Mixing powders

[54Bernie54]

Has anyone ever mixed 2 powders together? Example 2f with 3f 50-50 mixture. I hit the bull at 50 yards on my first shot almost every time with 2f powder, but after that I usually dont hit it again. I try cleaning between shots but does'nt seem to help enough. When I use 3f it is much cleaner for me but the groups open up more. Was wondering if a percentage of 3f anded to 2f would help with the accuracy from the barrel being cleaner,but not to much 3f added to throw accuracy off. Thanks.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Mixing powders is a bad idea. It won't give you better groups. The problem you are having lies somewhere else. Either in the Ball/Patch combination or the lube, or something loose in the gun itself.

The problem with mixing powder is you don't know how much of each you are actually getting in your load, assuming you mix the powder is a horn, flask, or other container, before pouring it down a chamber or barrel. If you will use a chronograph to check velocities from randomly selected powder "drops", 5 or 10 tests shots, you will see the velocities all over the place. Now test each powder separately.

I found that screening black powder helped to reduce the Standard Deviation in Velocity. What you are proposing is the opposite. SDV is related to small group sizes. You can buy screen mesh through McMasters.com. FFg mesh should be a minimum of 24 mesh; FFFg mesh should be a minimum of 46 mesh. I could only find 40 mesh at McMasters, but it will do. 4Fg mesh should be a minimum of 60 mesh screen.

I hope this helps. Ask a qualified BP gunsmith to take a look at your gun, and test fire it to see what is going on. If you know an experienced shooter, who is a very good shot, ask him to shoot the gun and see if he gets the same results. Ask an experienced MLer to watch you clean and load your gun for the next shot, and then watch you shoot. He probably will be able to spot things you are doing differently than you did with that first shot out of a clean barrel. :thumbsup:

 

[rabjr]

I have yet to see any black powder maker offer Duplex powder.

I have a 42" Ed Rayl barrel that will shoot the center of the target out at 50 yards all day long with 2F powder. I have a 34" shortened and recrowned Rice barrel that will shoot the center of the target out at 50 yards all day long with 3F powder. /Shrug

 

[lonehunter]

What do you get for a group after the first shot?? All comp. shooters fire a fouling shot before a match, they never shoot with a clean barrel. Unless you CLEAN the bore between shots(not just run a patch down)you will not have as clean of a bore as you do with the first shot. By running a patch down after the shot you are just returning the bore to the same condition every time. In short POI may be diff. between a CLEAN bore and a fouled bore.
Something to think about :hmm:

 

[54Bernie54]

Thanks paul, and others. I get 2-3 inch groups after the first shot. Good enough for hunting but I would like the clover leaf at 50 yards that everyone seems to get. I put the gun in a shooting vise to take away shooting error. Thought I had the right patch ( .18 ) lube ( ballistol & mink oil )ball ( .530 ) combo as I hit the bull on the first shot. I have tried 1-3 cleaning swabs but still cant hit the bull. Very hard to load after 3 shots without cleaning. I have a Pedersoli 54 cal .

 

[lonehunter]

Keep experimenting with lubes, patches, and powder loads. How many shots have been through this barrel?? i never was a big believer in shooting a barrel in , but i have a cva .45 capper that was unfired when i got it, at first i was not real impressed but after about 200 rounds i either hit on something or it "broke in" if you will, but at 50yrds it will make a one hole group all day long from the first shot to the last with no swabbing at all. I have another that you have to wipe it nose every shot. You have to find out what it likes, hell thats half the fun of it.
only change one thing at a time, It will come
good luck and keep us posted :v

 

[hpbear101]

I have a Pedersoli .54 Flint jaeger, I can't say it will cloverleaf at 50 yards, but I do not have a fowling problem either. I suspect you need to look at your lube. I use a home made lube of beeswax, Crisco, and white lithium grease in a wide variety of BP firearms, and never seem to have a fowling problem. For powder in the .54 I have been using cratridge grade only because I had a case of it on hand.
Tom

 

[54Bernie54]

I forget at the moment how many balls are in a standard box, but I have had 3 boxes through it.

 

[lonehunter]

Try dif. lubes, it can make a difference. Try the store bought, or mix your own. Search this site for stumpys lube recip. it seem to work pretty good. A good lube should (in theory) keep the fouling pretty soft. And can make the dif. in group size :v

 

[ohio ramrod]

Since FFF burns faster than FF most people who use FFF drop their powder charge down from what they use for FF. This could account for your difference if you aren't reducing your charge. The best way to determine the actual charge difference is by a chronograph if you know someone who has one. Other wise try 10% to 15% less FFF and see if that helps. Different charges yeild different velocities which accounts for the different groupings. Each gun has its own favorite velocity depending on to many varibles to list.

 

[ian45662]

Thanks paul, and others. I get 2-3 inch groups after the first shot. Good enough for hunting but I would like the clover leaf at 50 yards that everyone seems to get. I put the gun in a shooting vise to take away shooting error. Thought I had the right patch ( .18 ) lube ( ballistol & mink oil )ball ( .530 ) combo as I hit the bull on the first shot. I have tried 1-3 cleaning swabs but still cant hit the bull. Very hard to load after 3 shots without cleaning. I have a Pedersoli 54 cal .

I notice you said that you put your gun in a vice. Do you tighten up the vice kind of tight or really tight? I used to shoot out of a vice and I would make it pretty tight. The groups were disappointing until I shot it off hand and somehow off hand groups were better than the groups on the vice. Then I shot off sandbags and the bullets would just about go through the same hole at 25 yards. Just a though :v

 

[paulvallandigham]

Have you checked the Bedding, and barrel pins on the gunstock?? It sounds like the barrel shifts after the first shot. That will put pressure on the barrel in a different place for the next few shots.

Don't USE a swab for anything. Throw it away. Get a cleaning jag for your Range Rod, and use cotton Flannel Cleaning patches. Square ones work just as well as round ones.

If you don't have Dutch Schoultz' Black Powder Rifle Accuracy System, go to his website, get his address and order it. Its the best $15.00 you can spend, and will save you hundreds of dollars working up a good load in your rifle.

http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

You will learn to read your spent patches, how to determine the correct ball size and patch thickness, and how to use different lubes to increase the accuracy of your gun.

 

[FPDoc]

All excellent suggestions to improve consistency and decrease group size but I know people who would give their eye teeth for a cold bore bullseye in a practical rifle! You know the old adage.. if you want one hole groups, shoot one time.