I have consistently found that my bottle of Blackhorn 209 weighs 80 Grains weight to 100 grains volume. I had expected the conversion of 0.7 (though I know it varies somewhat).
I measured FOR MY BOTTLE:
70 grains weight = 88 volume. (0.795 ratio)
97 grains weight = 120 volume. (0.808 ratio.
“Volume” is based on the TC powder measure I show in a photo in this post.
I threw a charge of 84 Grains Weight also and got the same info in the TC Powder Measure, but in my test tube style measure from Thor that shipped with sizing bullets, the volume is from 98 grains to 105 grains depending on how you shake it. This would be a ratio of 0.78 to 0.84.
I weighed out 2 x 80 grain by Weight loads and i was about to go out back and shoot them from my new Accura MR-X, to see on the Blackhorn chart, did it act like a 100 by Volume Load (which I was measuring) @ 1855 FPS for a Hornady SST-ML Low Drag? Or did it act like an 80 Grain by Weight Load (which on their chart would have been approx 114 grains volume) and measure @ 1994 FPS? As I headed out my back door I realized the obvious problem and turned around, came back here to post. My barrel is a 24" and I have no idea what their test was. So a velocity test will give me no useful data to determine what's right.
Why do I care so much? There is an enormous difference if I max myself at 120 Grains Volume (which would be 96 grains weight) by my measuring tools or if I limit to 84 grains weight which would be 105 grains by volume. I had planned to test 3 different bullets and sabots (300 grain .430 scorpion white lightning, 300 grain .451 scorpion gold PT, and 260 grain .451 scorpion gold PT), at 3 loads: 70 grains weight, 75 grains weight, and 80 grains weight. But with my volume conversion, it seems like all of these loads may be severely underpowered vs what they would be if I was going by volume.
How best to proceed?
The manual for the rifle says, "The maximum is 120 grains by volume (84 grains by weight)". But if I only had one measuring type or the other, I would be ending up with very different amounts of powder in the rifle.
120 Volume Measured = 96 grains weight
84 grains weight measured = 105 volume.....
I measured FOR MY BOTTLE:
70 grains weight = 88 volume. (0.795 ratio)
97 grains weight = 120 volume. (0.808 ratio.
“Volume” is based on the TC powder measure I show in a photo in this post.
I threw a charge of 84 Grains Weight also and got the same info in the TC Powder Measure, but in my test tube style measure from Thor that shipped with sizing bullets, the volume is from 98 grains to 105 grains depending on how you shake it. This would be a ratio of 0.78 to 0.84.
I weighed out 2 x 80 grain by Weight loads and i was about to go out back and shoot them from my new Accura MR-X, to see on the Blackhorn chart, did it act like a 100 by Volume Load (which I was measuring) @ 1855 FPS for a Hornady SST-ML Low Drag? Or did it act like an 80 Grain by Weight Load (which on their chart would have been approx 114 grains volume) and measure @ 1994 FPS? As I headed out my back door I realized the obvious problem and turned around, came back here to post. My barrel is a 24" and I have no idea what their test was. So a velocity test will give me no useful data to determine what's right.
Why do I care so much? There is an enormous difference if I max myself at 120 Grains Volume (which would be 96 grains weight) by my measuring tools or if I limit to 84 grains weight which would be 105 grains by volume. I had planned to test 3 different bullets and sabots (300 grain .430 scorpion white lightning, 300 grain .451 scorpion gold PT, and 260 grain .451 scorpion gold PT), at 3 loads: 70 grains weight, 75 grains weight, and 80 grains weight. But with my volume conversion, it seems like all of these loads may be severely underpowered vs what they would be if I was going by volume.
How best to proceed?
The manual for the rifle says, "The maximum is 120 grains by volume (84 grains by weight)". But if I only had one measuring type or the other, I would be ending up with very different amounts of powder in the rifle.
120 Volume Measured = 96 grains weight
84 grains weight measured = 105 volume.....
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