weighing charge(s) after measurement

[wpshooter]

Is anything "material/substantial" in accuracy/grouping gained by subsequently weighing each loose powder charge for weight equality after each charge is poured, to make sure that every charge is exactly equal OR is just measuring the volumes of the charges as close as your eye will allow be good enough ? For instance if I measure 95 grains of powder to the top of my measuring tube and then weigh it and say if it weighs "XYZ" ounces, do I need to weight all of the additional 95 grain charges to make sure that each of the subsequent charges are the exact same weight as the first one.

Thanks.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

I usually weigh all my charges but my brass volume measure will throw charges with good accuracy. I mound my powder then tap it down and scrape off the leftovers or add a few more granules. If I'm in a hurry or run out of charges at the range, I'll throw by volume.

Did you mean to say 'ounces'? One ounce equals 437.5 grains.

 

[wpshooter]

Sorry, but I have no experience as far as weighing or the weight of powders.
Thanks for the info.

 

[sabotloader]

Is anything "material/substantial" in accuracy/grouping gained by subsequently weighing each loose powder charge for weight equality after each charge is poured, to make sure that every charge is exactly equal OR is just measuring the volumes of the charges as close as your eye will allow be good enough ? For instance if I measure 95 grains of powder to the top of my measuring tube and then weigh it and say if it weighs "XYZ" ounces, do I need to weight all of the additional 95 grain charges to make sure that each of the subsequent charges are the exact same weight as the first one.

Thanks.

Were I a target shooter making money shooting targets or trying to win shooting competitions - I would indeed weigh the charges, the bullets and anything else that would help reduce the variables. But in my case, I am a hunter, I choose to throw them with a volume measure. The KEY to me is be repetitive in what and how you do the process every time. One thing you need to keep in mind is DP and BP subs are not like smokeless powder where a grain can make a big difference, not so with BP or the subs.

Just my thoughts others will see it differently.

 

[bestill]

 

[eekjellander]

Is anything "material/substantial" in accuracy/grouping gained by subsequently weighing each loose powder charge for weight equality after each charge is poured, to make sure that every charge is exactly equal OR is just measuring the volumes of the charges as close as your eye will allow be good enough ? For instance if I measure 95 grains of powder to the top of my measuring tube and then weigh it and say if it weighs "XYZ" ounces, do I need to weight all of the additional 95 grain charges to make sure that each of the subsequent charges are the exact same weight as the first one.

Thanks.

If it didn"t matter most all competitive shooters would not bother but they like myself do ,because of course it matters . Muzzle loaders/cartridge BP shooters weigh bullets /charges /primers ect ,same every time wins the most every time /Ed

 

[eekjellander]

I usually weigh all my charges but my brass volume measure will throw charges with good accuracy. I mound my powder then tap it down and scrape off the leftovers or add a few more granules. If I'm in a hurry or run out of charges at the range, I'll throw by volume.

Did you mean to say 'ounces'? One ounce equals 437.5 grains.

If you mound and then tap you like myself you don"t like wasting powder and it is close enough for government work but if you are in a money shoot that doesn't win the turkey. Every thing has to be the same shot to shot to be competitive /Ed

 

[Kevin C.]

I usually weigh all my charges but my brass volume measure will throw charges with good accuracy. I mound my powder then tap it down and scrape off the leftovers or add a few more granules. If I'm in a hurry or run out of charges at the range, I'll throw by volume.

Did you mean to say 'ounces'? One ounce equals 437.5 grains.

Doesn’t matter. Volumetric is what people have been going by for the last 300+ years.

 

[Kevin C.]

A

Doesn’t matter. Volumetric is what people have been going by for the last 300+ years.

I’m new to this website and there’s a lot of people I’ve noticed that do a lot of “critical thinking” both in gear and procedure..... just load the gun and shoot you’ll be fine. The most inaccurate modern muzzleloader shoots better than a 300-year-old flintlock. And I believe there’s a whole lot of game that was taken by those guns in their time.
Nothing wrong with trying to be as accurate as possible but there’s a limit. If I had checked out this website before I started muzzleloader hunting I might have thought it too much to even bother with.
Get your setup right and just enjoy. I also shoot crossbow and I’m also on a crossbow hunting forum and good God those.....people it’s unbelievable the lengths people go to to make crossbow hunting mentally inaccessible for the masses. Not purposely but the end result is sometimes there’s too much fiddling and too little music.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

A

I’m new to this website and there’s a lot of people I’ve noticed that do a lot of “critical thinking” both in gear and procedure..... just load the gun and shoot you’ll be fine. The most inaccurate modern muzzleloader shoots better than a 300-year-old flintlock. And I believe there’s a whole lot of game that was taken by those guns in their time.
Nothing wrong with trying to be as accurate as possible but there’s a limit. If I had checked out this website before I started muzzleloader hunting I might have thought it too much to even bother with.
Get your setup right and just enjoy. I also shoot crossbow and I’m also on a crossbow hunting forum and good God those.....people it’s unbelievable the lengths people go to to make crossbow hunting mentally inaccessible for the masses. Not purposely but the end result is sometimes there’s too much fiddling and too little music.

Amen brother.

 

[Barn]

Will powder gain weight the longer you keep it? Like, does it gain a grain or two in weight due to absorbing moisture out of the air in 2 or 5 years out of the same can?

 

[MrTom]

Will powder gain weight the longer you keep it? Like, does it gain a grain or two in weight due to absorbing moisture out of the air in 2 or 5 years out of the same can?

Not the bh209.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Will powder gain weight the longer you keep it? Like, does it gain a grain or two in weight due to absorbing moisture out of the air in 2 or 5 years out of the same can?

You mean like i do?

 

[deermanok]

A

I’m new to this website and there’s a lot of people I’ve noticed that do a lot of “critical thinking” both in gear and procedure..... just load the gun and shoot you’ll be fine. The most inaccurate modern muzzleloader shoots better than a 300-year-old flintlock. And I believe there’s a whole lot of game that was taken by those guns in their time.
Nothing wrong with trying to be as accurate as possible but there’s a limit. If I had checked out this website before I started muzzleloader hunting I might have thought it too much to even bother with.
Get your setup right and just enjoy. I also shoot crossbow and I’m also on a crossbow hunting forum and good God those.....people it’s unbelievable the lengths people go to to make crossbow hunting mentally inaccessible for the masses. Not purposely but the end result is sometimes there’s too much fiddling and too little music.

I'm pretty sure that I'm on the same crossbow forum and I hear you. I shoot an older model Excalibur crossbow, simple machine that even I can fix.
My muzzleloaders are sidehammer guns, again simple to operate and work on. I even have fixed powder measures from 20 to 90 grains so I can't really screw up. X amount of powder and a patched ball, cap & fire, doesn't get any simpler than that.

 

[Okie Hog]

"Is anything "material/substantial" in accuracy/grouping gained by subsequently weighing each loose powder charge for weight equality after each charge is poured,"

No, Several years ago i compared weighed vs measured charges of Pyrodex. Triple 7, and Black MZ. Very little was gained by weighing powders, < 1/10" inch improvement in three shot groups at 100 yards. IMO: It's not worth the trouble.

Best method to measure powder: Fill the powder measure a little over full and level it with the finger: No tapping, no jiggling, no nothing.

 

[eekjellander]

"Is anything "material/substantial" in accuracy/grouping gained by subsequently weighing each loose powder charge for weight equality after each charge is poured,"

No, Several years ago i compared weighed vs measured charges of Pyrodex. Triple 7, and Black MZ. Very little was gained by weighing powders, < 1/10" inch improvement in three shot groups at 100 yards. IMO: It's not worth the trouble.

Best method to measure powder: Fill the powder measure a little over full and level it with the finger: No tapping, no jiggling, no nothing.

It does matter to me and my targets ! Maybe a carry over from my C Sharps days but I now shoot long(700 yds ) with my Renegade sporting a 1-18 custom GM 32 inch 45 cal . If your charges are not weighed /and measured like compression /and sorted bullets you would get laughed off our bench , results would be predictable .Kind of like showing up with a barrel sight cause you left the long range venier home on the bench .Hunting does not require the same discipline as your range is usually a lot closer but precision is a acquired trait that is addictive (at least for me) so yup I weight/Ed

 

[sabotloader]

That's the point - if you are doing shooting like you are describing 'weigh'! If you hunting out to 200 - 275 yards it is not necessary. IF you develop and maintain a volume measure routine. Consistency in needed the farther you shoot!

With real BP or the regular BP subs - it takes anywhere from 5 to 10 grains to see a measurable difference @ 100 yards. BH, even though it is basically a smokeless powder same thing applies although only a difference of about 5 grains will show at 100.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

I have little experience with substitute powders (I occasionally use 777 3F in an in-line) but as a competitive shooter at 25-50-75-100-150 yards, I weigh every charge I shoot in competition or hunting. I KNOW what my rifle will do at each distance/; I don't approximate or GUESS what my rifle will do. I owe it both to my self on the line as a competitor, and to the game I shoot when hunting. I have proven to myself (and others watching) that CONSISTENCY is the key to ACCURACY.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Okie Hog]

Every year i kill 4-9 deer and a few dozen wild hogs. At the ranges i hunt and shoot at weighing charges is wasted effort.

 

[Bkusch53]

What he said