weights & measures
10-15-2007, 08:05 PM
#1
Typical Buck
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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weights & measures
Several posts a while back refered to "cutting powder measure", and recepticles for capturing spilled granules. I've never bothered, choosing instead to pour an eyeballed amount. Has anyone ever chronographed loads they "cut" versus loads they eyeballed? Or weighed loads they eyeballed for deviations? I'm guessing a few grains + or - has little or no affect on the accuracy outcome, being too easily overshadowed by shooter error. Thoughts?
Anyone have a table showing grain weight vs volumn measure for Pyrodex RS?
Anyone have a table showing grain weight vs volumn measure for Pyrodex RS?
10-15-2007, 08:26 PM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
RE: weights & measures
Different powder measures will throw slightly different weights, and how you fill and handle the measure will affect the weight of the load.
With my adjustable brass powder measureset at 100 grains and using Pyrodex RS, if Ifill it to overflowing - then tap the side of the measure fivetimes with a pencil to settle the powder (it settles about 3/8") - then fill it to overflowing again - then tap it once - then level it off - and weigh it, I get 78 grains weight (average of 5 measured loads).
With my adjustable brass powder measureset at 100 grains and using Pyrodex RS, if Ifill it to overflowing - then tap the side of the measure fivetimes with a pencil to settle the powder (it settles about 3/8") - then fill it to overflowing again - then tap it once - then level it off - and weigh it, I get 78 grains weight (average of 5 measured loads).
10-15-2007, 08:51 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,081
RE: weights & measures
I'm not sure about the grain weight vs volumn but I recently tried the catch the powder when cutting thing. I was loading up 7 speed loaders for my kids deer hunt. I used an old cake pan to catch the excess powder and then measured how much was in the pan after 7 loads. I was surprized to see that it measured about 60 grains by volumn. If I had loaded 10 to 11I would have saved enough powder to make another load. For me that works out to 8 to 10 percent powder savings, not as small as I thought it would be. I may have to do some more testing but I think I'm going to start doing this more often.
10-16-2007, 07:48 AM
#7
Typical Buck
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RE: weights & measures
Pyrodex is the most common "black powder substitute." It is really the only synthetic black powder "performance" substitute in common use. By performance substitute, I refer to a charge of loose powder measure by volume. A 100 grain volumetric charge of Pyrodex RS (Rifle/Shotgun) is very close in performance to Goex FFg black powder.
There are differences, though, and this is where things get a bit convoluted. Pyrodex is bulkier, another way of saying "less dense." By weight, it is more powerful than Goex black powder. But, the traditional method of measuring black powder is indeed by volume, so in that sense it is a black powder performance substitute.
By actual weight, it is not the same. 100 grains measured by volume of Goex FFg is about 101.3 grains by weight. 100 grains measured by volume of Pyrodex RS is about 72.5 grains by weight. Pyrodex is where confusion can start to set in, as the standard "F" designations of powder coarseness start to go out the window.
Pyrodex "Select," formulated for use in muzzleloading rifles, is touted as an "extremely consistent" grade of Pyrodex, and has the largest grain size of them all. It is even farther away from black powder by actual weight; 100 grains volumetric equals about 63.9 grains by actual weight.
There are differences, though, and this is where things get a bit convoluted. Pyrodex is bulkier, another way of saying "less dense." By weight, it is more powerful than Goex black powder. But, the traditional method of measuring black powder is indeed by volume, so in that sense it is a black powder performance substitute.
By actual weight, it is not the same. 100 grains measured by volume of Goex FFg is about 101.3 grains by weight. 100 grains measured by volume of Pyrodex RS is about 72.5 grains by weight. Pyrodex is where confusion can start to set in, as the standard "F" designations of powder coarseness start to go out the window.
Pyrodex "Select," formulated for use in muzzleloading rifles, is touted as an "extremely consistent" grade of Pyrodex, and has the largest grain size of them all. It is even farther away from black powder by actual weight; 100 grains volumetric equals about 63.9 grains by actual weight.
Semisane - I'd guess they did not "tap and refill" the volumn device when they got 72.5 grains by weight.
thanks, all, for input
10-16-2007, 10:13 AM
#8
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: weights & measures
When I do get a wild hair and weigh out charges (usually a rain day operation) I make sure to recheck the jug every time I do so. I have had the weight of the charge actually change a little as the jug gets lighter. That's because some of the fine grains of powder will in time sift towards the bottom of the jug. Also, when you change jugs you start over with the weight average. Normally I will weigh out five charges which I set aside in some speciman cups (plastic ones the pills in the hospital is served to you in) Then when I have the average, the first five charges are basically set that cup back on the scale and add or subtract from it until I get what I want. Then I pour that into the loading tubes.
10-16-2007, 01:31 PM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
RE: weights & measures
yeoman
I am a reloader by heart, so I use to measure all my ML loads also... but after awhile I came to the realization their are some many variations in shooting a ML it really had no effect on my hunting accuracy. You can be sure if I were shooting paper for a living - I would weight loads and I would be buying powder by a lot number and I would be storing all of them in a specific atmosphered contolled environment. For hunting it is really not worth the time and effort. As I mentioned WAY to many varibles out there.
All that said you also have to remember that I am not hung up MOA - I want to hit somewhere in a 6" circle of my POA for hunting - 3" either way of my point of aim - I then have a dead animal. And in that that i want the bullet to get there as fast as I can get it there- with the energy to do the job.
Again if I were shooting paper i would back the load way down and just lob the bullet in for accuracy...
I am a reloader by heart, so I use to measure all my ML loads also... but after awhile I came to the realization their are some many variations in shooting a ML it really had no effect on my hunting accuracy. You can be sure if I were shooting paper for a living - I would weight loads and I would be buying powder by a lot number and I would be storing all of them in a specific atmosphered contolled environment. For hunting it is really not worth the time and effort. As I mentioned WAY to many varibles out there.
All that said you also have to remember that I am not hung up MOA - I want to hit somewhere in a 6" circle of my POA for hunting - 3" either way of my point of aim - I then have a dead animal. And in that that i want the bullet to get there as fast as I can get it there- with the energy to do the job.
Again if I were shooting paper i would back the load way down and just lob the bullet in for accuracy...
10-16-2007, 02:01 PM
#10
Typical Buck
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RE: weights & measures
after awhile I came to the realization their are some many variations in shooting a ML it really had no effect on my hunting accuracy