Powder Crunching

[musketman]

When loading, do you seat the ball on the powder hard enough to hear it "crunch" or just until you feel it snug up against it?

I was just wondering what works best for you and why you chose that way...

PRO: Powder crunching gets all the air pockets out of the loose powder in the breech.
CON: Powder crunching could deform the face of the projectile by the extra pressure applied from the ramrod.

 

[barebackjack]

You must have good ears to be able to hear your powder go crunch. I could never hear that.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

You must have good ears to be able to hear your powder go crunch. I could never hear that.

Think feel, one can feel the powder crunch through the ramrod as it is compacted.

 

[Lone Carabiner]

Be careful crunching or pounding ramrod on ball, black is pressure sensitive you know

 

[dlemaster]

Well I would have to disagree with that. The BPCR shooters often compress 1/4" and even more in their cartridges. My Sharps .45/110 needs about 3/16" of compression of the 105 grain charge to get a good clean burn with the 500 grain bullet.

Regards, Dave

 

[NORD]

Once I feel the ball seat on the powder I give it one more small or light 'even' push...then shoot. I think everyones "even" push would be different the secret is that it is consistent. I feel it makes my loads more consistent then tapping or crunching the ball down. I also saw about an average of 1" tighter groups at 100 yards using this method.

Good thread...will be interesting to see and try other methods of seating the ball.

Good luck!

 

[rabjr]

I do the same as NORD does. I find this method works best for me. :thumbsup:

 

[bwhoffman]

most people I see get the "bounce" in their rod. They fell it is seated at that point if the rod bounces when dropped down the bore.
Personally, my range rod has a pool ball for a handle and I can feel and sense when the ball is "home"

Brett

 

[NORD]

Personally I never got very good accuracy at 100 yards "bouncing" the rod on the ball...I really couldn't tell a difference at 50 yards or closer. I wonder if bouncing the rod on the ball deformes the ball thus giving inconsistent results?

 

[jtmattison]

I seat it with a smooth stroke onto the charge followed by a couple light taps. No bouncing. Works for me.

HD

 

[renovato]

I seat with a push of about 25-30 lbs. I feel slight crunching but it shoots very consistant for me. I used to tap because it made me feel more secure knowing it was for sure seated on the powder, rather than maybe stuck on a bit of fouling or something. Marking the rod made me stop worrying about that.

 

[snagg]

I've been pushing the ball down until it meets the powder. Then I give the rod a bump with the heal of my hand to seat it firmly on the powder. Don't know if it's right or wrong, just the way I've been doing it to keep consistent. I agree, though, this should become a very interesting topic.
snagg

 

[Halftail]

When I started shooting them old fellers used to cram the load home then throw the ramrod down bore till it bounced clear of the barrell.I use a similar loading method when loading with a wooden ramrod.I usually throw it down bore 3 times ,every shot.After that I twirl around twice and wink at the sun.Then I'm good to go.That is what I do every shot for consistancy..... :winking:

 

[roundball]

I absolutely believe that shot to shot consistency is very important, and ramrod pressure figures into that consistency, however, I don't believe BP is pressure sensitive in any way that constitutes a hazard, certainly not ramrod seating pressure.

The only way I figured I could come close to consistent ramrod pressure every time was to simply compress the powder charge as hard as I could.

I hear the sound of the powder crunching up through the ramrod as I'm bent over compressing the powder because my ear happens to be right next to the ball handle when I'm really leaning on it...

 

[Forster]

I don't bounce it and I don't tap it. I like to seat it all in one motion. I try to exert the same amount of preasure every time. The key to good groups is consistancy in your loading procedure....Jim

 

[NORD]

I like to seat it all in one motion. I try to exert the same amount of preasure every time. The key to good groups is consistancy in your loading procedure....Jim

I totally agree...and you brought up a good point about 'all in one motion'...I find if I don't push the ball down the bore in one even slow motion as you described then my accuracy suffers.

 

[SquirrelFlinter]

I push it down till i feel the crunch then I hole the ram rod about a foot out and let it fall till it bounces a little. It takes a few times but that way I know it is deffinitly on the powder. I also don't shoot for perfect shots I just shoot for fun.

SF

 

[Slake]

I give it a wee bit of a crunch in more of a push than a bounce. And I'm not really sure if I'm hearing it or feeling it

 

[Big John]

After short starting, I lift the range rod 1/4in. and in one smooth pull seat the patch/ball and it's over. If I feel no obstruction on the way down, this tells me the barrel is clean and my lube is doing it's job.

 

[musketman]

I like to seat it all in one motion. I try to exert the same amount of preasure every time. The key to good groups is consistancy in your loading procedure....Jim

I totally agree...and you brought up a good point about 'all in one motion'...I find if I don't push the ball down the bore in one even slow motion as you described then my accuracy suffers.

Here is a dilemma...

Push the ball down using one stroke vs. pushing the ball down with several shorter strokes... :hmm:

One Stroke:
PRO: Consistent pressure and very little damage to the face of the projectile using this method.
CON: Wooden ramrods will flex and snap, stabbing yourself in the hand or arm hazard exist.

Several Shot Strokes:
PRO: Less chance of breaking a ramrod, requires less physical effort.
CON: Accuracy suffers, projectile's face could be deformed, takes longer time to load using this method.

Any more pro's and con's you can think of?