Pietta New Model Army Revolver - absurd trajectory issues.

[bradaz11]

do you have scales that you can weigh it with to just see roughly how much it is by weight?

[Dark Skies]

do you have scales that you can weigh it with to just see roughly how much it is by weight?

Yes, it's 19.3 grains by weight.

[bradaz11]

according to this

http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

if I'm reading it right, 30gr by vol should be 24gr by mass

[Dark Skies]

according to this

http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

if I'm reading it right, 30gr by vol should be 24gr by mass

That's quite a difference.
Perhaps I'm filling the measure incorrectly. I ladle powder into the pre-set measuring tube and slice it level with a lino knife blade.
I have noticed that if I give the measure a tap on my bench the level will fall and I could get more in.

I'll try that and see if I can get a by weight measure that's close to the chart.

Did that. 20.7 grains by weight.

[bradaz11]

well it could also be an old chart, and not current to the current formulation of powder.

but it does sound like you really aren't getting much in.

I use BP and I use a spout on a flask, its just spin it over with finger on end, thumb opens the valve, three flicks on the valve, back right way up, drag finger over opening to flick off any stuck to me, then pour in chamber.

[channel12]

A quick tip, if you have filled the chamber with powder and you can't fully seat the ball, it's too much powder.

It sounds like you didn't have enough powder, the problem with going by volume is that it can settle. I always weigh out my charges and dispense in to phials to load at the range.

[Dark Skies]

A quick tip, if you have filled the chamber with powder and you can't fully seat the ball, it's too much powder.

It sounds like you didn't have enough powder, the problem with going by volume is that it can settle. I always weigh out my charges and dispense in to phials to load at the range.

Once you have filled with charge, placed a wad on top, and then rammed a ball down on top what's the gap twixt top of ball and front of chamber?

[Sim G]

I think there's an awful lot of getting in front of the issue here....

First question, when aiming ridiculously high to hit the target, what sort of groups are you actually getting?

And I will chuck in at this stage, if you can use Triple 7, why not Pyrodex? I understand that some indoor ranges don't allow BP and only the substitutes, but seems odd that one of the substitutes is also excluded...

But we'll not muddy yet. What's the group size?

[MrD]

We use 15gn Pyrodex P, 10mm thick felt wad and a .454 Shellhouse ball in our club Pietta 1858 and it shoots fine at 25yds. Other members with the 1858 use similar power loads using Pyordex P, BP or Triple7 and a variety of wads/fillers with the same results. If your revolver is giving such a strange trajectory then I feel that perhaps the problem is the revolver rather than your load, unless there is something wrong with your tub of powder.
Is there another member who would let you try some of their powder to see if that improves things?

Donald

[MrD]

Further to my last, I noticed you said you used the same powder in your .36 and it had worked. So, for fun I dug out the club 1858 and loaded it with 30gn (by vol) of Pyrodex P. I rammed a .454 ball a bit harder than I would normally do without any wad, and I would doubt that I could fit another ball in without it fouling on the cone, let alone a ball and a half.

Donald