Black Powder update

[brushhippie]

After making this powder for a year now I finally got to test my powder. I first wanted to find out what a full cylinder of powder weighs, (in my 58 NMN)it is actually....14 grains.... and what kinda of speed am I getting...right at 1000 fps! HOLY CRAP! We also weighed out and shot (from a .50 cal caplock rifle) up to 75 grains by weight and achieved 1450 with it, where it took 120 gains of swiss to get these speeds, Im really surprised with these results but extremely pleased! If your not making your own, you really should give it a try!
http://youtu.be/AUVo_hOadyc

 

[Roooster]

Sweet! Going To Try Making My Own One OF These Days. (soon as kids and grand kids are gone)

 

[rodwha]

You stated a weighed 14 grns in your pistola. I'm curious what kind of volume you get and what granulation it is. Is your '58 a .44 cal pistol?

I certainly like the idea of making my own stuff, but wasn't so interested until you posted the velocity! Wow! I had settled into using Triple 7 for hunting with my ROA.

 

[mykeal]

Chronographs are not calibrated instruments. Don't count on getting the same results. I'd take any internet velocity claims with a large dose of salt.

 

[brushhippie]

Take it with a dose of salt, you know Im just lying about it. Im sure my gunsmith is a retard and knows nothing about chronos. That really cheeses me, do experiments share the results and somebody has to run their mouth. If you got nothin but negetivity, keep it to yourself.

 

[rodwha]

The numbers do seem quite high. I suppose it would be good to try it out on other chronos if possible.
Even were it 10% off and actually producing 900 ft/sec that's pretty good for 14 grns.

 

[brushhippie]

My gunsmith ran the chrono and said he was very surprised, we were running numbers on two different kinds of swiss as well. Im not selling this stuff so I really dont have anything to gain by lying.....but if you dont believe it....dont, go pay 30 bucks a pound.

 

[rodwha]

I don't believe he is claiming that you are lying. He has told me before that chronos can give wide variations of results due to calibration as well as environmental changes. I know nothing about how chronos work and what effects them.

 

[rodwha]

I've seen the video you made a few months back and was quite impressed. It made me want to try it for myself as I like making my own stuff such as the beer I've been brewing for a year now.

 

[rodwha]

I recall from a video how you showed the ignition speed. Wasn't that against commercial BP? What granulations are you using now, then, and against commercial, if indeed IRC?

 

[brushhippie]

I might have questioned the results if he hadnt been dialing in his own and the fact we were burning three different kinds of powder, if he wasnt calling me a liar he was saying myself and my gunsmith (whos been at it for thirty years) dont know what we are doing or are too inept to make sure our equipment is calibrated properly. I do this to promote BP shooting, there are many things stated on this forum I dont agree with, but I dont go out of my way to start crap.

Sorry Rod, it is a .36 caliber and a full load in the cylinder, (just poured in there, not compacted) weighs 14 grains by weight.

 

[rodwha]

Have you made any new videos of making powder and what it took?
Any idea what 14 grns weight is in volume? I'm thinking a .36 cal holds about 25 grns (3F) filled to the brim. Sound right or is it 30?

 

[brushhippie]

The old feller that gave me the recipe told me had tried it all so Ive only used the one. I wouldnt think it would be any more than 30. I dont have a scale or commercial powder so I dont know for sure.

 

[brushhippie]

The old feller that gave me the recipe told me had tried it all so Ive only used the one. I wouldnt think it would be any more than 30. I dont have a scale or commercial powder so I dont know for sure. The next thing I have to try is making it slower for different applications, this powder was sized to 3f.

It doubled my post when I edited

 

[Pulp]

One of my batches gave me 1000+fps in a .44 Navy knock-off. I didn't weigh the charge, just filled the chamber. Like brushippie's powder, mine is considerably lighter than commercial.

When I chrono'd that load I thought to self, "Might be time to back off a bit." Brass frames aren't really made for heavy loads.

 

[BADUNAME30]

You guys are makin me wish 'd never parted with my Oehler.

 

[Noz]

No dog in the fight but I have chronoed several black powder charges and got horrible dispersion of speeds. Discovered that you must be very careful or you will be reading returns from the smoke, wad etc.

 

[brushhippie]

These were chrono'd without wads, besides the wads would give you slower results, I think that with the wads they would be even faster as I dont think we are achieving complete compaction without them. Im not fightin, you either use the info or dismiss it. my powder is bloody fast! ninny ninny

 

[ofitg]

Brushhippie, 15 grains of homebrew BP to fill up a .36 chamber sounds about right. The homebrew stuff generally has 60-70% the density of factory BP.... kinda light and fluffy..... instead of hard dense little granules, they're more like tiny black marshmallows.

Everything I've seen and read indicates that the lower-density powders burn the fastest, yours may be burning like 4Fg.

 

[brushhippie]

One foot, this is true, I screen it to be 3f but I dont separate the finer stuff out.

 

[Patocazador]

No dog in the fight but I have chronoed several black powder charges and got horrible dispersion of speeds. Discovered that you must be very careful or you will be reading returns from the smoke, wad etc.

The above is correct. I chronographed some different loads out of my Old Army. One cylinder full of black powder loads in cartridge cases gave me readings from 550 fps all the way to 1140 fps. Particles of unburned powder plus smoke can give defective readings. The CHRONY instruction sheet states that muzzleloading guns should be shot 15-25 feet from the screens to avoid that circumstance. I didn't read the instructions prior to doing the shooting.

 

[brushhippie]

Uh huh ....we did read the instructions....you guys....wow.

 

[Pulp]

BH, you know that some folks won't believe stuff even if they did it themselves.

 

[brushhippie]

Yea I know I took a bunch of video during the whole session....though it wont actually show the results they were called out after every shot....of course....he could have just made them up or, the machine was broke or we did it all wrong or or or or

 

[ofitg]

You know, Brushhippie, there will always be nay-sayers. The other people who want the information will be grateful for it.


The Lyman Blackpowder Manual indicates that 15 grains of 4Fg with a .36 round ball should fly around 900 fps...... then you consider, the manufacturers supposedly adjust their powders "downward" for the sake of delivering a consistent product.
1000 fps with your homebrew doesn't seem far-fetched at all.