Settling black powder charges

[sonny from st. louis]

Very interesting. Thank you for your reply.

 

[Ax Handle]

I have finally settled on volume (backed up by weighing) as my method for loading BH209. With my particular lot, I get a weight of 94.9 grains at the 120 volume mark (yes, I know it is above 84). If I tap the bottom of my measuring tube forty times and refill, I am able to fit another another 3.1 grains in the tube and keep it at the 120 mark. I have not yet shot an extra 3.1 grains - maybe after hunting season just for the sake of curiosity.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I have finally settled on volume (backed up by weighing) as my method for loading BH209. With my particular lot, I get a weight of 94.9 grains at the 120 volume mark (yes, I know it is above 84). If I tap the bottom of my measuring tube forty times and refill, I am able to fit another another 3.1 grains in the tube and keep it at the 120 mark. I have not yet shot an extra 3.1 grains - maybe after hunting season just for the sake of curiosity.

Please record the shooting session for posterity. What gun and what weight bullet are you planning to launch with that load?

 

[sonny from st. louis]

Thank you for your reply. You have some very interesting information. I have been practicing dipping powder to get the lowest standard deviation. I hope to get out and shoot before long. My wife is going in for complete knee replacement in a few days. So my jobs will change for a while. Everyone has been very nice and helpful.

 

[Ax Handle]

I shoot 50 cal. Still trying to settle on Thor 300 or Fury 320. So far, both shooting about 2 inch MOA out of my scoped CVA Accura LRx. Hoping to shrink it testing all the bullets available at some point. Time is the issue.

 

[sonny from st. louis]

Thank you for your reply

 

[GBG]

FWIW,

Richard Lee discusses the volume measure of powder charges on pages 67-69 in my copy of Lee's Modern Reloading Second Edition. He starts by talking about the transition from black to smokeless, then gives methods of dipping charges of smokeless powder with a consistency of 1/10 grain (bottom paragraph page 68).

He concludes on page 69 under the heading 'Mechanical powder measures' with this quote:
"Volume measures are the tools of choice to measure powder for 99.99% of all ammunition. This includes cartridges produced by ammunition factories . . ."

 

[sonny from st. louis]

I am getting some valuable information by repeatedly measuring the powder charges. I am measuring with NO tapping and see how close I can come with 10 powder charges of the same grV. The lowest standard deviation is 0.4 grW. It is fun and very educational. Thank you your reply.

 

[sonny from st. louis]

I have completed my powder measuring exercise. I have attached the file and I hope you can see it. I measured the 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 grains by volume (grV). Then I weighed the charges and showed the weights under grW.

 

[edmehlig]

From your average volume weight I would just round up or down to round it out and use it

 

[sonny from st. louis]

Thank you for your reply

 

[Ax Handle]

I have completed my powder measuring exercise. I have attached the file and I hope you can see it. I measured the 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 grains by volume (grV). Then I weighed the charges and showed the weights under grW.

What volume measurer are you using? I am using the TC Magnum Powder measure. I was a little surprised at the high weight of 94.9 grains that I got measuring 120 volume. You are only at 100 volume and getting 93.3 which is almost as high as 94.9 weight at 120 volume. If you get a chance, measure 120 volume so I can compare.

 

[sonny from st. louis]

I am using a Traditions powder measure and a Lyman Ohaus powder scale. I take care by using a magnifying glass to get the measure line aligned with the measure body. I have been working to get the measure full without compressing the powder. I think I got that achieved with the low standard deviations. I plan on weighing the average charges and put them in my new Lane's tubes. I am going to take these tubes and chronograph five shots for each grain by volume group. Using the law of diminishing returns I want to find the best powder charge. This is an interesting operation. If am is interested I will make the final report available.

 

[Ax Handle]

sounds like you are going down the rabbit hole with this... please share your results when done

 

[sonny from st. louis]

Will do. It will be next year before I will be done.

 

[Hausser1]

Thank you for your reply. You have some very interesting information. I have been practicing dipping powder to get the lowest standard deviation. I hope to get out and shoot before long. My wife is going in for complete knee replacement in a few days. So my jobs will change for a while. Everyone has been very nice and helpful.

I hope everything goes well with the wife's surgery. There's a few members here who've recently had knee replacements...

 

[sonny from st. louis]

Thank you. I think everything will go OK. Then Thanksgiving, Christmas, and winter will be coming. That is why I said next year. I like to have good weather to do use my chronograph. I have a private range to shoot on, so I do not have to put up the public and range officers who do not know about chronographs. Everything must be set up correctly to get good readings or you will have wasted time and money. I will let the brotherhood know when I complete the testing. The next step is to create a bullet trace for the patched ball. I use the Oehler Ballistic Explorer program for my work. I will probably change from G1 drag function to a Gs (sphere shape) drag function. That is for next year.

 

[deerlessbob]

that should be interesting reading. Will look forward to reading your findings. Good luck to your wife.

 

[sonny from st. louis]

Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the comment about my wife. I am looking forward to completing the test.

 

[Pathfinder60]

It looks to me like I could get rid of the powder measure and the tapping. I could weigh the black powder charges on a scale and be done with it. I am getting a set of Lane's tubes in few days. The maximum black powder charge on my rifle is 100 grV. Would I dare to weight 100 grW and use it in my rifle? When I was doing the tapping test, I tested the 100 grV and some of the 10 taps weighted a little more than 100 grW.

Absolutely. It's literally a no brainer. No tricks. No games. Weigh it and be done. Put the weighed out charges in capped tubes and off to the range or field you go.