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Roung ball muzzle Velocity

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gtkupiec

32 Cal
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Feb 6, 2020
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-I have a Uberti 1860 Army in 44 cal. Also purchased hornady.454 round balls. 8 inch bbl. revolver. Has any one checked out the MV. using 3f goex powder using 22-30 grains of powder as recommended with the info i received with the revolver. Or even using 2f goex?
 
Yes, Lyman wrote book on it. It has data on 3f, 2f and more. The book I believe is “ Lyman Black Powder Hand Book”
 
Gun Digest also produced several books with loading information on specific guns. The one I have is third edition of the "Black Powder Loading Manual" with information on about 150 different, rifles, pistols, shotguns and muskets. Gives the firearm's specifications, ball or bullet size and velocity table.
 
Not an 1860, but I chrono'ed an 8" New Model Army with Hornady .454 a couple of months ago.

25gr. Goex 3F gave me an average of 670 fps out of that particular revolver.
 
-I have a Uberti 1860 Army in 44 cal. Also purchased hornady.454 round balls. 8 inch bbl. revolver. Has any one checked out the MV. using 3f goex powder using 22-30 grains of powder as recommended with the info i received with the revolver. Or even using 2f goex?
Lyman Black Powder Handbook, 1975:

Lyman 1860 Army, 8" barrel, .451" round ball, 3F powder:

19 gr. = 706 fps
22 gr. = 752 fps
25 gr. = 805 fps
28 gr. = 885 fps
31 gr. = 933 fps.

Spence
 
I gave the wrong title, A sample page of “Lyman pistol and revolver hand book.”
8EEB8BCB-C075-427F-B2E6-6F444D7D4532 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr
Hi Phil,

By chance do you know if any edition of either the Lyman Black Powder Handbook or the Lyman Pistol and Revolver Handbook that contains any Hodgdon Pyrodex or 777 ballistic information? I have never seen published ballistic data for both Pyrodex and 777 by any publisher specifically for revolvers other than the simple Hodgdon one page loading and ballistic data for both powders on their website.
 
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The Lyman BLACK POWDER HANDBOOK & LOADING MANUAL, 2nd Edition shows .31, .36 and .44 caliber cap & ball pistol loads of Pyrodex P as well as GOEX 3Fg and Elephant 3Fg powder.
It was written before 777 was marketed.

Generally speaking, the Pyrodex P gave higher muzzle velocities in all calibers tested.
 
This manual is well worth the price...
20210207_163729.jpg
 
-I have a Uberti 1860 Army in 44 cal. Also purchased hornady.454 round balls. 8 inch bbl. revolver. Has any one checked out the MV. using 3f goex powder using 22-30 grains of powder as recommended with the info i received with the revolver. Or even using 2f goex?
You should get somewhere around 840-900 fps with Goex or Shuetzen, and closer
to 1025 with Swiss with full chambers, and using FFF granulation.
 
There are so many variables, that what gives "X" velocity in one gun, will give something entirely different in the same make and model of gun. Ball size, powder manufacturer, caps and especially compression force greatly alter velocity results. In my Pietta 1860 Army, anything under 28 grains gives wildly erratic, and low, velocity swings, 550fps tp 730ish. Use a filler on lower charges for consistency. Powder makes a huge difference. 2f or 3f of different makers results in drastically different velocity readings in the same gun. Swiss is the hottest "Real Black", and 777 is the most powerful substitute. Compression is another major factor. The difference between pretty stoutly ramming vs. just seating the ball barely within the cylinder can result in 200+ fps with the same load. There is no standard answer, and the book data is not reliable in my experience. I shoot alot of cap and ball revolvers and many of those shots have been over a chrono. That is the only way you will know what your gun, with your components, loaded your way, is shooting. For your info, I get 900 fps with Pyrodex RS @ 35 grains, 920 fps with Goex FFG, 1010fps Pyrodex P, 980fps Goex Fffg, Swiss FFFG 1040 fps, and 777 3f, 1120 fps. I seat my balls pretty forcefully, but consistently. Your mileage will vary. Goex has always been very consistent, if not the most powerful. I often get 6 shots within 20fps of each other. Just my observations, been doing this since 1977. What is true in my guns may differ from yours.
 
I seat my balls pretty forcefully, but consistently.

I regret that line. No more late night, half asleep posts! UGH!! :doh:
 
Personally I am not so concerned about how FAST the ball goes as to WHERE it goes.
If six balls go through one hole who cares about how quickly they got there.
For hunting it is a different thing entirely. Speed means striking force so a trade off of a little less accuracy for increase in striking force is an acceptable trade.
Molon Labe
Bunk
 
Personally I am not so concerned about how FAST the ball goes as to WHERE it goes.
If six balls go through one hole who cares about how quickly they got there.
For hunting it is a different thing entirely. Speed means striking force so a trade off of a little less accuracy for increase in striking force is an acceptable trade.
Molon Labe
Bunk
I agree with you to a point but having been a 3 position rimfire competitor when I was younger I cannot stress enough the importance of follow through as it relates to muzzle velocity. The lower the velocity the longer the dwell time in the barrel i.e. the harder to keep on target this would be compounded by the shorter barrel on a handgun. Those few milliseconds can make a difference.
 
Howdy TexasAndy,
No argument from me there but what peeves me is the people that brag about the "FAST" but never mention the more important "WERE". If it won't hit a bull in the buttocks at 10 yards how fast it misses in unimportant.
From time to time I shoot a flintlock rifle and learning to follow through there is essential.
Hold center
Bunk
 
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