Pouring powder in side by side

[wpjson]

I have read that one should never pour powder directly into a warm rifle barrel because there just may be a spark waiting to cause some excitement. :bow: That makes sense to me, so when I am firing and then reloading, I always use a measure not my horn or flask. If I am firing, setting the gun down, walking downrange (actually up in my range) to check my target and then returning to the gun to reload, I quite often pour using the measure on my flask. I assume that to be safe if there is some time between the last shot and the pouring of powder. :hmm: If that is correct, and I might be wrong thinking it is, would I be safe reloading barrel one of a side by side shotgun using the flask measure shortly after firing side 2? Does that make sense?

 

[necchi]

Sir, It's just a plain good habit to always use a measure separate of the powder container.
That way you don't have to worry about how long it's been, or which side has been fired.
It's a simple matter of doing it the same each time and developing the habit.
Too easy.

I guess it's my old school idea to treat every gun and barrel the same,, all the time.

I have a few "flask" type powder container's, the "spout" on each to me is simply a poor spout,, something that allows me to pour into the measure.

 

[BrownBear]

That might work on the range with lotsa time on your hands, but whatcha gonna do on a hunt? You'll do it sackly the same way you trained yourself on the range, but with none of the waiting.

Old habits are hard to kick, especially when you're under the time pressure of a follow-up load on a hunt. If you're doing a follow-up, it's usually because something went wrong with the other shots and you're in one almighty hurry to get the gun back in action.

 

[410-er]

I use a piece of copper tubing.Cut about a 2 1/2-3" piece of 1/2 or 3/8 tubing.Smash bottom 1/2" on one end in a vise.Measure out a charge on pour in tubing.Eyeball it and mark outside of tubing to height of charge.Run tubing cutter around at the mark.This will get you close.To finish off I drill a small hole in the flat created by the vise.Run a section of leather thru it.

 

[bpd303]

Like others have said, it's better to use just one method of reloading. It is not just a chance that one may forget which method is used and revert to their training (practice). I prefer to train to be safe first & foremost.

 

[mattybock]

I would think that as long as the barrel to be loaded is cool enough to be held in the hand that it should be alright, provided you use a charge measure to load the barrel and not the flask. I always had a greater issue of dropping granules unlit I broke down and used a funnel. (at $15 a pound for pyrodex, my cheapie senses are tingling)

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Yep seems Like we would all rather you used a measure, each & every time.

Although you'll miss out on a cool nick name like, one eye or half beard wpjson.

 

[necchi]

Although you'll miss out on a cool nick name like, one eye or half beard wpjson.

:rotf:
Nine Claw wpjson.
Three Finger wpjson
Pepper wpjson

 

[tenngun]

Looking around the forum you can find at least two threads on blowing down the barrel tween shots. Something outlawed on many ranges and in offical Nmlra rules. The reason folks take one of two sides to this is the safty issue. Accidents with guns can kill. And no sort of small arm has as many paths to accidents as a ml. Thinking a head and practicing until it become second nature and making sure you do mostly the same each and every time you load is one path to safty..
Do you ever want to hold a hand granade over a gun barrel? (Keep in mind that question is asked by some one who treks alone and blows down a barrel tween shots...oh well my eyes get a lot of beams in them :haha: )

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I use a SxS 20 gauge all the time, and I often hunt with folks with breech loaders, so they don't want to wait several minutes for each of my barrels to be reloaded.

The answer was to make powder cartridges from book paper, and shot cartridges from newsprint. Tear and pour in the premeasured powder, followed by the shot cartridge rammed down on the loose powder, but the shot cartridge is left intact. The way I make cartridge tubes the base is compressed paper and forms a nice wad. (Harvests birds no worries)

If I was using an unchoked gun I could load a fiber wad in the base of the shot cartridge for extra wadding, but as mine is a choked caplock, I just use the paper cartridge alone.

LD

 

[nkbj]

I use a piece of copper tubing.Cut about a 2 1/2-3" piece of 1/2 or 3/8 tubing.Smash bottom 1/2" on one end in a vise.Measure out a charge on pour in tubing.Eyeball it and mark outside of tubing to height of charge.Run tubing cutter around at the mark.This will get you close.To finish off I drill a small hole in the flat created by the vise.Run a section of leather thru it.

Same here. And the fine tuning is easy by a little more flattening of the bottom end. For scatter gun loads the two measures can be real close in appearance so for a standard load the powder measure gets one lanyard hole and the shot measure gets two lanyard holes. It works for me and that way I can go, duh, one comes before two.
Gonna make them for the fifty smoothie real soon.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I have read that one should never pour powder directly into a warm rifle barrel because there just may be a spark waiting to cause some excitement. :bow: That makes sense to me, so when I am firing and then reloading, I always use a measure not my horn or flask. If I am firing, setting the gun down, walking downrange (actually up in my range) to check my target and then returning to the gun to reload, I quite often pour using the measure on my flask. I assume that to be safe if there is some time between the last shot and the pouring of powder. :hmm: If that is correct, and I might be wrong thinking it is, would I be safe reloading barrel one of a side by side shotgun using the flask measure shortly after firing side 2? Does that make sense?

Why stop at a Flask? Why not simply pour directly from a one pound can of explosives? Simply turn it upside down & count: one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three & stop! Probably a good heavy charge for the scattergun, right? Of course I'm illustrating absurdity by being absurd! Think of it this way: Don't do ANYTHING with a Powder Flask that you wouldn't do with a spout on a one pound powder can! And that includes shooting over the loading table! YES--one of our members did this long ago & lived to tell the tale after his flask EXPLODED on the loading table when a spark hit a few granules of loose powder on the loading table!

LAZINESS LEADS TO DISASTER!

At the risk of being ridiculed, may I strongly suggest that you pre-pour your charges into the same little red tubes I use from MSM. Easy to carry in a cigar box or possibles bag, so just uncap & pour down the muzzle, then continue with the wads & shot. Each red plastic tube has an orange end cap (can even mark them (with a Sharpie) with the qty of grains of powder) and will hold over 100 grains of powder. You may not be 100% PC/HC, but you'll never drop a flask or measure out in the hunting field & you'll be able to keep-up with the rest of the hunting party quite well! I use these tubes on every hunt and I drop pheasants like nobody's business! Easy in the cooler weather too when the arthritis acts-up....

So there ya have it....I smacked ya upside-the-head & then gave ya a way of doing it really safe & fast too. Please take the mentoring as just that & have fun & be SAFE!

Dave

 

[wpjson]

Before I go on my gopher hunting rounds, could I not just take some of those quick load tubes I have aquired and put a measured amount of powder in half of them and a measured amount of shot in the other half, a small bag of wads and a tin of caps.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

YES you CAN! Making your own "Speed-Loaders" is both fun & SAFE. Just mark one of the ends somehow so you pour the powder first, lol, and you'll be GTG!

 

[robinsroost]

I got some plastic test tubes, with rubber stoppers, from a veterinarian. I premeasure my powder charges, place it in the tube, and keep two or three in my shirt pocket, when hunting. The tubes are about 3 inches long and would hold 100+ grains of powder. The vet uses the tubes to send in blood samples. I made a loading block from scrap hardwood and drilled four 1/2" holes in the block, and start a patched .490 RB in each hole. This gives me five shots that can be reloaded and fired in a short amount of time. In my .50 caliber, I shoot 65 grains of FFFg. Keep yer powder dry......Robin :thumbsup:

 

[Bear Rider]

With a muzzle loader, consistency is your friend. Decide on a routine and use it every time. It's safer, and will yield more consistent results.

Years ago, I was within ten feet of a powder horn that exploded after being left uncapped on a bench top beneath an under hammer rifle. Things were quite exciting for a time. Fortunately, nobody was hurt, although the body of the horn apparently went over my shoulder. It was found split open, a bit like a banana peel about ten feet behind me.