Mixing grades of black powder
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paulvallandigham
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I would prefer to see you buy some more of each powder, or swap the cans off to another shooter who is using either or both of the powders, than to mix them. Nothing should go too wrong as long as the loads are light, but I have to doubt accuracy is going to be very consistent. First, you have no way to mix the two powders consistently, so that you throw the same combination of powder each time you load. Second, because the granule size differs between the two powders, they will settle in the barrel differently, and in your powder cans or horn differently, with the smaller granules going to the bottom. In effect, no matter what you do, they will separate on their own in storage. You would have to shake up the can before each load is poured out to have any kind of mix at all, and then you still won't know exactly what combination you have. If you are shooting at big targets, at close range, say with a revolver, using 10-15 grains of powder, go ahead and mix them. If you are trying to shoot smaller targets, or at any further distance, think again. You will be frustrated, even in a plinking session when the balls hit in a pattern rather than a group.
Dave Rosenthal
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I would only mix them if I was re-enacting. Smoke is smoke and you don't have to worry about groups!
If you're going to use the powder to shoot lead, buy more of each or give away the can you don't want...someone may have something that you need that they'll swap you for! And that's how to make new friends
.
All the best, Dave
If you're going to use the powder to shoot lead, buy more of each or give away the can you don't want...someone may have something that you need that they'll swap you for! And that's how to make new friends
.All the best, Dave
rabbit03
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I might not want to try and develope an accuracy load with it but like you say it is only for plinking, go for it.
I can't see where it would hurt anything at all especially when you consider that you can double load a rifle and have no ill effects. Aside from a sore shoulder perhaps!
good luck
rabbit03
I can't see where it would hurt anything at all especially when you consider that you can double load a rifle and have no ill effects. Aside from a sore shoulder perhaps!
good luck
rabbit03
Mixing them wouldn't cause any problems...but on the other hand, there's really no need to mix them all...just use up one can then use up the other.
A quarter can of 2F would make a range session of 50grn target charges;
Maybe two range sessions from the 1/3 can of 3F.
A quarter can of 2F would make a range session of 50grn target charges;
Maybe two range sessions from the 1/3 can of 3F.
I experimented with blending equal amounts of 2F and 3F powder on the recommendation of a chemist and BP exerimenter whose results showed that when properly blended, the two granulations do not appear to separate.
Shooting over a chronograph showed that equal volumes of blended powders produced about 100fps more velocity than than 3F alone. However, deviation in velocities varied widely, which suggest that, either the powders were not blended well, or that the granules did, indeed, separate over time.
Blended powders also provided ok accuracy in a 54 cal flint rifle. Not great accuracy, but ok.
I might add that the powder was "socked" to remove fines prior to blending.
Powder charges used in testing were moderate charges in the range of 50-80 gr weight of powder.
Does it hurt to mix different granulations of powder? Not especially, IF moderate loads are used in a well made, properly breeched barrel.
That said, if you are only plinking, just finish one can before starting on the other. Either way, the end result will be the same.
J.D.
Shooting over a chronograph showed that equal volumes of blended powders produced about 100fps more velocity than than 3F alone. However, deviation in velocities varied widely, which suggest that, either the powders were not blended well, or that the granules did, indeed, separate over time.
Blended powders also provided ok accuracy in a 54 cal flint rifle. Not great accuracy, but ok.
I might add that the powder was "socked" to remove fines prior to blending.
Powder charges used in testing were moderate charges in the range of 50-80 gr weight of powder.
Does it hurt to mix different granulations of powder? Not especially, IF moderate loads are used in a well made, properly breeched barrel.
That said, if you are only plinking, just finish one can before starting on the other. Either way, the end result will be the same.
J.D.
i mixed 2f and 3f and used it in a .62 smoothbore for a year or so and it worked very well I found no noticable difference in accuracy and used about 5 gr more than my usuall 3f load, I think the Monk mixed something like this and found little seperation apparent after a period of time.I have heard some folks say they prefer this mix in their large bore guns.I went back to 3f so the same horn would work with any gun I used, but would not hesitste to use a mix in either of my smoothies I would just have to find the right load.
flintlockmdj
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What is the advantage of mixing them? Just use them as is and you don't have to worry about having more of one granulation in a load and less of the same granulation in the next load, hence more consistant velocities and accuracy.
Guest
I wouldn't mix them. I would however see what one shot the best group for the gun and then use it to work up the best load for the paticular gun.
You may not be happy with the accuracy when mixed and wish you didn't mix them when you find out the accuracy is off. Accuracy is even good just for plinking. Espically if you are showing a youngster the aspects of ML. No sence in haveing them discouraged right from the start.
You may not be happy with the accuracy when mixed and wish you didn't mix them when you find out the accuracy is off. Accuracy is even good just for plinking. Espically if you are showing a youngster the aspects of ML. No sence in haveing them discouraged right from the start.
I do not know what gun you are ueing but if .50 or larger you may want to mix a bit 50/50 and see for yourself, most of your advice has come from opinion based on no experience, you will only know how it works for you if you try it there is no safety issue.
Agree...tg said:
In fact at any given time, a certain amount of 2F kernels break apart into smaller 3F size pieces from can shaking & handling so there's already the beginning of a 2F/3F mix in a can of 2F.
Same principle wuth a can of 3F...a percentage become finer 4F size kernels (fines), etc
Guest
I filled my 1/2 empty 2f horn,mistakenly, with 3f.
After figuring out what I had done, I emptied the horn into an empty can & marked it "3f/2f mix". I've used about half of it in my 11ga.sxs, dropping my load from 70gr to 65. Seems to work. I still hit a high score of ~50% :redface: -- Bill
After figuring out what I had done, I emptied the horn into an empty can & marked it "3f/2f mix". I've used about half of it in my 11ga.sxs, dropping my load from 70gr to 65. Seems to work. I still hit a high score of ~50% :redface: -- Bill
paulvallandigham
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Bill: Sorry about the low scores. The biggest problem for most shooters is that they come to shotgun shooting after they learn to shoot a rifle, and make the mistake of holding a shotgun the same way they shoot a rifle. They also aim the shotgun instead of pointing the gun.
With a rifle ( or handgun) you focus on the front sight. With a shotgun you focus on the moving target. Its a hard adjustment to make for many shooters. You can lay down over a rifle of any length and be able to shoot it pretty well. With a shotgun you need to mount it to your face, and then your shoulder, by lifting the gun up and out away from your body, and bringing the stock back to you while you are looking over the front bead. It may be that only the toe of the buttstock is on your shoulder, but that is the correct position for you to hold the shotgun to hit moving targets. Stand up straight, and don't lean forward. You don't want to strain neck muscles, or be looking out of the top of your glasses, and eye sockets. All of that causes both neck strain and eye strain, as well as fuzzy targets. Look through the center of your glasses, and bring the stock to your face and shoulder. Keep the butt as close to your neck as possible. Its been proven that shooters can actually shoot most shotguns better if we have them hold the gun with the stock resting on their breastbone in the center of the chest, even though this puts the muzzle and sights on the shotgun way low below their live of sight. The body is then turned side to side like a turret on a tank, and the hands lift the barrel for rising targets. I have seen shooters break more targets using this strange position than they were breaking using their arm or should mounted stance.
If you lift you elbow up and straight out from your shoulder, there is a natural pocket formed between the arm socket, and your neck. That is where a shotgun butt should be mounted, not out on the ball of the arm socket, or out on the arm.
If you are doing all these things correctly, check your feet. With a shotgun you want to take the same closein stance that you would assume if you were dribbling a basketball or sparring in a ring with a boxer. With a rifle, you move your feet outside a vertical line extending downward from your shoulders, to lock up your legs at the waist, in order to control motion that would otherwise disturb your gun sight alignment from movement of your leg muscles. The legs simply form a bi-ped shooting platform for off-hand shooting. With a shotgun, the body has to rotate below and above the waist in order to get ahead of the moving targets.
In shooting clay targets, always point your forward foot to where you want to break the target. When you are at a station that is giving you hard angle targets to shoot, point your feet where you need to be to break the hardest target that you will be thrown from that position or station. Keep your weight on your forward hip, and use the rear foot as a rudder to move you right or left, to pass through the target to gain the right amount of lead before you slap that trigger.
Remember to continue to swing the gun through the recoil and until you see the target break or be missed. Follow through is what curses even experienced shooters, and is the number one cause of shooters getting into slumps.
I hope that helps.
With a rifle ( or handgun) you focus on the front sight. With a shotgun you focus on the moving target. Its a hard adjustment to make for many shooters. You can lay down over a rifle of any length and be able to shoot it pretty well. With a shotgun you need to mount it to your face, and then your shoulder, by lifting the gun up and out away from your body, and bringing the stock back to you while you are looking over the front bead. It may be that only the toe of the buttstock is on your shoulder, but that is the correct position for you to hold the shotgun to hit moving targets. Stand up straight, and don't lean forward. You don't want to strain neck muscles, or be looking out of the top of your glasses, and eye sockets. All of that causes both neck strain and eye strain, as well as fuzzy targets. Look through the center of your glasses, and bring the stock to your face and shoulder. Keep the butt as close to your neck as possible. Its been proven that shooters can actually shoot most shotguns better if we have them hold the gun with the stock resting on their breastbone in the center of the chest, even though this puts the muzzle and sights on the shotgun way low below their live of sight. The body is then turned side to side like a turret on a tank, and the hands lift the barrel for rising targets. I have seen shooters break more targets using this strange position than they were breaking using their arm or should mounted stance.
If you lift you elbow up and straight out from your shoulder, there is a natural pocket formed between the arm socket, and your neck. That is where a shotgun butt should be mounted, not out on the ball of the arm socket, or out on the arm.
If you are doing all these things correctly, check your feet. With a shotgun you want to take the same closein stance that you would assume if you were dribbling a basketball or sparring in a ring with a boxer. With a rifle, you move your feet outside a vertical line extending downward from your shoulders, to lock up your legs at the waist, in order to control motion that would otherwise disturb your gun sight alignment from movement of your leg muscles. The legs simply form a bi-ped shooting platform for off-hand shooting. With a shotgun, the body has to rotate below and above the waist in order to get ahead of the moving targets.
In shooting clay targets, always point your forward foot to where you want to break the target. When you are at a station that is giving you hard angle targets to shoot, point your feet where you need to be to break the hardest target that you will be thrown from that position or station. Keep your weight on your forward hip, and use the rear foot as a rudder to move you right or left, to pass through the target to gain the right amount of lead before you slap that trigger.
Remember to continue to swing the gun through the recoil and until you see the target break or be missed. Follow through is what curses even experienced shooters, and is the number one cause of shooters getting into slumps.
I hope that helps.
