[Jeff Higgins]

Boy, you want to talk about "hot" - try loading and shooting a few cylinders of black powder loaded .45 Colt, or rip through a magazine of black powder loaded .45-70 in an '86 Winchester. You don't have to slow down and reload these as slowly and methodically as the muzzle loader or the cap'n'ball gun. The ability to just stuff more cartridges in speeds things up to the point where heat becomes a real problem. Most folks have no idea how hot black powder burns, temperature wise, and how much the gun soaks up. We're talking burn your hand, damn near exhaust manifold hot after 3-4 cylinders full. Smokeless doesn't even come close.

Are you using grease or a wad (like a Wonder Wad) to prevent chain firing? I've found grease just melts from the last few chambers when emptying the cylinder, like you would in a match. That's when the flyers start. Try a Wonder Wad under the ball. The lube still melts, but the fiber keeps it contained. I find I can shoot long strings without flyers this way.

Oh, and bring a leather work glove or an oven mitt. It really helps when reloading after they get so hot.

As far as the fatigue, dry firing for maybe ten minutes every day will soon build the endurance you need. This was a big deal when I was younger and still shooting Bullseye, or "2700" as we called it. 270 rounds, all one handed off hand for a match. It hurts just thinking about it...