New black powder

Joined
Feb 2, 2020
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3,056
That must be real clean burnign powder if you are not swabbing . Was the second batch with the other charcoal better , worse , or the same?

There's no need to swab if you use a wet lube and a tight enough patch that completely fills the grooves.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
3,056
I never used a wet lube . I just greased the patch with some crisco . What kind of wet lube do you use?
Well, it's really any lube that is wet enough to moisten the fouling making it possible to push the fouling down as you load the next one. I can't think of anything that people use that likely wouldn't work except for the "dry" patches where you put a mixture of ballistol and water on the patches and let them dry.

I typically use track of the wolf mink oil for hunting and hoppes black powder cleaner at the range. I have used spit. Some guys swear by a winter windshield washer fluid mixed w a tiny bit of neatsfoot oil, but that's because they live in cold climates and spit could freeze partway down the barrel. You could just use water if you wanted to.

But if you use a real wet lube like water, spit, oil, washer fluid, you have to shoot relatively quickly or the powder may get a little fouled from the lube, or the patch could dry out a bit making the shots inconsistent. I haven't seen any hard data on the lube fouling the powder. But that is why I only use the Hoppes cleaner at the range. I use the mink oil for hunting because it's more like a tallow and I can leave a load in the bore for months with no negative effect.
 
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FrontierGander
Joined
Jan 19, 2020
Messages
323
Location
CO
That must be real clean burnign powder if you are not swabbing . Was the second batch with the other charcoal better , worse , or the same?
The very first batch was OK, but weak due to over compressing the pucks. A lot of folks think you use a 20 ton press and git r done, but that's not the proper way.

Our last batch we're shooting now, the density was absolutely perfect at 1.75 to 1.77 and our power came up.

It's a very clean powder, doesn't need swabbed, but most importantly, when you set your powder measure to 80 grains, then take it over to the scale, it measures as black powder should. Grain for grain.

We're currently building a 3lb container for the new belt sander driven mill. Being able to control the rpm, along with 300, 1/2" brass balls, this powder will only get better.

The main goal, get within goex velocity and accuracy, then call it good.
 
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