How much do you compress?

[Beartracker]

When loading my Remington's or my 51 Navy I always compress my powder tight but not in a crushing manner. Just far enough that the ram stops. Today I decided to check and see just how much I am compressing my 25g of Pyrodex"P" with a .380 ball on top.
The 25g of powder fills the the chamber to about 3/8" to the top after I slightly tap the sides of the cylinder to settle the powder. This is good because the .380 ball is about 3/8" and according to "Colts old instructions" this is the way it should be loaded.Then I load and compress the ball with no wads or fillers and from the top of the ball to the top of the cylinder is 5/Th.
This is a little bit of a hot load for the .36 but this colt really loves this load and using this method it is far more accurate than this old man can shoot!
Over the years I have tried fillers , dry wads, lubed wads and pill's with no better accuracy results than I get from this method but I never really tested to see how much , If any, difference you would get from compressing the powder just enough to get rid of any space or air or just compressing until the ram stops. I have heard people talk about crushing the powder but I don't see how you would have enough ram to do that even with a full load on the .44 Remington's.
Anyway, whats your method on compressing your loads? Any problems or pluses to your method? Mike

 

[Old Fuff]

Actually, you're doing it the right way now...

The idea with black powder was and is to compress the charge, but not crush the powder. In particular, you do not want to leave any air space between the ball and powder charge (which is more likely in rifles and single-shot pistols then revolvers). As you know, Pyrodex is measured against black powder by volume, not weight. I don't think you can overcharge a modern replica revolver as long as you use black powder or a recognized substitute. Put simply, the chamber can't hold too much powder and still have room for the ball or bullet. So if your 25-grain load of Pyrodex “shoots,” then go shoot it.

By the way, your true identity is about to be revealed through a photograph that was taken during the late War of Southern Rebellion. It’s the feather plume in your hat and four..!! Yes four… of Mr. Remington’s latest pattern Army pistols that gave you away. As soon as I can get it ready to post I’ll have it up and everyone will have a hoot…

What we really want to know is what did you hide in your boots???

 

[Beartracker]

Old Fluff, I've been waiting to see this picture for a while now. Just make sure you show my handsome side

Thanks for your thought's on the loading and compressing of the powder. No reason for me to really test hard compression with light compression when we will see what others have found works for there gun's, Mike

 

[Old Fuff]

Rest assured that this Civil War era tintype is YOU!! Everybody is about to have a hoot at you're expence.

Sorry it took so long... I was distracted by (sob) work.

 

[Low Key]

With my target load in my 44 I only compress the powder enough to be sure that I have left no airspace. I use a dry wad and a "lube pill" which will squish a little when I seat the ball on top. So really I'm doing very little compression of the powder charge but enough to be sure that there is no airspace in the chamber. I've mostly been using pyrodex p, but I still have a bit of goex and some 777 left over to shoot up. I've had pretty good consistency from 777 and according to mecs research on 777, my minimal compression of the charge is probably why it does well for me. I shoot too much to keep myself supplied with 777 so after my supply is gone I'll be shooting only pyrodex p.

 

[Beartracker]

Low Key, That sounds like a good method and it's about what I do with my Remington's. By the time I place 40g of powder and a felt wad like I used to use and a .454 ball you can't hardly get by without compressing it to get it below the cylinder chambers mouth. I have about 1/16" left on top.
Now that I'm not using wads I do have a little more room and probably compress more, Mike

PS Sun is shinning here this AM but the air is really cold!!

 

[Low Key]

Yesterday it was 25 here in the morning and its about the same today. It warmed all the way up to 36 by yerterday afternoon so I braved the cold and shot 2 cylinders, it helped the itching in my trigger finger to subside somewhat!