How many shots do you get on average before you need to replace your nipple?
Average nipple life
- Thread starter Boomerang
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Depends on the "heat" of the load. With hot loads, nipple life can be short. With mild loads it can go on for many hundreds of shots.
What's your load combo?
What's your load combo?
Too many variables to nail it down to a real number.
The weight of the charge and cleaning being the 2 biggest issues, and what kind of accuracy the shooter wants.
Gas cutting happens, it's a real thing. That powder going off want's to leave the barrel and it doesn't care what direction it goes. So each shot pushes hot gas back up against that little hole in the nipple.
Sooner or later that hot gas starts making that little hole bigger.
When it get's bad, you will get hammer blow back, the escaping gases from the nipple will push the hammer back even as far as the half-cock position. That gas escaping the nipple changes how much gas is pushing the ball and groups change.
Now I enjoy target accuracy, I want to hit the X, I want to cut that string.
I use sporting grade powders and pretty hefty charges,, long story short, I notice my groups opening up around 400-500 shot's, changing out to a new nipple changes that.
The same nipple I consider worn, will last someone that want's "minute of Deer" accuracy another 500 shots or more.
I consider $5 for a new nipple a few times a year pretty darn cheap.
The weight of the charge and cleaning being the 2 biggest issues, and what kind of accuracy the shooter wants.
Gas cutting happens, it's a real thing. That powder going off want's to leave the barrel and it doesn't care what direction it goes. So each shot pushes hot gas back up against that little hole in the nipple.
Sooner or later that hot gas starts making that little hole bigger.
When it get's bad, you will get hammer blow back, the escaping gases from the nipple will push the hammer back even as far as the half-cock position. That gas escaping the nipple changes how much gas is pushing the ball and groups change.
Now I enjoy target accuracy, I want to hit the X, I want to cut that string.
I use sporting grade powders and pretty hefty charges,, long story short, I notice my groups opening up around 400-500 shot's, changing out to a new nipple changes that.
The same nipple I consider worn, will last someone that want's "minute of Deer" accuracy another 500 shots or more.
I consider $5 for a new nipple a few times a year pretty darn cheap.
galamb
58 Cal.
I don't shoot a ton, but for the sake of 5 bucks my hunting rifle gets a new nipple at the start of each hunting season.
While that leaves a lot of "slightly used spares" it's one thing to worry about when I have Bambi in the sights.
While that leaves a lot of "slightly used spares" it's one thing to worry about when I have Bambi in the sights.
I've never worn one out yet. I may not shoot allot but I do shoot and generally I don't shoot heavy loads. I have replaced a few on new to me used rifles. Get a couple extra nipples. Like people have said they are cheap and it's handy to have a few extra around.
ohio ramrod
75 Cal.
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While others get less nipple life I use ampco nipples and low powder charges and get approximately 1000 shots on the target rifle. The deer rifle on the other hand is doing good to get 100 out of a stainless metric threaded nipple. :idunno:
Patocazador
54 Cal.
To tell the truth, I never thought about it much. I have replaced nipples on many of my guns but not because of accuracy. Mostly, it was because they were too short/long for an even strike by the hammer.
The Treso/Ampco bronze nipples should last so long you will forget when you first installed. Just keep an extra on hand and if you think new is needed change out and order two more. El Cheapo and older steel will burn out rather quickly.
Rifleman1776 said:
Yes, but that could be yesterday! :rotf:
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Mooman76 said:
you mean, I gotta remember stuff?
Yo! Teach? Is this exam for our class?
