Powder, Velocities & Pressure

[rodwha]

Those are 4F loads you are looking at. I’ve seen very little data on using 4F, especially as people denounce using it despite it being used fairly widely in the late 1800’s.

I see the Curtis powder increased velocity as we’d typically seen though with 3F load data.

 

[tenngun]

ach! I didn’t notice the four ‘f’s, my bad.

 

[Herb]

If a powder gives low velocities relative to the same volume of other powders does that mean the pressures are lower?

The answer is YES. But the same VOLUME of powder is not the same AMOUNT of powder. Think of a shot-glass of beer and a shot-glass of whiskey. The same VOLUME but which has the most ENERGY (if the alcohol were a fuel)? In the photo below of three Hawkens I built, the .58 was shot with Swiss 1 1/2F powder, measured in tube that holds exactly 100 grains weight of Goex 2F. But it holds 117 grains of Swiss 1 1/2F. So the same VOLUME of Goex 2F gives less pressure. Target shot at 50 yards.

 

[Herb]

Here is a comparison with Swiss 2F, targets shot at 50 yards. A 100 grain Goex 2F measure holds 109 grains of Swiss 2F at center bottom.

 

[rodwha]

ach! I didn’t notice the four ‘f’s, my bad.

Regardless I still find it peculiar it happened. We’ve read of this in long arms but with much larger powder charges.

 

[tenngun]

We do see points of diminishing returns though a lot.incresed powder raises velocity but not very much compared to the jumps at lower charges.