Spilling powder

[Mike]

As I learn how to shoot, I'm finding I'm wasting powder. Going from the Powder horn to a brass powder measure the openings are different and sure enough, even with care, some powder goes on the ground. I've ordered a brass funnel to help. Is there a replacement for the Powder horn, like a measuring powder cannister I can set the grainage on?

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Always pour from a separate measure , never from a horn or flask . Make a measure with a larger opening to better match your horn. I usually use a rifle flask with a short tube and a measure similar to the one you show and don't lose any powder to amount to anything .

If you pour direct from a horn or flask with a measuring spout and ever have an ember left in your barrel between shots your flask could blow up in your hand as you dump fresh powder .


This is the type of measure I use . Mine was made by my pap back in the 50's .

https://www.tdcmfg.com/product-page/deluxe-powder-measure-with-funnel

 

[necchi]

Lot's of options. I've installed these valves on my horns;
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/81/2/HVP-SM-B
It takes a little thought when installing the bushing,, it's glued in of course but you want it in a position that will place the thumb valve in a comfortable position.
Getting the recomended 15/32 drill bit helps make it a clean fit.
Then there are these;
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/69/1https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/70/2

 

[Sidney Smith]

There will always be a little powder spilled, no matter how careful you are. It's the nature of the beast. The best you can hope for is to minimize how much you spill. Especially now with powder in short supply.

 

[Jim]

At today’s “absurd” prices, ANY spillage is not accepted! . . . .

I have a round, shallow, 5” wide tub that I use under my measure when metering out that “black gold”!

100 percent of the spillage goes back into the original can at the end of the range session.

 

[Phil Coffins]

As I learn how to shoot, I'm finding I'm wasting powder. Going from the Powder horn to a brass powder measure the openings are different and sure enough, even with care, some powder goes on the ground. I've ordered a brass funnel to help. Is there a replacement for the Powder horn, like a measuring powder cannister I can set the grainage on?

My measure is the same as pictured except I removed the flange and funnel. I fill it from my horn with out heaping it up above the top then pore into the barrel. No spillage or hassle. Puzzles me how that that can be difficult.

 

[ohio ramrod]

To eliminate spilling powder I use a measured "tube" on my flask, dump it into my seperate horn measure. then into the barrel. By holding my thumb over the tube. I measure the powder, but use the horn measure to put it into the barrel. A little redondent on measuring twice but it works. For rifles that use a larger charge than the tube, or pistols that use a smaller charge, I use a horn measure that has the desired charge marked , then a large diameter counter bore to allow for any over run that would get spiled. While not as accurate as a "cutoff" measure it prevents spillage of powder.

 

[JamesA]

I pour from a 1lb. container into a container/dispenser that I can regulate the amount I release.

I like the see through so I know how much powder I have left. The smooth funnel bottom insures I don't have problems with bridging. I dispense into either of these,

pistol measure

or this, rifle measure

I put a 9 or 10 inch paper plate on the table, bench, whatever to catch the excess powder. I return the spill to the original container.

For field use, I pre-measure 6 powder loads for the rifle and put them in a containers like this:

This shows them using slugs, powder pellets and the "209" caps. I use none of that. I just pour the powder charge I want in each tube, slip them back into their holder and put them in my possibles bag. It works great. Obviously, don't double the charge in each tube or you may get the surprise of your life.

This is just the way I do it, others may have better solutions. BTW, I have two black powder cylinders for my black powder revolver, preload them at home but I don't cap them until I am ready to shoot.

 

[William Lincoln]

With experience, very little is lost, like a dash of salt now and then. Good lighting
is important for safe loading. These new plastic tubes are handy for pre-loading,
especially if loading in poor light, or hunting--not traditional but reduces spills .

 

[Ames]

No spillage or hassle. Puzzles me how that that can be difficult.

You are right. I can't see them sitting around 250 years ago fiddling around with all these spouts, gewgaws and doodads just to take a shot. While somebody is shooting back!
Me thinks we are overthinking this one. It's not gold dust. Pour a little slower. 2 cents.

 

[JamesA]

You are right. I can't see them sitting around 250 years ago fiddling around with all these spouts, gewgaws and doodads just to take a shot. While somebody is shooting back!
Me thinks we are overthinking this one. It's not gold dust. Pour a little slower. 2 cents.

Glad you have an unlimited supply of black powder, I don't.

 

[Ponderosaman]

I pour from a brass powder holder into a powder measure I made from a twelve gauge shotshell. I hold the measure in my fist to make my hand into a sort of funnel. When I pour it in the barrel, I pour at the back of the opening towards me, my thumb resting on the back of the barrel for support. Works pretty good. Have spilled some, but after some practice, I am golden now.

 

[JamesA]

With experience, very little is lost, like a dash of salt now and then. Good lighting
is important for safe loading. These new plastic tubes are handy for pre-loading,
especially if loading in poor light, or hunting--not traditional but reduces spills .

I actually have four of those 3 tube holders. I can pre-measure a day's shooting at the range and I can always go "native" and load the traditional way if I really want to burn even more powder.

I'm not a traditional shooter by any sense of the word. I just enjoy shooting black powder along with a lot of "unmentionable" stuff.

 

[Ohio.75]

I make paper cartridges excluding round balls for convenience. I measure with one of the brass measures over paper at the table. Anything spilled gets collected.

 

[Les Harris]

I pour over a small box at end of session dump powder using a funnel back into bottle or can . No fuss no mess and it works for me.

 

[2 shots]

i use a round brass flask with changeable spouts. have a large one for the range, smaller one to carry while hunting along with 2 quick loaders. all sizes of spouts available and you can custom cut them to any size you want. i like the push button type better than the lever type.

 

[Woody Morgan]

I have a helluva lot more to worry about than spilling a half grain of powder when loading and if it concerns you that much, maybe you should be more worried about keeping food on the table instead.
That, or some of you just plain need to reevaluate your methods.

wm

 

[Grenadier1758]

I like one similar to this Traditions Measure from Midway USA.
Traditions Hunter Flask Powder Measure 5-120 Grains Brass (midwayusa.com)

The adjustable measure fits securely into the valve on the canister and is filled without spilling any powder. The measured powder can be transferred to the barrel.

 

[.36Rooster]

Gentle tips with the horn will solve your problems my friend, tip slightly into the measure from your horn and back off, check it, tip a bit more, and when you get close, another careful attentive tip should do it. Practice filling your measure a couple evenings at home in your living room.

I Practice the same way i hunt,...no bench, everything you use to load comes from your bag and immediately goes back in it in the same exact place...

It won't take long to get a feel for tipping your horn and sprinkling a little at the end, to the point that you will be doing it with only a single glance for your final tip, as you keep your eyes mostly on your surroundings.

Funnels are nice, yes, but its an extra thing to juggle around when loading from your bag with the butt of the gun on your foot...

My philosophy is, why have more accoutrements to juggle around, carry, lose, or forget at home, when you can just have more skills and tricks for getting by with less...you'll never drop skills and tricks in the snow, leave them behind on a rock, and they won't bury your more essential acoutrements in your bag at exactly the time you need to take them out silently while keeping your eyes on a tiny spec shielded mostly by a wall of brush 40 yards away...

 

[sheriff john]

Getting in a hurry last week to get a shot off right at dusk, I spilled quite a bit of powder onto my old wooden shooting bench (missed the muzzle a bit). Tilted rifle upside down to pour out partial load on ground, poured in new load, rammed patched ball home. It was getting really dark when I overfilled the pan with 4F but brushed out most excess with my finger., closed frizzen.

Didn't/couldn't see excess powder against pan guard. Resulting fireworks inches from my eyes also ignited spilled powder on the shooting bench which I beat out with my cap. Long habit of always locating flask away from where I shoot prevented that problem. My little dog went to the house.

I knew better than to do what I did. Were it not for safety glasses, it could've been far worse. The "pan guard" is now in the spare parts box.