Brian

Are you bringing that rifle thar hunting Jon ?

----------


## Tasbay

> Da I just buy it from where ever, use FFG, used to make it when I was at college after getting the formula from a science tech.charcoal easy, sulphur easy, saltpetre was always a prob. Used to get it from the freezing works, when no one was looking. Made our own fireworks and fired the cannons we made in metalwork. Still got all my fingers, limbs, hair and eyeballs, just a bit deaf!


You may notice madjon and I are both in the Nelson area. Gunworks and Gun city are the only 2 retailers I know of who sell Black Powder in the South Island and neither will freight it. At $85 per lb from Gun City Id just rather not buy it in the first place. 
I bought a sack of Potasiumnitrate a few years ago from fruitfed supplies, was about $60 for 40kg if I remember correctly... still going strong and hardly made a dent in the sack.
I still use FFFFg for the flash pan and more oftern than not drop 4 grains of FFFg down the barrel first just as an ignighter with 80gr of home brew on top. Shoots the 50cal to the same point as with 80gr of bought FFg.
In the 44Mag and Martini 577/450 its just a primer and a compressed load of home brewed, lead slugs of course.
Home moulded lead bullets and homemade powder, very satisfing and hell of a cheap shooting.

----------


## Rushy

> Use google, jon did


How very Yoda Gibo

----------


## Maca49

> You may notice madjon and I are both in the Nelson area. Gunworks and Gun city are the only 2 retailers I know of who sell Black Powder in the South Island and neither will freight it. At $85 per lb from Gun City Id just rather not buy it in the first place. 
> I bought a sack of Potasiumnitrate a few years ago from fruitfed supplies, was about $60 for 40kg if I remember correctly... still going strong and hardly made a dent in the sack.
> I still use FFFFg for the flash pan and more oftern than not drop 4 grains of FFFg down the barrel first just as an ignighter with 80gr of home brew on top. Shoots the 50cal to the same point as with 80gr of bought FFg.
> In the 44Mag and Martini 577/450 its just a primer and a compressed load of home brewed, lead slugs of course.
> Home moulded lead bullets and homemade powder, very satisfing and hell of a cheap shooting.


Never thought of making for my rifles, but have picked up cans thru guys getting out of shooting here in the BOP. It would be very satisfying. Try the net BP Clubs NZ there are guys on there selling it, which reminds me I've gotta go and load some more 45/70s

----------


## mikee

Majdon mate, 

send me a text if you are going to have a test run in your yard, I need time to hide under something solid just in case your homebrew is more grunty than expected and the blast radius might reach my place!

----------


## madjon_

If I could get a decent upload,I could show the burnrate.She pretty quick :Cool:

----------


## mikee

The whole Idea of DIY powder is just way too cool by 1/2.  Well done that man.

----------


## Maca49

New business? Mad Jon's Big Bang?

----------


## GWH

When i was at high school a good mate of mine was into making bombs and anything else he could blow up. He started making his own black powder, but got sick of waiting for the stuff to dry, so in his great wisdom thought he would see if the mircowave oven would dry it out faster - Based on his results, i wouldnt recommend it!!!

----------


## Gibo

> How very Yoda Gibo


Easy way is better you may find :Wink:

----------


## mikee

Sounds like a mate of mine who 20 years ago used his wife's new Vacuum Cleaner to start the siphon to get petrol out of his car for the lawnmower. Vaccy last seen doing a rocket impersonation over the fence into a paddock after he miscalculated an it sucked a belly full of petrol and went whoopsie. Wife was not too happy

----------


## Tasbay

Just had some Martini 577/450 brass arrive today from Gunworks re manufactured from straight shotgun cases. Loaded them to the brim with home brewed black powder then compressed with the bullet and a paper patch (430gr bullet).All set off with a large pistol primer Worked a treat. Very understanding neighbours around here.

----------

