It's depend

[MikeChapel]

If you want high pressition, you must find the best acurancy between grains of powder and the caliber of the ball.

I use 18 grains with balls of .457 caliber (sometimes the same powder but .454 caliber) for shoot at 25meters. I insert semola of wheat after the powder, so the ball is near of the border.

Others says that the best is put all the hole with black powder, but i think that with this all what you cand do is broke our arm :winking:

 

[arilar]

Mike,
I guess you are talking about a Santa Barbara-revolver? Do you use Swiss BP? Number 2 ??

ARILAR :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[Okwaho]

Mike,I think you are correct in loading a filler between the powder and the ball on percussion revolvers.See "Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia" by Francis A.Lord on P.223 where he illustrates a relic revolver dug up at the battlefield of Balls Bluff and still at least partially loaded.Two of the balls are clearly shown as being at the outer opening of the cylinder so that upon firing they would instantly enter the barrel rather than bouncing around in the cylinder for about an inch.This gives better accuracy and cuts down on chain firing.I don't know what filler was used and I remember reading something about corn meal but don't remember where.
Tom Patton