Compressed powder pellets

[bezoar]

Yeah the pellets by pyrodex, APP, 777.

Just had a question come to mind. Are the pellets truly the weight listed on the box? How do we know that the 50 grain pyrodex pellet is truly 50 grains? That pellet has around 10 grains of real black powder on the end, so is that bp included in the "50 grains" listed on the box, or is it 50 grains pyrodex WITH 10 grains of holly black powder?

and the 50 grain 777 pellet is roughly half the size of the 50 grain pyrodex pellet, yet both are listed as 50 grains...

have any of you thought about this at all?

 

[Zonie]

Well, I'm sure the pellets do not weigh 50 grains.

First off, when we say "50 grains", we are talking about the average weight of black powder. We then convert that average weight of powder to a volume equivalent.


A fixed volume of Pyrodex actually weighs about 2/3 the actual weight of black powder so if 50 grains of black powder was, say 1 cubic inch volume, then 1 cubic inch volume of Pyrodex would actually weigh (2 X 50)/3 or 100/3 or 33.333 grains.

Because the "grains" equivalent in energy is so important in the world of muzzleloaders, and we load by using "grains", and a mis-load can have deadly results, I am sure that Mr Pyrodex has loaded his pellets with the appropriate amount of Pyrodex plus the black powder "igniter" so they produce pressures which are equal of a 50 grain (by volume) charge of black powder.

"What? Me Worry??" :shocking: :shocking:

 

[jtmattison]

What Zonie said :thumbsup:

Huntin