Drop tube for loading

[Tenmile]

Does anyone use a drop tube for loading at the range? This is one I use most of the time for a couple of reasons: it keeps the powder clean until it gets down to where the fire lives, and it helps me remember where I am in the loading sequence.

 

[jdw276]

Yes I do. Made mine out of an old aluminum arrow and a ted cash funnel....

 

[ohio ramrod]

I used on a few times I found that it did not male any difference for me shooting off hand , but I know some bench shooters who will not shoot without one.

 

[William Sublette]

Interesting, do the bench shooters say why the use them?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Consistency. Because the drop tube has no fouling and humidity from previous shots, all the powder that was weighed out makes it to the breech.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Made my own, the only hard part was driving to Tacoma to get the brass tube.
It was $28.
Use it for loading 45/70 at the range. Never thought of using it for the flinter.

 

[fleener]

I have used one for years for long range ML shooting. Quit using it a few years ago and dont regret it and no drop in accuracy that I can tell.

The tube picks up a lot of junk being used. My last one was brass and it got really bad on the outside.

Now I use a funnel with about a 4 inch long tube.

Fleener

 

[camoloc]

for my one and only pistol........

I use and old xx75 aluminum arrow cut to length and a 1/4" brass funnel to make sure the powder makes it down to the breech.

works for me with this specific application.

but then again, not many have old aluminum arrows laying around.



camo

 

[William Sublette]

How does any powder not make it to the breech with a tight fitting patch and ball?

 

[senseisugarbear]

I'm kinda with you Will , the prb or maxi should take all the POWDER to the chamber........Be Safe>>>Wally

 

[TC]

I have read the long distance black powder shooters use the drop tube because it delivers the charge cleanly to the breach area. Without it a few grains of powder could possibly adhere to the oils and fowling on the way down in the rifling. Yes the patched ball would push that down but those adhering grains would be compromised by that oil and fowling. Thus changing the charge. Minimizing these variations helps to increase accuracy. Same as being consistent when setting the ball onto the powder. Compressing the powder differently each time can change the accuracy a bit. Is the drop tube necessary? For most no. Target shooting from a bench might be a good idea. Imho.

 

[dave951]

For bench rest and long range shooting, yup, it's a thing. For casual shooting, not so much. I made one from a piece of brake line covered by heat shrink tubing. I see no change in accuracy in the gun I made it for but, there are other variables still in play with that gun.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I only use one for loading BP cartridge, as it results in a more compact powder column therefore allowing more powder.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

For bench rest and long range shooting, yup, it's a thing. For casual shooting, not so much. I made one from a piece of brake line covered by heat shrink tubing. I see no change in accuracy in the gun I made it for but, there are other variables still in play with that gun.

Agreed.

IF I was shooting a caplock in a 40 Rods Distance Match ( 220 yards ), as they did when the book The Muzzle Loading Cap-Lock Rifle was penned, I'd use one. When it comes to punching targets out to 100 yards or turning a deer into venison, nope.

LD

 

[dave951]

For what it's worth, I shoot competition with Civil War muskets. In my load testing, I do NOT drop tube even though I strive to control all the other variables. My reason is- in our competition, there is no time to use a drop tube. We're firing as fast as we can go with accuracy from the offhand position. I seriously doubt a drop tube would make any difference in what I'm doing. Here's a few targets that I shot with no drop tube in use.

 

[TC]

Looks like you don't need a drop tube. Nice shooting.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Interesting, do the bench shooters say why the use them?

Because bench shooters are their own breed and fussy beyond belief. If any idea hints at improved accuracy, they do it.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Agreed.

IF I was shooting a caplock in a 40 Rods Distance Match ( 220 yards ), as they did when the book The Muzzle Loading Cap-Lock Rifle was penned, I'd use one. When it comes to punching targets out to 100 yards or turning a deer into venison, nope.

LD

I do so often. Started out using a drop tube but quit using one when I had the same results using a funnel which delivered the powder to the breech in a small column and kept grains of powder from adhering to the bore, where it could rip the paper patch as the bullet is loaded.

 

[Nemo Vir]

I use one for my .32, boy that hole is tiny.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I have read the long distance black powder shooters use the drop tube because it delivers the charge cleanly to the breach area.

I've always read, like for Schuetzen BP cartridge loads, that the purpose was to make a consistent and packed (settled) powder column.