Actual Weights of Different Powders Measured by Volume

[64Springer]

Use a different measure and get different results? What measure did you use?

777 is named that because 100 measured grains weight 77.7 grains.

77.7 grains using an RCBS digital scale.

Pretty close using 3F.

2F 777 would be a bit bulkier and would probably be spot on.

 

[new2bp]

That's fine for a 327 small block.

But how would you apply it to muzzleloading?

Use mL or CCs. In fact, you could about go with the weight of water for 2f and 3f ... 1g/ml or 1g/cc and 15.4gr per gram. Per Lee with their dippers 1cc of 2f is 14.70gr BY WEIGHT, 3f is 15.9. Unfortunately no reference as to which brand of powder they were using...

Good news is for those of us that improvise on purpose or due to immediate need that means you can use the case capacity in grains of water as basically a direct map for BP grains. 223 case holds 31gr h2o, a 308/762NATO case holds 54gr ... there is a list out there (think I've even seen it here) but you can also look up a lot of different cartridges on wikipedia and get case capacity in CC or grains h2o.

 

[Wheelman]

Wow

I cannot decide what I like most about this new hobby.

I think the lingo.

As a long time reloader of pistol and rifle rounds, this whole measuring weight by volume has been the hardest to wrap my head around. Sure i did it as a kid with Norma but come on...and i have used volume feeders in progressives. This is different.

Understanding that BP and subs are not the same stuff as modern powder it appears small changes in BP charge has much less effect than with modern powder.

I have Lee dippers that do not match my traditions volume tubes.

Thank goodness i have not broken out a scale and do not intend to.

More forgiving until you double charge your rifle best I can tell.

 

[longcruise]

As a long time reloader of pistol and rifle rounds, this whole measuring weight by volume has been the hardest to wrap my head around.

As you can readily see by reading through this topic that quite a few veteran ml shooters are easily confused. There is a history here, for as far back as I can remember, of quibbling between those who weigh charges and those who use a volume measure. So..... all that's needed to set off a multi layered cross purposed discussion is to mention weight and volume in the same sentence as the OP did

 

[necchi]

, this whole measuring weight by volume has been the hardest to wrap my head around.

Yeah, it is. 1/10 of a grain matters!
Not with these things. 5grn increments are used for load development. And it doesn't matter whether it's weight or volume,, as long as a consistent measure is used to make the change.
The challenge is about all the other variables that the individual brings to the load combination,, ball size, patch thickness, lubrication, bore condition.
It's a complicated mess that makes bench loading seem like child's play,,
QuikLOAD doesn't work here,

 

[TDM]

Wow

I cannot decide what I like most about this new hobby.

I think the lingo.

As a long time reloader of pistol and rifle rounds, this whole measuring weight by volume has been the hardest to wrap my head around. Sure i did it as a kid with Norma but come on...and i have used volume feeders in progressives. This is different.

Understanding that BP and subs are not the same stuff as modern powder it appears small changes in BP charge has much less effect than with modern powder.

I have Lee dippers that do not match my traditions volume tubes.

Thank goodness i have not broken out a scale and do not intend to.

More forgiving until you double charge your rifle best I can tell.

If your that concerned about the volume measurement of BP just take the time to weight out a string of volume measurements with your adjustable powder measure and check the grain weight it's throwing. Do it it with 2F and 3F. I've done this out of curiosity with 3 different adjustable volume measures I have. After repeated test for 50, 60, 70, 80, & 90 grains I rarely saw a full grain difference. Usually .5 grain or less. If you find a greater difference I'd get another adjustable measure.

 

[Grenadier1758]

We can get away with using a volumetric measure when shooting muzzle loading firearms because real black powder and the substitutes are designed to provide similar performance based on equal volumes of powder. The volumetric measures are designed to throw that weight of real 2Fg black powder. With a bit of practice, the weight thrown by a volume measure will vary only a couple tenths of grains measure to measure. Most of us will experience acceptable accuracy using volume measures. If you really need to hold the powder charge to less than 0.10 grains weight from shot to shot, the the projectile needs to weighed to less than one grain from projectile to projectile.

This thread is making way too much of an issue with respect to the weight of a measured volume of powder.