Do You Weigh Black Powder?
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
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In this video Eric discusses the reasons why you would want to measure measure black powder by weight rather than volume for the best consistenecy. Also, there were a couple of interesting results came up during data collection that are definitely worth looking into further. Stay tuned, much more on the way.
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There seems to be a lot of confusion here. We are primarily talking about shooting black powder Precisely...I mean the way I look at it, it’s already time consuming enough to load the gun every time you shoot it, so you might as well be precise. Treat every reloading sithation with precision and you’ll be rewarded with good performance. Why accept anything less for your time? Weigh your dang powder after using the methods shown in this video and move on with life. Sold by the POUND! 🤨 Yes troops in the field used what they had, but we aren’t limited to field equipment. 😇
Unless you _are_ in the field, of course. ;-)
@@WJS774 If you are in the field, needing to measure powder, you need to go back home and buy some speed loads and pre-measure before your next trip, and probably spend some time at the range so your first shot counts.
I'd weigh the powder, then pour the powder into the measure (disregarding what the scale on the measures says) and then set the measure. Then I would verify the measure by weighing several samples.
Fuck off
Exactly Jeff! Black powder or any powder I always weigh individually until I can adjust the volume for that specific powder. When I run my progressive press (smokeless) I still weigh the powder charge for about the first ten rounds, just to make sure it's staying consistent.
@@07zx14White Most progressive loaders check every 10th or 15th powder charge the whole time after initial setup to make sure it's not drifting as you're chugging along. If you get 4.0 grains and 15 charges later it's still 4.0 grains, you'll be quite confident the loads between are also 4 grains. :) If you measure the 30th charge and it's 4.8 grains, you gotta pull every bullet and start over. :(
mannys9130
Oh I completely agree sir. I'll usually run around 15-20 and then tare weigh an incoming case before the powder drop and then check it after the powder drop. I'll do that with a few cases and then another 15-20 roughly. I'm with you on that man. I can't sleep right if I don't make sure. My buddies think I worry too much about it but I've seen variances enough to know that you have to stay on top of it. My bullet puller is very familiar with the vinyl tile covered concrete floor in my loading room. I appreciate the comment though my friend.
@@07zx14White Yeah I take it as seriously as you do. My dad insisted on weighing every single charge he threw (single stage press) because he wanted to be that sure. I consider myself a cautious middle ground. :) Well, don't shoot your buddies' reloads! That's a rule I swear by too.
Wonderful video! I've been shooting Black Powder for over 35 Years but Muzzleload exclusively; from 45 to 69 Caliber Flintlock Longarms, 32 to 58 Caliber Percussion, all the way up to a 2-1/4 Inch Shoulder-fired Flintlock Mortar (Grenade Launcher) of the Mid-18th Century.
The only thing that you failed to mention was about the F-size speed of Combustion; 1 F is slow while 4 F is virtually instantaneous (I only use 4 F for the Flashpan of my Flintlocks). The Larger the Caliber and the heavier the Projectile, the lower the F-size is to be used so as to keep the In-bore Pressure safely manageable... I can load 50 Grains of 2 F safely behind a 69 Caliber Ball in my 1st Model Brown Bess Musket, but loading 50 Grains of 4 F behind that 1-1/3 Ounces of Lead might definitely cause a bursting of the Barrel!
Also, why on Earth did you NOT display Goex Powder? It's American Made; Goex took over DuPont's Black Powder Works several Decades ago! 🇺🇸 Made in USA 🇺🇸
Probably because like me, he doesn't buy Goex anymore because these brands of powder are much better quality and he didn't have any on hand.
I've been cutting back. But it could be the mushrooms.
Sarge .. I'm wanting to buy My first muzzleloader .
Could You recommend a good rifle for Me ? I want the most versatile rifle to both plink , and hunt the widest verity of game ( deer hunting for life or death only , so , for this , cal. I don't think really matters as much ) . I live in Tennessee ( if this matters ) . This rifle hopefully will be My only muzzleloader . Price point entry level rifle . I want a rifle to be able to shoot both ball , and conical bullets .
I want the rifle to have a removable breach plug ( for cleaning .
I weigh it for black powder cartridges. Guaranteed to get the same charge every time.
I have said this for years. A person gripes about the accuracy of there muzzleloader. When they just dump a undetermined amount of power down the barrel. Thank you for the great video.
Volume came from running around in the woods of Indiana in 1809. You sure didnt wanna carry a scale around in your possibles bag and have to weigh each shot before firing your gun. And creatively they came up with a device that said here use this small brass tube to measure your charge and leave the scale at home. Then in Indiana came the year 1900 when most were using smokeless powder, which a few grains here and there made a big difference in pressure in your gun. Wisely they figured it better to weigh the smokeless charge that went into the brass tube to now be more precise in the amount of powder they burned when pulling the trigger. Now you could carry several of these brass tubes in a bag or in your pocket to throw that lead at the target you wanted to hit. So the idea of measure by volume just stuck around since its what they had always done in prior years...
I actually had a guy argue that there was a "grains volume " that was different then grains weight. I tried to tell him that it's all based on 7000 grains to the pound but he'd not listen.
The main issue is that black power absorbs a lot of moisture from the air so weight can vary. Also black power is such a low yield propellant that a variation of a few grains doesn't make that much difference in pressure. Most black power substitutes are less dense so a given volume will weigh less.
You are correct, there is no such thing as a grain in volume measure.
Right, and if you look at the volumetric powder throws intended for smokeless powder, they're measured in cubic centimeters. Lee's set comes with a conversion table that gives an approximate weight for the volume for a bunch of different powders, but it emphasizes that the weight is approximate.
Black powder measures just have that conversion table marked on the measure.
HEAR HEAR !!! It's about time someone with some "clout" verified what I've been trying to say to all these newbies out here that think you're gonna blow yourself up if you weigh BP !! Substitutes however, are DESIGNED to be measured by volume to match BP. So it's probably the best thing to do in the beginning. I've been shooting BP for 40 years and I've ALWAYS Zeroed my volume measures to the scale because of manufacturing differences. I believe because BP is Sooo forgiving, the manufacturers of brass volume measures don't really have any quality control as far as accuracy goes. In other words, If it's close it's "OK" must be how they do it. Thank you Eric for clearing this up!!
Very good video!
A few things to remember...
1) Grains has always been a measurement of weight, not volume. The volume method came about in the muzzleloading Era because it was/is not practical to weigh charges in the field. Therefore, the "Volume Equivalent" method came to be.
2) Smokeless vs Black powder will always be an apples to oranges comparison. They are 2 completely different critters.
3) Black powder substitutes have never been measured by weight.. only by volume equivalent. The manufacturers will tell you this. However.. as you showed, you could weigh your charges, but only after starting with the volume equivalent method.
4) Black powder substitutes will almost always weigh light when measured by volume against black powder.
Thanks for the video...
fffg by volume will always weigh more than ffg since the granular size is smaller and will have less airspace by volume than the coarser ffg.
Yep.
Outstanding information. I just got in to black powder this year. This is the question I've been trying to get answered from the start. Thanks for doing all the leg work for the data.
Made that mistake when loading for my Martini Henry. I didn't have a volumetric measure, and I loaded 85gr of substitute, which equated to like 100 grains of regular 1F. I bruised my shoulder so much shooting, but luckly the rifle didn't get damaged in any way, which speaks about the quality of the MH.
😃😃😃. But in times of old....a volumetric measure was the portable and useful means of the frontiersman...
It all becomes more important with the metallic case...
👍👍👍👍👍😃
Another issue too be mindful of is primer type, example: switching from no.11 caps to 209 primer will increase your pressure levels .
That didn't cross my mind until I read your comment when I bought my inline not only did I add more powder because it's "magnum" BP rifle but also the 209 primer ...so 70gr to 100gr plus the hotter primer ...do the sabots bullets add more pressure too ??
Super Fish : Yeah on a microscopic level......Not enough to even worry at all about or mess up your group or anything.
Awesome video Eric! But really? You have a whitworth rifle and haven't done a video on it!?!? We're waiting....
with black powder i would not get panicky. black powder heavy and compared to smokeless weak explosive. that means if you put slightly more powder in a gun it wont blow up on your face. but if you put 140 gr instead of 70 gr it would. for smokeless its different story all together. even 2 gr difference cause havoc in the gun
indeed, with black powder its one pressure spike and the bullet is going where it's going, with smokeless powder the pressure remains continuous until the bullet leave the barrel, so precise measurement is a must for smokeless powders
Try that load with ffffg powder type and you'll have a different opinion. Burn rate is why we measure f ratings AND volume. Not weight. Deadly differences.
ThumperDelta Resistance that is why you do not load fff in to a gun. and there are few guns use it. mainly in compressed form. not lose. fff is good for flash holes
@@artiz32000 Exactly, but ffffg is for the priming pans, I have 3 guns that use fffg in the barrel as the main charge. But my point is that there was no mention of the f ratings difference in the video.
ThumperDelta Resistance well i thing he assumes no one use ffg in the gun
Bought my 1st black powder muzzle loader 5 years ago did exactly what you are talking about from the start, now I’m reloading 12 gauge and 410 black powder… makes 💯 sense ..
It doesn’t really matter if it is exactly 70 as long as it is consistent which has much more to do with the thrower itself and the geometry of the powder granules.
Depending on the additives to the powder, the difference of weight in the powder has a lot to do with the density of the powder. I will weigh a charge of powder I usually use in my firearm and then weigh the same weight of my homemade powder. Usually my powder requires more volume to make the same weight
Thanks for this explanation Eric. My Dad recently got into cap and ball revolvers and asked me this very question. Now I can just point him to this video :).
Black powder and smokeless are two different animals.
For muzzleloading guns loaded in the field its fine to use a volume measure with black a and black powder substtutes.
I fill the measure heaping full, then i tap the measure twice with my finger then scrape off the excess. Exact same way for every load.
If the measure is handled in a consistant manner any slight difference in powder charge wont make a noticable difference on the target.
Old time schutzen rifle competitors weighed thier charges as do long range Sharps shooters today.
When i shoot a match i put up measured charges in 30-06 cases capped with 9mm brass. For the 25 and 50 yard targets thats fine. For the 100 yard targets i am thinking about actually weighing those. It will likely improve my score.
The only black powder shooting I have done is with a 50 caliber Hawken I built from a kit 30 years ago. I shoot only Pyrodex. It was easy, start with 60 grains by volume under a patched round ball. Shoot it over a white sheet on the ground. Increase volume of powder until you start seeing unburned powder on the sheet. Back off a few grains. Set your powder measure to that volume and never look back!
Thank you Eric, great Video. I've also found that the weight can very just in different lots of the same powder. Goex, at least for me, varied as much a 6 grains in different lots of FFg. Swiss seems a little more consistent.
A BCPR friend of mine turned me on to this a while back, so I've been averaging weight to volume now for a while, and my consistency in velocity has improved to a great extent.
Thank you again.
Great information Eric, wonderful video, much appreciated. Keep up with the fantastic content.
Volume measure for my Snider and Swedish Rolling Block. I have weighed charges against volume measures just for gun and with Goex FFF it was very consistent but with FF it starts to vary. I miss the days when one could buy BP at a flea market, now Feds have regulated out all but BIG players. In the greater Houston area the only store that sells BP is Bass Pro and they only carry FF Goex.
When I do loading for BPCR, I do volume to get a baseline for the brass I'm going to use. I then weigh the charge and duplicate the weight. So this is great information, and I appreciate someone actually calling this out. I've had MANY people tell me I was wrong and I couldn't do that. Keep it up man.
This is one of the many reasons I watch this channel. Very fine video on black powder. I have always been a person that loads it by volume due the fact that black powder is like flour in the sense that it's hygroscopic . So the weight of the powder will very due to the type of climate you live in. Down here in the South it will weigh more that say up north in Wisconsin. But you show that the throw weight varies radically from load to load no matter what climate you live in. Very informative .. well done .
Wise advise... Thx a lot. From France! 😎🇫🇷😇
Thanks Eric 👍 I was searching for this info. I have a TC impact and had a horrible time at the range at 200 yards. All over the place. I will be weighing my powder charge from now on thanks for the great video 👍👍👍
Now pour out your powder and drop it down a 48" long drop tube into a cartridge case. That will twist your knickers. With BLACK, the most important thing is that you do the same thing, each and every time. Consistency is the key, not an arbitrary "quantity". But, that's just one opinion........
Exactly. Even if it’s a mistake just make sure it’s done the same easy each time.
Thanks for the info, you're doing a great job. Keep up the work it's awesome.
I've always used 2FG Jim Shockey in my rifles. Long ago, I measured 70 grains-volume and came up with 65 grains weight over many samples. So I carry 65 grain sealed vials with me in the field because the Jim Shockey substitute is hygroscopic and I use those for reloading my flintlock. Needless to say, I carry real 4FG black for the pan.
This would be a great experiment to test. I would use the powder with the greatest difference between volume and expectd weights. Load 10 with the precise weight, and 10 with precise volume measurement and chronograph them.
I am leaning toward volume changes being more important for consistency than the weight due to the displacement inside the cartridge being directly related to the pressures.... Or is the weight of the charge more important to consistency of pressure even though there is a slight variability in displacement. I would love to see the findings.
in other words:
The rounds with precisely measured volume will have some variable weights.
The rounds with precisely measured weights will have some variable volumes.
But which one will cause the most FPS deviation after 10 rounds shot.
Please do this test.
Maybe neither will make much of a difference.
The only way to truly know if my theory is true is to test it as you mentioned
I can't wait.... I love this stuff.
Very interesting. I didn't know this about Black Power. Thanks for the knowledge Eric.Also keep up the awesome content. IV8888 for life.
I really want a Martini, but I know I'd ruin it by getting distracted or getting pulled away and forgetting to clean it after shooting. That's why I had to find a new barrel for my Nagant revolver. On the plus side, I got two. So I now have a spare, perfectly good barrel for the only revolver design that can be effectively suppressed...
I like my Nagant revolver. They ain't $80 anymore! 😄 Glad I decided to hang onto mine. They're much more valuable now.
What an outstanding video. I am starting to load 12ga all brass and you are very timely on this.
Great job Eric and thanks for the other comments (Jeff Harman). Black powder is for responsible adults, it is great fun. Depending on the particular F grade, the powder granules vary slightly, but is does make a 'volume' difference. I weighed my .44 cal round ball charge then cut down a .38 spl case to give a consistent measure for my charge weight / the grade of BP I used. BP shooting is about being methodical & responsible.
For those SHTF minded folk, BP works in .38 Spl / .30-30 / 7.62 x 54Rmm / .45-70 / .45 LC / 12-ga..
You can make your own BP, if you live in the country : get good mentor advice and be careful & methodical.
Ahh, the wonders of black powder!
Measuring by volume is fine and practical in the field for muzzleloaders.
As long as the powder is the same, the hand thrown charges will be close enough that any difference can't be detected on the target.
Consistancy is the mother of a accuracy. Black powder is very consistant from measure to measure.
Old time schutzen target shooters had powder scales in thier kits.
Modern black powder rifle shooters at the Quigley matches weigh all of thier charges. At 800 yards a grain or two one way or the other makes a difference on the target.
Substitutes are a different animal that needs to be understood on its own.
The correct answer is both depending on the intended purpose .
Only shooting groups will tell you what charge is best. With muzzleloading guns hand thrown charges by measure are fine.
You start low and increase charges by five grains at a time until the smallest group is made.
Once that is found the measure can be locked down. As long as the powder brand stays the same there is no reason to change anything.
Target shooters at muzzleloader matches sometime pre-weigh or at least pre-measure their loads into vials because it reduces the loading time and labor at the match.
Thanks for the video. I appreciate all you do.
John Davis jax fl
Your not supposed to use the RCBS chargemaster with black powder. I’m sure it’s fine but they state it on their information
My method is that for a specific cartridge, such as 45-70 or .44 Russian with a specific type of powder, I weigh out the charge, then I build a dipper that holds that exact same amount when flush. Yes, charge to charge there will be some variation, due to airspace between the flakes, but I will be in the correct ball park. I lack any experience with BP substitutes however. Regarding carbine loads versus heavier rifle loads, for both the US Trapdoor and the British Martini Henry, the reason the lighter carbine loads are preferred for the carbines has nothing much to do with the recoil difference. It is because if a rifle cartridge is fired in the carbine, a lot of the powder will not, due to the shorter barrel, burn fully in the short barrel. You can confirm this by laying down a roll of paper in front of the carbine, then firing a rifle round through the carbine barrel. With both 45-70 and 577-450 large amounts of unburnt powder will be laying on the paper ready for reuse. Not nearly so much when firing a carbine load through the carbine. Alternatively, of course, firing a carbine load through the longer rifle barrel generates almost no unburnt powder on the paper.
Grain is a unit of mass so if you wanted the most consistent load you would need to either measure it on a balance scale, or weigh it on a spring/digital scale calibrated for your elevation. (realistically elevation has a tiny effect on the weight). Measuring by volume is a convenience since no one wants to lug around a balance and expensive calibrated weights while hunting (or fending off British). The mass in a pour will vary based on the density of the powder, involving the density ans size of each grain(kernel?) as well as how the grains settle into the measure, but overall will be consistent enough provided you know how your brand of choice pours.
I'm not a gun guy, I'm just trying to add a bit more on mass, vs weight and how they correspond to volume. Black powder loads seem like an art, and Eric's advice seems solid. Learn how your powder shoots and leave the scale at home.
P. S. Eric I think many of us would like to see a follow up of the Jim shokey's(sp) one loaded by mass and one loaded by volume and see how the velocities compare.
Also (as a non shooter) I wonder, do you notice some powders cause more fouling than others?
Originally a grain was a measure of mass now it is a measure of weight
Thanks Eric. Only thing missing was the difference in power curves between the granular sizes. I've been introducing a friend to the mysteries of the black powder cartridge and he's been asking some interesting questions. This one hasn't really come up exactly but I'm sure it's coming.
Every load of mine is weighed 39.5 g for my musket, any more, any less and my grouping starts going away.
Eric I would say with the shockys if you weighed 70 grains instead of volume 70 grains , I will say you wouldn't fit it in a 45 -70 case I know My 45-70 sharps setting it so the Bullet was just resting in the rifling, Using Pyrodex , I threw by volume and weighed it , It was consistent , But each time I cycled the powder measure I tapped it to settle the powder, and to make sure it threw the same volume . My Sharps with a 525 grain cast bullet set at chamber length I couldn't get 70 grains of Pyrodex into the cases without extreme load compression and case deformation , but I was using a rather thick lube wad over a thin card wad , Just my observation
This is why you buy a blunderbuss, pack it with powder and shove whatever you can in the barrel, and let er rip tater chip.
Cleetus McFarland Really?
@@CoinDoctor1 theres over 7 billion people in this world, I can assure you I didn't get that saying from cleetus mcferrethead
Idk Eric
I appreciate your expertise, input, data sets and research but...
I'm willing to bet that the manufacturers figured out how to make the Volume work for the given power make up charge.
Thanks to everybody that helps the channel. I haven't been able to contribute lately but thanks to everybody that has.
Coming from a rifle cartridge hand loading point of view, just using the volumetric powder measure would make me itch. The larger the grains of powder the more variation you can have depending on how it stacks in the measurer. Why wouldnt you want to be accurate with your powder? Consistency is the key to accuracy. You should also weigh your projectiles.
What I like about your videos is your impartiality,unlike some Americans who tend to wave the flag and beat the chest.Keep up the good work 👍
what a great video!! Very Interesting, love your videos!!!
You cannot expect to have different size powders to have the same weight by volume. For example, if you take your powder measure and put 2F in it; it will not weigh the same as if you were to load 4F or 3F. The granule sizes are different. It is like taking round balls (spheres) of 5 inch diameter and pack that into a 2 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot cube. However many of those ball you are able to pack into that cube of that size will be different from a sphere size of 3 inches.
Blackhorn 209 actually has the conversion on their site. Volume x 0.7= weight.
I haven't loaded for any B/P cartridge guns only front stuffers rifle and pistol way before I ever reloaded smokeless and I've only been doing that for a year now ....so prior to real reloading I never knew how important it was for the weights be so precise...so I did what I was taught by my father in law 70gr in a volumetric measure for our 50 cal cap and ball
I use a scale and build up an accuracy node for my chosen bullet. i use an inline modern, and i use cast .452 lead bullets in a sabot adjusting the alloy for a BHN that expands based on demand.
The only thing that sucks about building a load for a muzzleloader is the time it takes for zeroing and testing dont get me wrong i love muzzleloaders and their history but i dont like spending half my shooting day just loading and not rapid unloading so to speak
Black powder is very forgiving and as long as you dont exceed the limits of your rifle build your load to suit your demands dont think so much about it😊
I know this is off topic but you should make a vidoe showing what problems or damage to look for while inspecting reloading brass
Excellent video.
Very good informative video, thank you.
Factories back in the black powder cartridge era would have weighed the charge or found a way to measure by volume with a high degree of precision. A few sources i have read that opened up original cartridges have said that the powder charges were spot on weight wise. It also makes sense as it would keep costs down for the factories. 1 grain over doesn't sound like much but when your loading cartridges in the 100's of thousands or even millions it would make a sizable difference in cost over a production run.
Black powder, being hygroscopic, tends to absorb moisture readily from the air making for sometimes significant variations in mass. The components from batch to batch or brand to brand will also vary in weight. Probably part of the reason they like to measure by volume. not to mention the need to load to case capacity in cartridges.
Hmm really makes you think a bit huh. Kinda like the weigh your bullets video. Thanks Eric. Good job man
These are valid points and depending on the level of precision and accuracy you are attempting to achieve, you could go even further than you did in this video to achieve the consistency required to reach the highest levels of accuracy. However, comparing a 70 grain charge of black powder to 70 grains of IMR 4350 is disingenuous at best. Especially when you consider the expected level of accuracy that a shooter (most especially a hand loader) expects to achieve with a modern center fire rifle vs a black powder rifle. It’s just not apples to apples. It’s obvious that weight is much more accurate than volume no matter what anyone says. The question is, do the results of the extra work and time benefit the shooter enough to justify the time and expense required to achieve that accuracy and consistency. Usually in muzzle loading rifles, the answer is no. Also, I don’t know very many shooters that wouldn’t achieve a TON more accuracy by practicing more and training away their lazy/bad shooting habits than by worrying about 2 grains of black powder in a muzzle loader!!!
So if 25 grains by volume of pyrodex p ffg equivalent weighs around 19.8 or so it's ok to use a trickler and round up to 20 grains by weight and shoot from a cap and ball revolver?
Hi Eric. How are they putting REAL black powder in a plastic can? I was always told they use metal cans because there is to much risk of static ignition with plastic. Or have they fixed that problem? Just wondering.
It gets even more complicated. I have compared several makes of brass volumetric measures and they can vary by well over 13% either way. You used one measure as a benchmark but the results can become more extreme with different measures. I now always weigh for accuracy and consistency.
I wonder why my Lyman Gen 6 powder measure says to only use smokeless powder? Is it because black powder will clog it all up?
I don't know if most people know there are no grains in volume measurements. Grains appear only in weight measurements.
I load 45-70 match ammunition for silhouette competition and I weigh all my powder drops. One thing I’ve found is that there will be weight differences between the same brand and grain sizes for different powder batches. I use Swiss powder for my loads and find it very consistent in weight within a batch.
Great information, thanks.
I take it this video is meant primarily for precision rifle loads? I shoot cap & ball revolvers at ~ 15 yards. I can't imagine that it is going to make a significant difference with 20-30 gr. charges at short distances.
Love your black powder videos. I've never shot black powder and have wanting too but I know it can be dangerous. So my question is would it be best to bring my little digital scale and just weigh it? I know u said do ur tests on the powder measure before hand. What would be safest for say a muzzle loader? Smthn to bring to the range when u go and shoot black powder. This video just makes me cautious and I'm not sure.
I measure my loads for my lyman Great Plains Rifle with the old T/C powder measure,and 110 grains of Goex FFg black powder works great .I have even tried up to 160 grains ,but it just throws alot of burning powder out the end of the barrel on the ground,not good if you are in the woods and the leafs are dry .lol you will be stomping out a fire instead of hunting .load so you hear a sharp crack instead of a dull boom when you fire. that what was meant by the term" get cracking"I read that years ago in a Black Powder hunting magazine ,it was in an article by Toby Bridges ,about how to find the best hunting load for your rifle that load will change with different style and weight bullets,,and use real Black powder not the triple 7 or pryodex,and other powders that claim to be less fouling ,clean after each session after shooting and hunting,real Black powder can be hard to find but some folks still sell it ,Bass pro shops will have it ,and check with your local gun stores,our local hardware store quite stocking it because the BATFE was going to make them buy a special powder safe to store it and you won't find it at wal-mart.
70 gr of BP can be a different amount of powder depending on how we pour it. When you say 70 gr by volum, I assume you simply pour the powder in to the powder mesure without a drop tube. If we you a drop tube, 70 by volume will be more. I do like your idea of giving consideration to volum in addition to weight. Thank you
Weight determines the density of one powder over another. If a volume measure shows 70 grains of two different powders then the weight of the two shows a difference between them the heavier powder will most likely push the bullet with more velocity. It absolutely works with the black powders I use.
This is the sort of issue I have with the Lee Dipper Sets. They are never consistent with the given table.
They don't claim to be, either. It's best practice to always weigh your charges, especially when you're using a volumetric measure.
I use Goex FFG to load some target loads for my Sharps. 66 grains by wieght compresses about 1/4 inch with a card wad and news print and a 518 grain Lee 3R cast bullet. This load will shoot MOA all day.
A little late to the party. This is the best explanation of volume vs. weight. 👍🏼
I just came back from shooting my Thompson .50 cal renegade and my shoulder is so sore. I pre-measured my powder, by weight, 80 grains. My speedloaders are suppose to hold 150 gr. but with my .80 gr. by weight, the speedloaders were almost full.
That's how I found your video because something didn't seem right
By the way, I'm using Hodgdon triple 7
It must have been interesting it seem to go quick for me. Lol good one
I’m still going by Volume been loading black power for 30 year that why and my grandpa and his dad load by volume.. and there was nothing mentioned about drams for loading shot gun shells
I thought you did a video back in the day where you loaded black powder all the way up the barrel and didn't blow up the gun, you just blew unburned powder out the muzzle. I thought you said then that you couldn't overload with black like you can with smokeless.
I have swiss powder 2F I was shooting bulleye last year with 70 grains last mount I went to the firing range I dont know why I was shooting 1 feet down any idea ???
There is a major change from the time of " IN field, I.E. Powder horn measurements for muzzle loaders; and the use of preloaded cartridges." This goofs everything up. The early cartridge makers recognized this and shrugged , because they recognized the need for uniformity. Hello, new system. Get over it.
ill stick with the preform stick pellets then dont have to worry just drop in 2 or 3 50grains pellets, bullet and away you go.
There is no volumetric metric called grains. When you measure volume you use cubic centimeters, or cubic inches, teaspoons tablespoons cups or pints.
So I hope I don't sound too stupid. But if the powder measure equals 70 grains but when you weigh it it comes out 50 Grands do you add 50 more grains? What's not clear in the video is what do you do if the weighed amount is different then the volume. What do you do?
Tim Boyer correct to the specified weight, for example 20 more grains.
No, but now you got me thinking!!
Iraqveteran8888 show us new top 5 guns like top 5 guns for hunting and thank you
Never fired a round of black powder, so why do I feel like I did something wrong after watching this? Great info.
I weigh all my charges, black powder and smokeless. "Grains" is a measure of weight and so I weigh it. Takes a bit longer but it's much more consistent, even using powders from the same container.
Ok Ok Ok yes they both are, for my uses volume works just fine Hunting and target, now thus being said weights or weighed loads are more for folks wanting fine tuned for "Show" or "Championship shooting" the normal average Joe does not need the fine pin point shots
So I am not a black powder shooter, have no interest in it at all, and probably never will. That being all said, I really enjoyed this video as a shooter. Even though it's not my cup of tea, I continually learn more from you guys and broaden my overall knowledge. Thanks a ton guys for this and keep up the awesome stuff.
Will an 'about' BP charge affect accuracy of a 50 cal muzzle loader rifle. Say + or - 2 grains on a 40 grain charge?
I'm machining a black powder gun right now. Percussion cap build but I'm having trouble finding info on calculating barrel thickness and what kind of threads to use for the nipple. Any ideas for good reading on the subject?
Good watch as always.
From what I am aware of, for revolver nipples, uberti and pietta use different threading. If you don't want to make your own nipples, just buy some and use a thread gauge to check which tap you need for your breech.
how many times can you shoot a muzzle loader before cleaning im having rust issues please help
Buy a bunch of centrifuge test tubes and do all your powder charges at home. I throw a volume charge weigh it, make all my charges that weight and put them in the test tubes for the field.
dk17hmr Same. Lee thrower is set at 67 and i trickle to 70. Makes my old Hawken sing.
@@coryfoster401 I mostly shoot inline but it's the best way I have found to get super accurate groups at longer ranges I'm generally shooting here in Wyoming. If I was back East in Whitetail country I'd probably still weigh each charge the way I currently do but I'd be using cast bullets instead of expensive Thor bullets
The reason is started that way was to get my Hawken at least half descent. Took me from 10 incges at 50 (bench with bags and no wind) to 2 inches at 100. Open sights with SST's. I used pellets in my cva and i wondered if i could do the same. Sure enough the pellets are all over the place. Never looked back.
I'm still laughing a bit about the 45/70 comment of fill it to the top and cram a bullet on it. I know an old timer, his method was to scoop the case full of powder (used the case, no measure) and put a bullet on top and seated it and crimped. I cringed when I seen him do that. But you are right about the power curve. I lost a $50 bet that day. Now I to love 45/70 (Trapdoor) my Peabody Martini, and my Snider. I would never do what he did but that's me. I do use a volume measure because as you said 2 or 3 grains does not impact the pressure curve or velocity. As a side note "back in the day" the volumetric measure system was all they had. Hollowed out horn, wood, sometimes metal, or even the "put this much in your hand" was how they measured each charge. Black powder is quite forgiving TO A POINT but because we have the tools it would be stupid not to use them for the best possible results.
I'm sure our host knows all this even better than I do, but for the sake of saying it. I endured a NRA Certification course for Black Powder. It was painful but I have the card to prove it. According to my instructor, you measure black powder in 2 ways at the same time. Weight however IS NOT one of them. Based on the "f rating" which indicates the powder particle surface area, and thus the burn rate, along with the volume. So if I told you your black powder rifle needed a charge of 70 grains, that isn't a complete statement. You may, depending on the rifle need 70 grains of 3f powder, but if you use the wrong f rated powder, you may be not surviving that shot or you could end up with a stuck projectile. Learn the f ratings and measure by volume. Thanks for the video.
Although I am not a Black Powder fan, I found this very interesting.
Both are actually correct Volume/weight pending what I am doing with it. I am going to ask while black powder is the subject I have seen a few videos of these chopped down Muzzle Loaders How about a how to video? The rifles are shown but no one has a how to for proper length (federal laws:: statues). Do you guys have one up?
What about the preformed "lifesaver" like black powder substitute??? In a muzzle loader
It's kind of ironic when you say that the bottle is a pound of powder by weight not volume, because if I had to guess I'd say that they probably measure the bottles volumetrically in the factory rather than by weight. I don't disagree with the rest of what you're saying though, you're definitely going to get much better consistency by weighing charges than by volume.