Point of no return

[NSP64]

I'm new to muzzleloading, and have been experimenting this summer. yesterday was shooting some sabots(gasp) and tried a lighter boolit in it hoping to get a faster load. the 100 gr (measured) pyro RS load with a saboted 240 gr boolit was comming out at 1849. switched to a 214 gr boolit and only got 1565 for same 100 gr's of RS? had to go up to 150 gr to get 1800, Is this normal with muzzleloaders? Is there a glass ceilingfor velocity? I was thinking the lighter boolit may not offer enough inertial resistance to get a good combustion. any ideas?:(
50 cal inline 209 ignition 44 cal sabot

[SPRINGFIELDM141972]

Newsmokepole64,

There are many here with much more experience than I with just about every aspect of shooting/reloading, but I have found that there is one very easy way to find the "hottest load" for your rifle. If you take a particular weight round and incrementaly increase your powder charge and shoot over a white bedsheet you will find a charge when your muzzleloader no longer burns all of the powder and leaves unburnt granules on the bed sheet. That is your maximum load for that bullet. This will very from bullet weight to bullet weight as well as powder types (ie: 2f or 3f). I will also bet that you find that your accuracy round will be a load less than maximum.

The most important aspect to muzzleloader shoot, beyond safety, is to be consistent. Muzzleloading is reloading in it rawest form. Every time you fire your weapon it is the result of successfully completing the same steps neccessary to complete a conventional smokeless round. You are just using the barrel as the casing. Having said that, once you learn to repeat consistant charge weights and bullet seating pressures then you be amazed at the obtainable accuracy.

Kind Regards,
Everett

[omgb]

There is in fact, a max velocity for BP. I can't tell you exactly what it is but it is around 1800 fps. BP is a slow burner when compared to smokeless.

[mooman76]

I just read an artical in American Rifleman where they did presure loads on MLs and the fastest they got was 2100 and some change with 150g charges. Most of the powders wouldn't go that high, they were more like 1800. As stated by Springfield the problem with these powders is you can only go so fast because once you hit a certain point the powder is no longer being burned inside the barrel. I was just rereading the velositys and one actually got to 2342, it was called Black mag3. Theothers were 777 & Pyrodex in the 2100 area.

[omgb]

Black Mag3, 777 and Pyrodex are not BP but rather substitutes. Using Swiss BP you might break 1800 fps but not by much. With GOEX, Elephant or Schutzen there's no way you're gonna break 1800 fps.

[piwo]

Black Mag3, 777 and Pyrodex are not BP but rather substitutes. Using Swiss BP you might break 1800 fps but not by much. With GOEX, Elephant or Schutzen there's no way you're gonna break 1800 fps.

.54 caliber roundball using FFFg out of my 43.25" barrel of my flintlock will get 1900+fps with 130 grains of powder. I've used up to 150grs experimenting and the velocities were erratic but between 2050 and 2150. My rifle is scratch made and I moved up powders slowly and incrementally over the years. I don't recommend anyone trying 150gr. of FFFg...

I hunt now using 90 grains FFFg, and take my very "patriotic" chrony reading of 1776fps to the field with great confidence.

[NSP64]

went to the range yesterday for more T&E. Brought along APP 2f & 3f and Pyro RS.
240 gr .429 SWC Boollits all weighed to +/- .1 gr and harvester ribbed sabots. Using 100 gr measured loads. AAP 2f looks like raw coal chuncks and was slowest at 800fps!! APP 3f boosted it up 1600 fps, and RS was the winner at 1700. all loads were 2 shots over chrony, and targeted at 50yrds. RS cloverleafed both shots 7" above POA. APP 3f shot 6" above POA with 2" spread. APP 2F dead on with 1" spread.:drinks: