New black powder

[ihookem]

Looks like it is clean for 80 gr. on that patch.. I love shooting black powder.

 

[HighUintas]

Looks like a good bit of blow by on that patch

 

[FrontierGander]

no blow by at all. Fouling on a greased patch. Blow by leaves cuts/holes.

 

[HighUintas]

no blow by at all. Fouling on a greased patch. Blow by leaves cuts/holes.

Blow by doesn't always cut the material. These don't look like gas leakage to you? Regardless, I guess if the accuracy is where you expect it then it doesn't matter

 

[FrontierGander]

Not at all, no swabbing between shots, so the next patch is just picking up fouling.

That's a tight cva barrel with a .020" patch

 

[ihookem]

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?

 

[HighUintas]

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.

 

[ihookem]

I never used a wet lube . I just greased the patch with some crisco . What kind of wet lube do you use?

 

[HighUintas]

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.

 

[FrontierGander]

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.

 

[RockAndSage]

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.

How are you guys measuring density? Very curious about how that works.

 

[FrontierGander]

3lb mill. Realistically, we'll only run about 2 1/2lbs in it. 300 brass balls are also replacing the lead balls.

 

[HighUintas]

3lb mill. Realistically, we'll only run about 2 1/2lbs in it. 300 brass balls are also replacing the lead balls.
View attachment 829010

3lbs of meal or 3lb load including the balls?

Do you mind posting a couple more pictures? I'm curious as to how you built it

 

[FrontierGander]

3lbs of meal. 6" pvc, with 4" end caps. The paddles are pvc and glued in with pvc glue to help agitate the material. Not all the brass balls are in there, that's just a small portion.

 

[FrontierGander]

 

[FrontierGander]

Well that was a bad idea! Pressing 2 at a time results in a density of 1.36 to 1.56. Had to go back out and re-press them. 1.77 density on the second try.

Also removed all wood and now press steel on steel. The wood acted like a sponge since it too was compressing during the process. Pucks came out looking like glass.

Next batch in progress is being milled with 300, 1/2" brass balls. 2 1/2lbs powder total.

Lesson learned. Press one at a time and no wood!

First 3 shots yesterday. Pretty darn clean!

 

[FrontierGander]

Actual group measurements from yesterday.
80gr 2f home made, 2" center to center with shots 1 and 2 measuring 1/2" apart.
70gr 2f. 2 1/2"

70gr 3f with RWS caps. 3 1/4" with shots 1 and 2 measuring 1 1/2" apart.

So, very good groups for hunting from 80 yards. Next time? An actual solid shooting bench and rest.

Cut at the muzzle, pepto patch lube did amazing as always.

 

[FrontierGander]

Also another batch ready to go.