That’s about what I paid for most of mine, but when it got hard to find a while back, I got scared (or greedy) and bought some off here for $50/canister and felt like I got ripped off. That seems like a bargain now.
Is there a way the OP can take that 90 grains straight from the bottle in that loading tube and get a weight? Then let it expand and put a sabot or something into the tube to compress it like a load would be after seeing the expansion and get a new weight? I suspect it would be the same.
I'd shoot it.
I'd shoot it.
I measure by volume, not weight. I do not have a scale but I might need to buy me one.
I live in a strange part of town where our gravity is messed up. Haha
For some reason when I loaded the picture, it shifted. if you click it, it will show the correct position.
Do you have a glass tube that you can put a couple loads in to see if it expands? The plastic may have a static that it causing the grains to stay apart.
That is a good point. I do not but that is definitely something I can get.
Ok, I figured that. To know how much you’re actually shooting, multiply the volume by .7, and that should be the actual weight. Your 90 grains by volume should be 63 grains by weight, and even if it’s 98, that’s still only a little over 68 grains. Neither is a dangerous load.
I’d definitely recommend buying a scale if nothing else to test a few tubes to make sure they’re marked right.
I’m an oddball when it comes to powder measuring, because I use Lee dippers with all my rifle and pistol handloads (I do verify on a scale every few loads). Yet, I scale measure every single charge for my muzzleloaders.
I have never ever weighted a BP load always go by volume and back in my younger days when i was dumb and ignorant I never even measured just turned the flask up and poured til i got tired and thought it was enough.
Two hypotheses have been presented regarding why the powder changed volume.
Static electricity and moisture absorption.
However, knowing the cause won't tell us if it's a problem.
The real question is will the apparent volume change affect how the gun performs.
If you have access to a chronograph, you can shoot several charges and see if there is a measurable difference in velocity.
Same goes for accuracy - shoot fresh and stored charges and see if anything changes.
If the range is long enough and you use matched targets from a rest, you will know if your point of impact changes enough to matter.
If it's not broken, do not try to fix it.
If you just have to know what happened:
If its static electricity - dissipation of the charge should do the trick.
I would leave the vile in the bathroom while taking a long hot shower and see if anything changes.
If the moisture dissipates the charge, it should get smaller.
If its moisture absorption, weight will be the check there.
You will need to weigh a charge, and then expose it to humidify for a considerable time and reweigh it.
The trick will be a scale that is sensitive enough - so you need a powder scale.
Static electricity and moisture absorption.
However, knowing the cause won't tell us if it's a problem.
The real question is will the apparent volume change affect how the gun performs.
If you have access to a chronograph, you can shoot several charges and see if there is a measurable difference in velocity.
Same goes for accuracy - shoot fresh and stored charges and see if anything changes.
If the range is long enough and you use matched targets from a rest, you will know if your point of impact changes enough to matter.
If it's not broken, do not try to fix it.
If you just have to know what happened:
If its static electricity - dissipation of the charge should do the trick.
I would leave the vile in the bathroom while taking a long hot shower and see if anything changes.
If the moisture dissipates the charge, it should get smaller.
If its moisture absorption, weight will be the check there.
You will need to weigh a charge, and then expose it to humidify for a considerable time and reweigh it.
The trick will be a scale that is sensitive enough - so you need a powder scale.
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2023
- Messages
- 29
- Reaction score
- 53
What you are seeing is the powder obtaining moisture from the ambient air and expanding.
Is it a problem to shoot?
No not at all if you maintain the way your manipulating it as you stated.
Do not remix back into the original container or mix with new after the fact. It's really not gonna be that much of a deal if you do.
Also, is the fact that Blackthorn is a black powder substitute, not black powder it contains salts ie. (Potassium Perchlorate) and is very corrosive to metals if not cleaned and removed properly solvents won't do it. It's also very inconsistent in granular size so it sucks up moisture like a bitch sometimes.
I shot Pyrodex Select for years and it did the exact same thing. I've used a chrono and the velocities and accuracy was not effected by the expansion at least at a 100 yards.
Depending on which powder your measuring and how you measure it, that can complicate things.
Black powder 1 Fg is a finer grain and 4 Fg is much more course of a grain and will throw of different weights on a scale versus measuring by volume by up to 20% or so. The thing is with real black powder leave no gap between projectile and powder.
I highly suggest the same with a substitute.
Is it a problem to shoot?
No not at all if you maintain the way your manipulating it as you stated.
Do not remix back into the original container or mix with new after the fact. It's really not gonna be that much of a deal if you do.
Also, is the fact that Blackthorn is a black powder substitute, not black powder it contains salts ie. (Potassium Perchlorate) and is very corrosive to metals if not cleaned and removed properly solvents won't do it. It's also very inconsistent in granular size so it sucks up moisture like a bitch sometimes.
I shot Pyrodex Select for years and it did the exact same thing. I've used a chrono and the velocities and accuracy was not effected by the expansion at least at a 100 yards.
Depending on which powder your measuring and how you measure it, that can complicate things.
Black powder 1 Fg is a finer grain and 4 Fg is much more course of a grain and will throw of different weights on a scale versus measuring by volume by up to 20% or so. The thing is with real black powder leave no gap between projectile and powder.
I highly suggest the same with a substitute.
Similar threads
