How much FFFG powder does a sharpie lid hold?

[frogwalking]

Finally finished my .40 Lancaster Rifle.  (Yep.  General Lancaster, I don't do good enough work to claim I am copying any particular gunsmith's work.)

I got out to my makeshift range, with my mobile bench rest built on the trailer pulled behind our Cub Cadet.  It seems I must have lost my powder measure.  All I could find was the top of a small sized sharpie marking pen I use to denote old holes in the target when it starts getting tattered.  It looked about the right size so I used it for the powder measure.   The best consecutive group of the afternoon was about 1 1/2 inch at 45 yards, with 4 going into a single hole.  I had no idea I could shoot that well with iron sights.  Maybe it was the Silver Mexican Peso I made the front sight blade out of.
 
I ordered a new powder measure this morning, but will just see how much the pen lid holds and use that for now.

Oh.  The  Chambers Late Ketland lock, White Lightning flash hole liner and Green Mountain barrel work just fine.  Nothing better needed. 

[roundball]

Sounds great FW...some photos would be interesting too...Congratulations !!

[frogwalking]

I have never figgured out how to do photos  on the sight.  My rifle is not carved, but  the stripe shows up well from the iron nitrate stain, and to my eyes looks good.  The barrel is only 38 inches in order to make it light enough for me to carry on woods walks.

Oh.  I found my powder measure right after I ordered another.  The sharpie lid holds 55 grains.   That is a little more than I had intended, but not much.  I will likely drop it to 50 or maybe 45 but it has already shown some real nice potential.


I am kind of surprised that it shoots as well as it does with so much powder.  The ball is a .395 swaged Hornady with pillow ticking.  No short starter is really needed. 

Question.  The barrel is loading up with fowling beginning about mid ways and going toward the muzzle.  The rear portion of the barrel is not fouling.  (except for the very breech).  I wonder why this pattern is emerging.  A wet patch every 10 shots seems to keep things managable.  Probably should run one every 5 to keep it reasonably consistent.
Thanks to all. 

[roundball]

Don't know what kind of lube you're using...but one suggestion is if you were to use Hoppes No9 PLUS BP Solvent & Patch Lube, you shouldn't have to wipe between shots at all.
Otherwise, if it were me, I guess I'd probably just wipe between shots.

Also, as you know, if you dropped back to 40grns 3F, there would automatically be less fouling in general

[Daryl]

Fouling at the muzzle is not enough lube. Fouling at the breech is too-hard a lube.  Fouling throughout the bore is not a good enough lube. These are standard BP ctg. rules and apply to ML's as well.  I'll add for muzzle loaders that fouling throughout the bore can also be caused by too thin a patch.

We do not have to wipe the bore - ever, while shooting a trail of up to 80 targets.  Enough patch thickness to seal the bore and grooves and a 'wet' patch gaurantee this, whether it's mink oil or some sort of water based solvent or lube - even spit works the same.

My .40's best accuracy comes with a .395" ball comes from 55gr. 3F, and a .0215" patch.  My best accuracy in that same rifle barrel comes from LeeHigh Valley lube, or Hoppe's "9 PLUS" and 65 (LHV) and 60gr. 3F(Hoppes) with a .019" stretchy 100% cotton drill with a .400" ball.  2f shoots as well with each ball size, except the charge has to be increased 10gr.

That's a 48" twist, btw - match barrel by Goodeoin.

[frogwalking]

I was using Mink oil.  I had the patch pretty saturated, or so I thought.  I was simulating loading for hunting or woods walking where one does not want to use a liquid lube that could wet the powder.  I am not sure what thickness the patches are but as I said, no short starter was needed.  I want to keep things as simple as I can and still have adequate results.

Thanks to all.

[Daryl]

I believe that until you use a ball and patch combination that requires a starter to get it into and down the tube a few inches, you will always have fouling problems and poorer accuracy than what your rifle will give. We all adhere to that theroy here and none of us ever has fouling problems.  It does not matter if the humidity is 6% or 90% - loading is the same.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I had my .40 cal Kuntz rifle at the range yesterday, entertaining 19 youth delegates to the BC Wildlife Assc. convention here this week.  I loaded at least 80 rounds with 46 grains of 3Fg and .020 denim patches soaked to dripping with Hoppe's 9+.  I use a starter that slips into a leather tube on the strap of my bag which is really convenient and it could not be simpler.  The last round loaded as easily as the first. I loaded them all with the rifles tapered rod - 3/8" down to 5/16".   When I cleaned the barrel in the shop, the water barely turned colour, and on a bet, I'd have drank a glass of it.  The fouling on the lock though, was many times more discolouring.  I wouldn't drink that, Elmer.
This rifle with its 44" B Weight Rice barrel, that I bought from someone here on this site, likes 59 grains 3Fg for best accuracy.  I used the lesser charge with the kids 15 - 20 yrs old, and the gong targets were only 25 yds away.

[Joey R]

Taylor, Thanks for that loading info for I have that same barrel on a new rifle that I have yet to shoot. Now, for the real reason for my reply is to just thank you so much for shooting and spending time with the kids. Thanks again.