Weighing BP substitute for better accuracy?

Doyle · July 13, 2011, 07:23 AM

My reloading buddy and I were thinking "outside the box" the other day and came upon an interesting question.
Would you gain better consistency (and therefore accuracy) if you weighed your in-line powder charges instead of measuring them?

We know that BP (and substitutes) are normally measured by volumn. That is kind of a holdover when BP was far more inconsistent in power than today's modern substitutes. Suppose you worked up your best load (measured by volume). Then, you weighed that load on a good electronic powder scale to find out what it really weighed. From then on, all susequent loads for that gun would be metered out by weight to match your original reference load. It seems like that could contribute significantly to load consistency and therefore, accuracy.

How say you all?

junebug_01 · July 13, 2011, 07:40 AM

A lot of folks already do it that way. Should work just fine.

kwhi43 · July 13, 2011, 07:51 AM

That is the only way I do it. Others I know also.

Rifleman1776 · July 13, 2011, 08:05 AM

There would not be an noticable difference.

Pahoo · July 13, 2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

There would not be an noticable difference.

Time after time, this has been proven to be so. A few grains either way, makes no difference but in Smokeless, it can be disasterous. ....

Quote:

It seems like that could contribute significantly to load consistency and therefore, accuracy.

There is nothing wrong with your logic and if you want to load this way, it is perfectly fine. You have to have faith that your tecknique works better for you then that is what you should do. .....

Be Safe !!!

Hawg · July 13, 2011, 10:04 AM

What Rifleman said. A few grains one way or the other wont be noticable.

arcticap · July 13, 2011, 02:08 PM

That could help if everything else done to prepare the rifle for each and every shot was carried out with the same kind of consistency.

Andy Griffith · July 13, 2011, 02:40 PM

You need to weigh each and every ball/projectile for consistency and even the amount or weight of lube/wad/patch would have to be consistent. Then, you'd have have make certain that the seating procedure is done with the same weight and seated also to the same height.

There I no way I could shoot good enough to do anything other than scrape the top off of my measure, and ram the ball home.

I doubt Davy Crockett weighed his charges when shooting against Mike Fink in the saloon.

kwhi43 · July 13, 2011, 03:04 PM

I hate to disagree with you but it does make a difference. If my chargers
were to vary several grains from one shot to the other, my accuracy would
be all over the place. Here is the chronograph results made by me in my pistol. You can see what the difference there is in just one grain. Can you
imiagine three or four??. Why the velocity would be all over the place. It is
hard enough to shoot at the Nationals and try to win a match once in a while
without going there and be under a handycap just in your loading ways right
off the bat. I know not everybody shoots there, but weighting your charges
will do nothing but help you shoot better. You can disagree with it all you want, but here are the actual chronograph readings. Made by me.

thallub · July 13, 2011, 04:29 PM

Tried weighing he charges for my inline rifles and found out it was not worth the trouble. In the early 60s i was muzzleloader trained by a man who was in his 80s. i use an adjustable powder measure like he did, i still have the one he gave me. The measure is filled slightly overfull and then struck off level with a finger. No tapping, no shaking, no nothing else.

Many guys use the plastic U Vue powder measures and wonder why their groups go to hades.

Newton24b · July 13, 2011, 10:26 PM

the problem is that it may not have much of an effect at all. weighing the powder charge is a tad ocd when you dont have to be.

humidity will change the weight of the powder in seconds of opening it. thus the powder charge you weight out right now in your air conditioned condo will weigh your 18 grains, but the minute you get outside it starts to absorb moisture from the air. and if you weighed it again youd see its heavier, and youd go nuts trying to get it back down to what you wanted.

its why Lee went to a volumetric system for his reloading gear. it may be annoying to use, but if .5cc of propellent will have the same results no matter where i pull it out of the powder can regardless of atmoshperic conditions im happy.

July 13, 2011, 07:23 AM	#1
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Weighing BP substitute for better accuracy? My reloading buddy and I were thinking "outside the box" the other day and came upon an interesting question. Would you gain better consistency (and therefore accuracy) if you weighed your in-line powder charges instead of measuring them? We know that BP (and substitutes) are normally measured by volumn. That is kind of a holdover when BP was far more inconsistent in power than today's modern substitutes. Suppose you worked up your best load (measured by volume). Then, you weighed that load on a good electronic powder scale to find out what it really weighed. From then on, all susequent loads for that gun would be metered out by weight to match your original reference load. It seems like that could contribute significantly to load consistency and therefore, accuracy. How say you all?

July 13, 2011, 02:40 PM	#8
Andy Griffith Senior Member Join Date: May 14, 2009 Location: Macon Co. NC Posts: 591	You need to weigh each and every ball/projectile for consistency and even the amount or weight of lube/wad/patch would have to be consistent. Then, you'd have have make certain that the seating procedure is done with the same weight and seated also to the same height. There I no way I could shoot good enough to do anything other than scrape the top off of my measure, and ram the ball home. I doubt Davy Crockett weighed his charges when shooting against Mike Fink in the saloon. __________________ Barney Fife: "Nip it, nip it, nip it!" Andy Griffith:"Oh now Barn'...."

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July 13, 2011, 07:40 AM	#2
junebug_01 Junior member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 37	A lot of folks already do it that way. Should work just fine.

July 13, 2011, 07:51 AM	#3
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	That is the only way I do it. Others I know also.

July 13, 2011, 08:05 AM	#4
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	There would not be an noticable difference.

July 13, 2011, 10:04 AM	#6
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	What Rifleman said. A few grains one way or the other wont be noticable.

July 13, 2011, 02:08 PM	#7
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	That could help if everything else done to prepare the rifle for each and every shot was carried out with the same kind of consistency.

July 13, 2011, 03:04 PM	#9
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	I hate to disagree with you but it does make a difference. If my chargers were to vary several grains from one shot to the other, my accuracy would be all over the place. Here is the chronograph results made by me in my pistol. You can see what the difference there is in just one grain. Can you imiagine three or four??. Why the velocity would be all over the place. It is hard enough to shoot at the Nationals and try to win a match once in a while without going there and be under a handycap just in your loading ways right off the bat. I know not everybody shoots there, but weighting your charges will do nothing but help you shoot better. You can disagree with it all you want, but here are the actual chronograph readings. Made by me.

July 13, 2011, 04:29 PM	#10
thallub Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2007 Location: South Western OK Posts: 3,112	Tried weighing he charges for my inline rifles and found out it was not worth the trouble. In the early 60s i was muzzleloader trained by a man who was in his 80s. i use an adjustable powder measure like he did, i still have the one he gave me. The measure is filled slightly overfull and then struck off level with a finger. No tapping, no shaking, no nothing else. Many guys use the plastic U Vue powder measures and wonder why their groups go to hades.

July 13, 2011, 10:26 PM	#11
Newton24b Junior member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 974	the problem is that it may not have much of an effect at all. weighing the powder charge is a tad ocd when you dont have to be. humidity will change the weight of the powder in seconds of opening it. thus the powder charge you weight out right now in your air conditioned condo will weigh your 18 grains, but the minute you get outside it starts to absorb moisture from the air. and if you weighed it again youd see its heavier, and youd go nuts trying to get it back down to what you wanted. its why Lee went to a volumetric system for his reloading gear. it may be annoying to use, but if .5cc of propellent will have the same results no matter where i pull it out of the powder can regardless of atmoshperic conditions im happy.