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Thread: Powder measurement, very confused!

  1. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokeless Coal View Post
    Think of it this way, if you were to fill your 20gr(vol) spout with fine lead shot do you think it would weigh the same as the same volume of BP? of course it wouldn't.

    All powders have a different weight per volume, this includes some BP. The chart Roy linked to shows the comparisons, its not perfect but it helps.

    The guns are not fussy about slightly higher or lower loads, but variation is not good if you are trying to improve accuracy.

    For my own loads I use the powder dispenser I use for my cartridge reloading, volmetricaly dispensed (17.5gr by vol) but then I double check and weigh each load.
    I'm assuming that your powder dispenser is one that is suitable for BP or substitutes?

    If not.....

    tac

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by manxteddy View Post
    A very informative post.
    I have an 1858 two band Rifle in .58 and intend to use triple 7 and or Pyrodex.
    What size and type of vial /test tube should I get......E Bay ?
    Thanks Graham
    Hmmmmmmmm. Are you shooting a Minié bullet? Or a patched ball? Bearing in mind that a RIFLED Enfield was designed from the off as a Minié bullet shooter.

    I've never tried a sub in mine, but you'd have to start by measuring the volume of the service charge of 2.5 drams - 68.5gr of FFg - and go from there.

    Any standard phial from around 75mm in length will hold any charge that you are likely to be putting in your Enfield.

    tac

  3. #18
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    [QUOTE=tacfoley;7164317]Hmmmmmmmm. Are you shooting a Minié bullet? Or a patched ball? Bearing in mind that a RIFLED Enfield was designed from the off as a Minié bullet shooter.

    I've never tried a sub in mine, but you'd have to start by measuring the volume of the service charge of 2.5 drams - 68.5gr of FFg - and go from there.

    Any standard phial from around 75mm in length will hold any charge that you are likely to be putting in your Enfield.

    tac[/QUOTE

    Thanks a Lee cast Minie in a 1997 Euroarms P58. Mint condition .Can get Triple 7 or Pyrodex .Actually managed to get one box of RWS caps from Valley Arms with a 60 mile round trip. They only had one.
    Awaiting a Melting Pot from Kranks in far away Leeds as I have a bullet mould and ladle.
    Phials are next.
    Designer of BASC Logo

  4. #19
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    I'd recommend a load of 50gr of Pyrodex RS to start. Triple 7 might blow the skirt off the bullet, leaving you with a difficult clean-out, to say the least.

    Remember, and I keep saying it on the other thread - ALL the subs are MORE VIGOROUS in action than BP. What goes whump in a BP load is going go seriously THUMP in a subs load - all the more reason to start low, especially with the Minié bullet.

    The Lyman mould is the more usual for the P-H and its copies, because the skirt is somewhat thinner than the almost-solid-based Lee. In any event, the bullet should be around 1 - 2 thou smaller than the muzzle - to allow you to 'thumb' it into the rifling with very little effort. Lubing the Minié is a whole story by itself - Borebutter, if you like the locker-room smell is very popular, if costy here in UK. Others, like me, make a mix of beeswax and Neats foot oil 75/25 and dip the bullet in it. This is fine for warm UK for most of the year. I have also used E45 - an emulsion skin cream from Boots the Chemist - it simply washes away with all the fouling going along with it.

    I opine that you would be well-advised to get into real BP for large calibre shooting like the .58cal Minié - it really is NEVER overly successful trying to get consistent results with BP because Pyrodex doesn't mind a little compression, but T7 does not like it at all. More to the point, Pyrodex subs are meant for BIG loads in BIG hunting guns. The AVERAGE subs load in a .54cal percussion rifle is around 100gr of RS, for hunting, y'see. One gentleman of my acquaintance - not a subs man - loads his .54cal Hawken with a mighty 150gr of FFg under a 240gr sabotted bullet for hogs. He looks rather like Kenneth Williams, if you remember him - makes you wonder where all that recoil goes.

    You'll no doubt be advised to do other things than this by others. What you take on board is up to you. I shoot BP here and in the USA and Canada, and have a deal of experience in the matter, as well as being one of the earliest posters on the well-known US BP sites www.muzzleloading.com. If I don't know the answer, then I know about 45000 other folks who do.

    tac

    PS - take a tint and hip and invest in a Co2 ball blower - sooner or later you WILL need to remove a ball or bullet that went down the barrel BEFORE the powder. Remember, there are two kinds of BP shooters - those, like me, who admit to doing it, and liars.
    Last edited by tacfoley; 09-01-2017 at 04:04 PM.

  5. #20
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    @manxteddy - don't bother buying any vials/phials - I have a gazillion of 'em in my loading shed. I'll bring them when we meet up.

    Best

    tac

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    @manxteddy - don't bother buying any vials/phials - I have a gazillion of 'em in my loading shed. I'll bring them when we meet up.

    Best

    tac
    told you a milliion times now tac to stop exaggerating

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by loiner1965 View Post
    told you a milliion times now tac to stop exaggerating
    well, HALF a gazillion.....

    tac

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    well, HALF a gazillion.....

    tac
    thats more like it

  9. #24
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    Well, according to the Hodgdon Data Manual #26, page 743, Pyrodex RS loads for the .58/.577cal rifle are

    315gr Minié bullet - 75gr

    505gr Minié bullet - 70gr

    Using the BP/Pyrodex equivalence, this equates to a 2Fg BP load of 79 and 73.5gr respectively. As I mentioned before, the SERVICE load, as used by the British Military from the late 1850's until the advent of the Snider conversion, and both sides during the WoNA, was only 68.5gr of what they then called 'fine rifle powder', so my advice to start off VERY low still holds.

    The service load with the British 535gr Minié bullet is not a load of fun, if you'll forgive the slight play on words.

    tac

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by tacfoley View Post
    @manxteddy - don't bother buying any vials/phials - I have a gazillion of 'em in my loading shed. I'll bring them when we meet up.

    Best

    tac
    many thanks for the most acceptable offer. See you end month. Graham
    Designer of BASC Logo

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