Loading blackpowder and substitutes?

[Dark Skies]

I'm toying with the idea of trying pellets during one of our club's BP mornings - maybe just six shots when the others withdraw for cake and coffee. I'm told it can be quite harsh to breathe in confined spaces.

[kennyc]

I'm toying with the idea of trying pellets during one of our club's BP mornings - maybe just six shots when the others withdraw for cake and coffee. I'm told it can be quite harsh to breathe in confined spaces.

then that should serve as a catalyst for an improvement in range fumes extraction just because the smell isn't unpleasant doesn't mean the triple 7 isn't harming you! Personally I think if the range can't vent blackpowder you shouldn't be shooting lead in it either

[ResearchPress]

Volumetric measure may be OK for short range, but for the long range rifleman shooting black powder in muzzle loading rifles one of the critical factors for accuracy is consistent weight of powder charges. I have some plastic tubes to put my weighed charges in to take to the range. In the 19thC glass phials were used: see my article on Muzzle Loader Range Box.

For convenience powder flasks have spouts of appropriate volume to throw a given weight of powder. I'm not sure what grade powder was used to calibrate the spout, so the same volume of say FFFg and Fg would weigh slightly differently.

However, as I understand it modern substitutes have significantly less density than black powder - they are though more 'powerful' than black. So if your favourite charge of black is say 80 grains WEIGHT and you weigh out 80 grains of your favourite substitute, the latter may for example equate to 90-100gr charge of BP. To overcome this manufactures adjusted the bulk of substitutes such that a given VOLUME of both black and substitute equated to each other.

Measure your BP by what ever means (weight or volume) that provides you the accuracy you need. To get a similar result to the black powder, use the same volume of an approprate grade substitute.

David

[ResearchPress]

This makes for interesting reading. Also confirms something I've already discovered. Ladle some powder into a volumetric measuring tube at 25 grains by volume. Give it a tap and the load settles and you may then find the load is down to 20 grains by volume. So which is correct? Your first measure or the second?

Empty the charge onto a scale and whatever that says is the weight is the correct answer.

Volumetric measures are only an approximation, so be consistent with how you use them. The variables you mention such as settlement are why long range riflemen weigh their charges for consistency. Short range small variation in powder charge will likely not be noticeable - but get out to 1000 yards and you want to eliminate all the variables you can.

David