Idaholewis
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I have been meaning to start a thread on the use of a powder drop tube, so here goes. Back when i started putting together the ‘Business Rifle’ (32” 1:18 twist .451 bore Green Mountain Drop In Barrel) I was looking for every possible accuracy advantage i could find, A Powder Drop Tube kept popping up from the Mid to Long Range guys. I was gonna buy a brass Drop tube from BACO but i decided to make my own using an Aluminum Shaft (Mine is actually from the Aluminum Ramrod that came with the barrel) The older full length Aluminum Easton archery arrow shafts are a full 34” long and are ideal for a 32” barrel (Today’s Aluminum shafts are 30-32” long) these can easily be cut down to any length desired.
I am gonna be lazy here and copy a post from 451 Pete, This describes a Powder Drop tube as good as i can type it, and is exactly why i chose to make, and use one.
The drop tube can do several things in loading a muzzle loader. It can provide a bit of compaction to your load ( the same as is done by many shooters when loading black powder in cartridge rifles ). It can keep the powder from hanging up on and in the rifling ( say if the bore is still just a bit damp after wiping out ), and it can give you a more consistant powder charge from shot to shot by allowing the fines in the powder to suspend a bit, but only if the powder is trickled and not just dumped into the drop tube.
At Friendship you will see the drop tube used by almost all of the bullet shooting rifle shooters at the mid and long range events. The large majority of round ball shooters, at closer yardages, don't bother.
Personally, I use a drop tube when loading any paper patched bullet in a muzzle loading rifle as any powder that gets caught up in the rifling could jam up the bullet and possibly damage the patch. A torn patch means a bad or wasted shot. Not something I want in the middle of a good shot string or in a match. I also clean between shots with one damp and one dry but have found just enough moisture in the bore to warrent the use of the drop tube.
Hope this helps ..... Pete
I am gonna be lazy here and copy a post from 451 Pete, This describes a Powder Drop tube as good as i can type it, and is exactly why i chose to make, and use one.
The drop tube can do several things in loading a muzzle loader. It can provide a bit of compaction to your load ( the same as is done by many shooters when loading black powder in cartridge rifles ). It can keep the powder from hanging up on and in the rifling ( say if the bore is still just a bit damp after wiping out ), and it can give you a more consistant powder charge from shot to shot by allowing the fines in the powder to suspend a bit, but only if the powder is trickled and not just dumped into the drop tube.
At Friendship you will see the drop tube used by almost all of the bullet shooting rifle shooters at the mid and long range events. The large majority of round ball shooters, at closer yardages, don't bother.
Personally, I use a drop tube when loading any paper patched bullet in a muzzle loading rifle as any powder that gets caught up in the rifling could jam up the bullet and possibly damage the patch. A torn patch means a bad or wasted shot. Not something I want in the middle of a good shot string or in a match. I also clean between shots with one damp and one dry but have found just enough moisture in the bore to warrent the use of the drop tube.
Hope this helps ..... Pete