The powder charge has to be compressed to fit it all in the case. This is usually done with a plug that replaces the seater stem that allows you to compress the powder. To fit a full 70grs of BP into a modern case requires quite a lot of compression. To lube your bullets try pan lubing. It will fill all the grease grooves and not require a lubricator/sizer. The trapdoor does better with the full size diameter and the bullets really don't need sizing. The 405gr hollow base bullet is usually fired without a wad. For the 405gr bullet I usually use a carbine level load of 59grs FFG compressed to allow seating the bullet to get a firm crimp over the base of the bullet's ogive. This seems to work best in my Trapdoor. The compression plugs are available from Buffalo Arms or you can have one made by any competent machinist.

To pan lube: place the bullets in a shallow pan evenly spaced with at lest 5mm between bullets. Warm the bullets with a hair dryer before pouring in the lube so the lube will better adhere to the lead. Melt your lube in a double boiler to keep from overheating the lube and pour it into the pan till all the lube grooves are covered. Let the lube harden and, when the lube pulls away from the edges of the pan, dump the lube cake out on a thick, folded towel. Turn the cake over with the bullet noses pointing up and, with the cake supported by the towel, push on the bullet nose to break it free of the cake. When all the bullets are free push them completely out of the cake and you should have properly lubed bullets. Be sure and use a proper black powder lubricant such as Emmert's or any of numerous other recipes or a commercial lube such as SPG.

Emmert's lube is easy to make and effective. 1750 grs beeswax, 1400grs shortening (unsalted), and 330grs vegetable oil (corn, canola, olive). Some replace half the oil with lanolin. For winter or cold weather more oil may be used.

Jerry Liles
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