black powder through chronograph?

wyobohunter · December 3, 2009, 01:33 PM

Anybody ever fire thier BP rifle/s through a chrony? I'm especially interested in data for .50 vs .54 caliber. I'd also like to see details (bbl length, flint or cap lock, powder type and charge, projectile type and weight). Thanks

kwhi43 · December 3, 2009, 03:42 PM

I did my .45 Flintlock. It has a 30 inch barrel and 90 grs Goex FF and a .454
round ball with a .022 thick Teflon patch which is my target load, showed
2000 fps. 80 grs went 1925.

mykeal · December 3, 2009, 05:47 PM

I suggest getting a copy of Lyman's Black Powder Handbook; it contains a great deal of such information.

fastforty · December 3, 2009, 11:33 PM

Yeah, I did it, once. .32 & .50 rifle, .36 & .44 pistol (got the data around here somewhere), all was round balls from minimum to maximum loads, except several types/weights of bullets in the .50 caliber rifle. I still can't get the sticky crud off of my chronograph

Noz · December 4, 2009, 10:55 AM

If you try it you must move the chrony down range a bit. The smoke and debris from a black powder round will give erroneous readings. In addition, as stated above, making a mess of your chrony.

B.L.E. · December 6, 2009, 10:09 PM

Even with smokeless powders, the chrony will give you false readings if it is too close to the muzzle. even a person shooting next to you will make the chrony read something if it is too close.

Mark whiz · December 6, 2009, 11:52 PM

I Chrono'd both my muzzleloading rifle and cap & ball revolver with no problem. I have a Shooting Chrony Beta and when I used it for black powder, I placed a piece of cardboard in front of the device's body, so the only thing exposed was the rods.... and they cleaned up just fine afterwards with a little hot soap & water and elbow grease.

Noz · December 7, 2009, 04:56 PM

What did you do about the dent?
Mine has a big dent just in front of the rear window. Still works
Something about shooting a Magnum Pistol(in my case, 41 Mag) with full house loads and a scope that does bad things to Chronys.

magnumwideglide · December 15, 2009, 10:12 AM

54 Renegade with 120 gr Pyrodex, 240 gr bullet in sabot 1875 fps. 50 cal Hawken with 100gr Pyro with 240 gr Hornady XTP 1750.

December 3, 2009, 01:33 PM	#1
wyobohunter Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2008 Location: Back in Wyoming Posts: 1,125	black powder through chronograph? Anybody ever fire thier BP rifle/s through a chrony? I'm especially interested in data for .50 vs .54 caliber. I'd also like to see details (bbl length, flint or cap lock, powder type and charge, projectile type and weight). Thanks __________________ Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

December 3, 2009, 03:42 PM	#2
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	I did my .45 Flintlock. It has a 30 inch barrel and 90 grs Goex FF and a .454 round ball with a .022 thick Teflon patch which is my target load, showed 2000 fps. 80 grs went 1925.

December 3, 2009, 05:47 PM	#3
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	I suggest getting a copy of Lyman's Black Powder Handbook; it contains a great deal of such information.

December 3, 2009, 11:33 PM	#4
fastforty Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1999 Location: In a kornfield in kalifornia Posts: 1,161	Yeah, I did it, once. .32 & .50 rifle, .36 & .44 pistol (got the data around here somewhere), all was round balls from minimum to maximum loads, except several types/weights of bullets in the .50 caliber rifle. I still can't get the sticky crud off of my chronograph

December 4, 2009, 10:55 AM	#5
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 643	If you try it you must move the chrony down range a bit. The smoke and debris from a black powder round will give erroneous readings. In addition, as stated above, making a mess of your chrony.

December 6, 2009, 10:09 PM	#6
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	Even with smokeless powders, the chrony will give you false readings if it is too close to the muzzle. even a person shooting next to you will make the chrony read something if it is too close.

December 6, 2009, 11:52 PM	#7
Mark whiz Senior Member Join Date: May 19, 2004 Location: Wabash, IN Posts: 227	I Chrono'd both my muzzleloading rifle and cap & ball revolver with no problem. I have a Shooting Chrony Beta and when I used it for black powder, I placed a piece of cardboard in front of the device's body, so the only thing exposed was the rods.... and they cleaned up just fine afterwards with a little hot soap & water and elbow grease.

December 7, 2009, 04:56 PM	#8
Noz Senior Member Join Date: February 25, 2009 Posts: 643	What did you do about the dent? Mine has a big dent just in front of the rear window. Still works Something about shooting a Magnum Pistol(in my case, 41 Mag) with full house loads and a scope that does bad things to Chronys.

December 15, 2009, 10:12 AM	#9
magnumwideglide Junior Member Join Date: August 20, 2009 Posts: 9	54 Renegade with 120 gr Pyrodex, 240 gr bullet in sabot 1875 fps. 50 cal Hawken with 100gr Pyro with 240 gr Hornady XTP 1750.