What are your thoughts.

[Don Adams]

My .40, when 42" long - using LHV for lube and a .398" or .400" ball and .020" to .023" patch, liked 65gr. 3F GOEX for 2,260fps, or same ball, lube and patch with 75gr. 3f GOEX- vel. 2,240fps. With these loads, it would shoot into 1/2" at 50 yards for 5 shot groups in no wind conditions.  With 55gr. 3F GOEX, same ball and patch but WWWF + tich Neetsfoot oil, would make 1,880fps. Using the same amount of powder, but with 2F GOEX, the velocity dropped to 1,760fps but maintained the same accuracy.

Using these lighter charges with the WWWF+oil for lube, increased group sizes to 1 1/2" & even more with the 2F. The slippery lubes demanded more powder and thus higher speeds to shoot as well as the water based lubes.

Daryl,

Why would the velocity be lower - 65 grain vs 75 grains?

[Daryl]

65gr. 3F vs 75gr. 2F  The velocities are VERY close considering the 10gr. difference in charge with the difference in granulation.  In order to exactly match or exceed the 3F's speed, the 2F charge would have to be increased slightly. Since the accuracy was the same and along with ball impact, I left the charge of 2F at 75gr.   I did not increase beyond that point, however in doing so, I may have found even better accuracy, just as in the .50 and .58 calibres finding 2F shooting more accurately than 3F.

This same difference held up in the .45 - a 10gr.increase in the 3F charge, when using 2F, matched the velocity and accuracy of the finer, 3F powder.  As with the other calibres, further increasing the charge might have shrunk groups even further.

Daryl

[P.W.Berkuta]

Back in the early 70's I use to shoot a custom made 45 caliber Tennesse rifle built by Lew Sanchez.  I still have the rifle.

 My question to you people is it used to be said that the amout of powder to use was the same as the caliber of the rifle.  Like a 50 caliber = 50 grains of powder.

Now days everyone seems to shoot way over this amount.  What is the reason for it...?

 I know some guns shoot better with different loads.  Heck I shoot best with 15 grains of powder in my 32 caliber.  It will get a squirell in most the tallest trees.

I made a half stock .45 cal with a 32" tapered Orion barrel (made by Jerry Cunningham) and it performs very well with either 50 grains or 60 grains of 3F Goex. I shoot the 50 gr load for targets and when I hunted I used the 60 gr load. The 60 gr load would make the rifle "crack" when discharged  .

[Candle Snuffer]

Back in the early 70's I use to shoot a custom made 45 caliber Tennesse rifle built by Lew Sanchez.  I still have the rifle.

 My question to you people is it used to be said that the amout of powder to use was the same as the caliber of the rifle.  Like a 50 caliber = 50 grains of powder.

Now days everyone seems to shoot way over this amount.  What is the reason for it...?

 I know some guns shoot better with different loads.  Heck I shoot best with 15 grains of powder in my 32 caliber.  It will get a squirell in most the tallest trees.

I think the short answer to your question is simply that many people do not want to take the time to learn "any thing" in a world with more information available to them then ever before in history. They listen to the first idiot that comes along preaching how they use three 50 grain pellets of powder in their modern Inline to try and take a deer.  I expect they cut back to two 50 grain pellets when squirrel hunting..... 

[omark]

Well,,,,,,,,, some of them probably do.       .       Mark

[Candle Snuffer]

lol...

[Vomitus]

   Just for an example. My "A" weight 44" angular grooved 40 likes my 50gr. FFg charge.Yes 2F. I worked with 2F because it's all I have. Tried it with 3F and my benched groups at 50yd were better with 2F. Maybe it's the barrel length but she cleans up nice and easy. Six patches.
  Just a quick comment on cleaning.Cold water in barrel and pumped out. After I've run a few drying patches through, I dampen a patch in Leighy patch lube and CLEANER as a tattletail. Amazing stuff! It'll let you know if your rifle is clean. I then continue to dry it out and add a water displacement and store muzzle down.

[Dphariss]

I think there are people here who could profit from reading James Forsythe's comments on trajectories for hunting rifles in "The Sporting Rifle and Its Projectiles".

Dan

[Kermit]

Definitely an informative read, Dan.

When I was a young'un, I learned a lot from an long-time muzzleloader. He would take a new rifle to the range, and start with the caliber-equals-load-in-grains and increase the load until it sounded right. I think he was chronographing by ear, listening for the crack that occurs when the ball goes supersonic. He also looked for "red berries" at the muzzle after a shot. When those things satisfied him, THEN he'd sight in the gun before it went to his client.

[Virginiarifleman]

Kermit, I also was told years ago by an old builder that those red berries show up when your using the exact burn rate for that particular Rifle.

[KennyC]

In my Bill Large 45 caliber barrel  50 grains  440th  ticking patch. No  short starter . A one hole shooter  off  the bench. I use 70 rains on white tails does the job.

[Mick C]

My question to you people is it used to be said that the amout of powder to use was the same as the caliber of the rifle.  Like a 50 caliber = 50 grains of powder.

Now days everyone seems to shoot way over this amount.  What is the reason for it...?

That's still my rule-of-thumb.  In fact, I treat it almost like I do interstate speed limits, i.e. I don't go more that 5-10 gr's over the caliber.  Just my 2 cent..... Mick C