Jim
07-08-2007, 08:37 AM
I chose to post this here for two reasons.
1- Usually, the projectile used is cast.
2- This is a very frequented room.
I've seen questions on this subject posted many times on this forum and I can understand why someone would want to be able to do this: 'CAUSE THEY WANNA! E.G., I have a Gibbs Summit bolt action .45-70 and the recoil is quite substantial with a full house load under a 500 gr. boolit. Waaay too much for my Fiance'! Soooo, I worked up a load for her! I did the same thing for her with my Colt New Service revolver.
Let me say from the git go that I'm NOT a ballistician. I'm a handloader. I don't have a college education in ballistics and/or physics, but I DO have 30 years of experience, including some near miss mistakes, in load development. All I have to offer is what I know works for me.
If ya' wanna work up a light load for a Howtzer, first understand that the lighter the boolit, the less powder that is required to get it out of the barrel. That translates to less recoil, which is usually the reason behind the whole idea. So, start with the lightest weight boolit you can get your hands on. The round ball is the lightest "for caliber" shape you can get unless there is a collar button mold available in the caliber of choice.
The best powder type I've found for this kinda' load is a very high speed pistol type. Bullseye is right up there at the top. Unique is very popular and I use tons of it for light loads. Ya' want the powder to ignite REAL FAST so the muzzle velocity is developed quick. With a slower powder, you'll loose gas through the cylinder/barrel gap if you're shootin' a revolver.
I've found that I have MUCH better results using a compressable filler over the charge. High speed powders WILL ignite in any position, but I've had a few squibs and stuck boolits at relatively load charges without the filler. You don't need anything special for this as the object of the game is basically to just poop the boolit out of the barrel with enough velocity to hit a target with reasonable accuracy. I use cotton balls. Looks kinda' weird when ya' light it off, though. All of a sudden, there's a small cloud of shredded cotton hanging in the air 10 feet or so out in front of the barrel. I know one thing, though. It works. So does tissue paper. I've seen one guy use a small piece of saran wrap.
Finding the right charge can be kinda' scary when you're fist starting off in this. First time I stuck a boolit, I like to came unglued. I held the barrel firmly in my hand, NOT A VISE, dropped a dowel down over the stuck boolit and LIGHTLY tapped it back down the barrel with a light mallet. Popped right out. Well, that was easy! I stuck the boolit because I started with a load about 10 percent down from normal and worked down. Just before I got to the point where the boolit stuck, I could actually SEE the boolit come out of the barrel and arc toward the target. I shot a boolit up in the air one time and it came out so slow, a friend that was with me actually tracked it AND CAUGHT IT on the fall! We laughed like school children!
I got a little off track there. Light load development is NOT complicated. A basic understanding of what happens when you light off a powder charge under a boolit and how to adjust is about all that is needed. Ya' ain't gotta be a rocket scientist to figger this out.
Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Oh, one more thing: If somebody asks for help in something out of the ordinary, PLEASE, DON'T ask him WHY he wants to do so and so. that REALLY pushes newbies away. If ya' can't be supportive and help, just keep quiet.
1- Usually, the projectile used is cast.
2- This is a very frequented room.
I've seen questions on this subject posted many times on this forum and I can understand why someone would want to be able to do this: 'CAUSE THEY WANNA! E.G., I have a Gibbs Summit bolt action .45-70 and the recoil is quite substantial with a full house load under a 500 gr. boolit. Waaay too much for my Fiance'! Soooo, I worked up a load for her! I did the same thing for her with my Colt New Service revolver.
Let me say from the git go that I'm NOT a ballistician. I'm a handloader. I don't have a college education in ballistics and/or physics, but I DO have 30 years of experience, including some near miss mistakes, in load development. All I have to offer is what I know works for me.
If ya' wanna work up a light load for a Howtzer, first understand that the lighter the boolit, the less powder that is required to get it out of the barrel. That translates to less recoil, which is usually the reason behind the whole idea. So, start with the lightest weight boolit you can get your hands on. The round ball is the lightest "for caliber" shape you can get unless there is a collar button mold available in the caliber of choice.
The best powder type I've found for this kinda' load is a very high speed pistol type. Bullseye is right up there at the top. Unique is very popular and I use tons of it for light loads. Ya' want the powder to ignite REAL FAST so the muzzle velocity is developed quick. With a slower powder, you'll loose gas through the cylinder/barrel gap if you're shootin' a revolver.
I've found that I have MUCH better results using a compressable filler over the charge. High speed powders WILL ignite in any position, but I've had a few squibs and stuck boolits at relatively load charges without the filler. You don't need anything special for this as the object of the game is basically to just poop the boolit out of the barrel with enough velocity to hit a target with reasonable accuracy. I use cotton balls. Looks kinda' weird when ya' light it off, though. All of a sudden, there's a small cloud of shredded cotton hanging in the air 10 feet or so out in front of the barrel. I know one thing, though. It works. So does tissue paper. I've seen one guy use a small piece of saran wrap.
Finding the right charge can be kinda' scary when you're fist starting off in this. First time I stuck a boolit, I like to came unglued. I held the barrel firmly in my hand, NOT A VISE, dropped a dowel down over the stuck boolit and LIGHTLY tapped it back down the barrel with a light mallet. Popped right out. Well, that was easy! I stuck the boolit because I started with a load about 10 percent down from normal and worked down. Just before I got to the point where the boolit stuck, I could actually SEE the boolit come out of the barrel and arc toward the target. I shot a boolit up in the air one time and it came out so slow, a friend that was with me actually tracked it AND CAUGHT IT on the fall! We laughed like school children!
I got a little off track there. Light load development is NOT complicated. A basic understanding of what happens when you light off a powder charge under a boolit and how to adjust is about all that is needed. Ya' ain't gotta be a rocket scientist to figger this out.
Well, that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Oh, one more thing: If somebody asks for help in something out of the ordinary, PLEASE, DON'T ask him WHY he wants to do so and so. that REALLY pushes newbies away. If ya' can't be supportive and help, just keep quiet.