1 lb of Pyrodx

[atki]

Ok, first, no discussions on the merit or de-merits of Pyrodex. Just need to know if you were shooting 50 grains of Pyrodex, how many shots out of one pound?

Sorry, I am an artist, not a math person.

WB

 

[bwhoffman]

7000 grains to the pound, so you're looking at about 140 loads +/- for spillage ect.
this based on volume measure.

Brett

 

[zoomer]

7000 grains in a pound, so 7000 divided by 50 =140 shots per pound

 

[Zonie]

The answer is "More than 7000/50", or more than 140.

The reason for this is when we talk about a black powder load of 50 grains we are talking about the volume of black powder that weighs 50 grains.

I don't know what the actual volume is in cubic inches for 50 grains of black powder but lets just say, for talking purposes it is .21 cubic inches.

That same .21 cubic inches is the correct volume for a 50 grain black powder equivalent powder load of Pyrodex. The .21 cubic inches of Pyrodex will give about the same velocity and pressure as .21 cubic inches of real black powder.

That said, you should know that Pyrodex is lighter in actual weight per cubic inch than real black powder. It actually weighs about 2/3 as much as the real black powder even though it takes up the same amount or room.


Now, when the company sells Pyrodex, and they say it is "One Pound" of powder, it must actually be One Pound (actual weight) of powder.
This results in one pound of Pyrodex giving you more shots than one pound of real black powder would.


Because one pound of Pyrodex has the same volume in cubic inches as 1 1/3 pounds of real black powder you will get 1/3 more loads per pound.

This results in one pound of Pyrodex when loaded using a 50 grain powder measure giving 140 + 140/3 loads, so the answer to your question is:
One pound of Pyrodex will give you about 187 "50 grain" loads.

 

[bwhoffman]

Zonie,
Great detail.
Thats why I included the "By Volume" qualifier.

Brett

 

[roundball]

Zonie,
Great detail.
Thats why I included the "By Volume" qualifier.

Brett

Here's a shorthand version:

A 50grn volumetric measure of Pyrodes RS weighs 38 grains weight.

7000 grains weight divided by 38 grains weight = 184.

A "pound" of Pyrodex RS yields 184 shots of 50grns "volumetric measure" of Pyrodex RS.

 

[Pork Chop]

WB,

Just pick up two boxes of round balls and the pound of Pyrodex. When you run out of one, get more of it and keep going. :thumbsup:

 

[atki]

WB,

Just pick up two boxes of round balls and the pound of Pyrodex. When you run out of one, get more of it and keep going. :thumbsup:

Well, that would be easy, but my task is to find out how much Pyrodex I am going to need to allow 300 Boy Scouts to shoot five balls each in four hours with 17 guns.

Not time to go and grab more ball. Thanks to those with the answers. It will help in buying my supplies.

WB

 

[Smokey in Oz]

Wow Weaselbreath,
thats about the biggest challenge I've heard of on the forum so far.
Good luck! Hope all goes well. I also hope your scoring those 5 shots on a target, you gotta give em a chance to compete.
Smokey. :hatsoff:

 

[JackAubrey]

Say mate,who's going to CLEAN all those guns?!!YIKES!!!

 

[Slake]

I hope ya have help...that's 1500 shots or 88 shots out of each rifle in four hours? Wow that's a whole lot of shootin ya know. 1 lb ain't gonna do it

 

Teacher, can I go home now my brains full and my head hurts from all this calculating, and mathy stuff? :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: Bill

By the way, Kudos to you Weaselbreath for the effort with the Scouts.. We only had Fifty-two kids last week shooting five rounds each for Hunter safety class. But we used REAL black powder, and forty grain loads, as there were a lot of 10 year olds, with Michigans lowering of the hunting age limit. They also shot 22 cal., and 20 guage. Surprizingly they almost all liked the Muzzleloaders the best.
Bill