ORIGINAL: Wolfhound76
On CVA/BPI;
First, 10,000 psi is aproxamately 1/3 the pressure of a service load. There are Pyrodex loads that exceed 25,000 PSI. You can look it up in "The CompleteBlackpowder Handbook". The 10,000 doesn't even get you in the door when shooting muzzleloaders. That's about Round ball pressure.
Its more than roundball pressure, and its more than enough pressure to kill deer to 150 yards, beyond that in good field conditions and in the hands of a skilled marksman. In fact, a peak pressure of 10,000 psi has the potential to produce muzzle energies in excess of1800 ft-lbs. Not with Black Powder of course, but with pyro, AP, Pinnacle, or BM3, you bet it does. Of course one must choose the proper projectile to do this, but it certainly can and _is_ done. I do it myself.
As far as putting loads with peak pressures of 25000 psi in my muzzleloaders, it will NEVER happen. The powder manufactures advise against those kind of loads. I am astonished that _ANY_ rifle manufacturer who produces rifles not made of the finest smokeless quality steel would allow 3 pellet loads under a 300 grain saboted projectile.
Second, the Maximum load according to Hodgdon is 100 gr in 50 caliber. This means 100 gr of Powder or pellets and no more. Thus the liability for promoting heavier loads than that fall squarely on the gun companys.
Not just the gun company. Yes the gun company . . .but what about the idiot who puts three of them in knowing the powder company's recommendation. Isn't that stupid?Seems to me that he is knowingly taking a risk in defiance of the powder company's recommendation, endangering his life and those nearby, putting the future security of his family in jeopardy, so on and so forth.
Third, there are folks who are getting hurt with BPI guns.
I, like many others, think that folks are getting hurt with every brand of gun. They are even getting hurt with Savage guns. Ask Toby. People do stupid things with Savages and BPI alike. There are a lot of BPI guns out there. I don't think the problem is as bad as Randy makes out it is.
A few people have been hurt on the first shot out of a new rifle. 3 pellets and a 295 gr Powerbelt seems to be a popular choice.
I brokea ramrod trying to push a 295PBthrough my Sidekick's bore. A new barrel can be very rough. In fact, I chronoed the first shot at 1108 fps with 65 grains RS it now shoots the same projectile at 1420 fps. That is a 65% increase in Muzzle Energy. I figure that the first shot had twice the peak pressure than the same load now. It would bea good idea,that manualsrecommend a break in period, 100 rounds or so, of lightly loaded conicals. I figure if I had put 150 grains and the 295 PB in on that FIRST SHOT,pressures would have easily exceeded 35000 psi in my Sidekick, and guess what? Arifle I bought on Randy's advicehad the potential tohave blown up on me.
I think if we all just settle down and take stock of just how crazy and obsessed we have become to the objective of making our Muzzleloaders something, by the sheer nature of its bore size, which it can not be without taking unreasonablerisks. We can all safely shoot and hunt with our muzzle loaders, we only have to choose to do so.
Happy Hunting, Phil