Sifting screens ?

[bigbore442001]

Has anyone here ever sifted black powder or muzzleloading propellent like H777 using brass screens? I have heard of some people using screens to create a charge with more uniform granulation, thus increasing accuracy and velocity. At least that is what is supposed to happen.

I have been contemplating doing this and see what the results are.

[JeffinNZ]

I like to get some but brass sieves are hideously expensive. The Chinese crap powder available here could do with some sorting and I would like to try some experiments.

[Buckshot]

.............A quick search and look had 2 companies providing various (mesh size) screens in brass. bronze, copper, aluminum, monel & etc. Checking $ brass at 1x1 sq ft screen was $6.75US. BUT, they had a minimum order amount of $75 :-(

..................Buckshot

[rhead]

I have tried it with black. This was in the pre pyrodex days. I had read about it but never seen any. 1973?. Groups shrank from just under 3 inches to just over 2 inches. Open sight at 100 yards back when my eyes still worked. It wouldn't turn a TC Hawkin into a match grade rifle but did help a little. The 3f powder I was starting with had less than 5% 4f fines and a little over 25% 2f.
It wasn't worth the trouble to me. With a better rifle and some one who can really shoot it may make a difference in a close match.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

The McMaster-Carr Co. has small pieces of various meshes of brass screen in usable sizes. Use an embroidery hoop from Wally's or maybe the $ store to capture the screen. Search out published granulation sizes so you can figure what you are doing. The object is to have fewer fines in your favorite granulation so as to have a more consistent burn rate. Fines settle to the bottom making for hotter charges as you work toward the bottom of the container.

That was the initial premise of the GOEX Express: better screening for consistency. I'm sure it works, but I don't shoot traditional flintlock well enough to get a noticeable benefit.

BvT

[northmn]

I tried it. Matthews in his BPC books mentuioned it for both BP and pyrodex. I used an inexpensive stainless steel strainer form a harware store selling kitchen goods. Most do it to remove the "fines" or extra graphite in the powder. I do not remember if it was this site or another but one individual mentioned "socking" black powder. They would pour about a quarter pound in a sock and shake it a bit and pour it into another container. The fines would stick to the sock. I gather it was an older trick. Like many of the others have stated, I never really got too excited about any gains that could be had working over the powder.

Northmn