Tap or not (powder measure)?

[Erwan]

happy birthday Erwan! probably a day late now, but congratulations anyway!
joyeux anniversaire Erwan! probablement un jour de retard maintenant, mais félicitations quand même!

Thanks, Deerstalkert, you're not late: this accident only happened to me yesterday.
You know what, the candles cost way more than the cake so this year: no candles................... and no cake either...

 

[Ben Meyer]

I have a custom made measure made out of an antler that holds 80gr of 2F. I fill it to dead even with the top. If I overfill it a tad ill run my finger across it to make it level. No tapping or shaking. Both of my rifles shoot best with 80gr 2F, so I never vary my load. I do have an adjustable powder measure for messing around with but rarely use it anymore.

 

[59sharps]

I know consistency is the key...just curious what most guys do when measuring out BP.

Do you tap your measure to settle the powder first?

Or do you just pour into measure?

Or non-traditional and weigh out your charges?

I use a RCBS or Hornady powder measurer set to weight. For target loads I weigh ea one for team loads I weigh every 10th one. As a check. So even thou it’s volume it’s also volume by weight.

 

[david w]

I don't tap my measure. Even if I did, the results will change after the first shot because of the fouling in the barrel will change the velocity and affect the POI. BP will change with humidity and lot to lot. Sometimes we over think things a bit.

 

[JohnL]

For a large part, I do exactly like Deerstalker (I'm older of one year than yesterday since this morning)...
I put the powder in my old Pedersoli dosing measure, I turn the conical nozzle and I put the powder in the barrel: the vibration is quite natural and constant, I also never tap on the bullet with the ram...

Happy Birthday!!

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Yes I tap. In my school of thought "more is better" and I see no difference between 100 grains and 102.6.

 

[BoomStick]

I pour about 3/4 to 7/8 full, tap the measure 3 times and then top it off. I think whatever you do, as long as you do it every time, you get more consistent results.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I voted 'tap'. But, the reality is use whichever method gives you the best results with your rifle. As others have pointed out, we love this game because of the many nuances involved.

 

[Ranch 13]

If you do go the tapping route, just be sure to tap the same every time if you're after consistency. Other than that it just comes down to what you feel comfortable with.
Or as pointed out some of us a little bit longer in the tooth, have hands that shake like a quake leaf still on the tree in a December wind that it all gets to be a little irrelevant. LOL

 

[pmccoywss]

I know consistency is the key...

I don't tap. It is just one more thing to attempt to be consistent about, where on the measure, how hard, hands cold or hot with different feeling.

I doubt if 1 in 100 (or fewer) can tell the difference in performance when shooting offhand.

 

[Travis186]

I pour my measure until it just overflows, and then tap it to settle the powder, and let the spout scrape the rest off. Seems to deliver the most consistent results for me. End of the day, these guns aren't precision rifles like a whitworth or gibbs, and I don't think the extra care will net you much gain.

 

[Erwan]

Happy Birthday!!

Tks, JohnL.

 

[James Dietz]

I never really thought much on this. I tap.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I carefully pour into the measure. Black powder is measured by volume, not weight. I would never weigh the charge but if I chose to tap the measure, I would do it the same every time. Consistency is the key. JMHO.

Black powder is most definitely measured in grain weight. It is DISPENSED with a volumetric measure graduated in 10 grain increments (powder measure).[/QUOTE]

 

[Greenjoytj]

I don't tap my measure. Even if I did, the results will change after the first shot because of the fouling in the barrel will change the velocity and affect the POI. BP will change with humidity and lot to lot. Sometimes we over think things a bit.

I dispense my charges with a powder measure. I calibrated the measure to throw a know weight of powder checked on my digital scale.
These thrown/weighed charges are individually pack in plastic tubes with lids.
Makes for convenient loading at the range.

No humidity is getting to my powder. Fouling in my barrel effected by atmospheric humidity, maybe, but my patch lube and between shot damp patch out conditions the bore a lot more towards creating a more even homogeneous state within the bore between shots.

The second sentence in the quote makes it sound like the POI of a second aimed shot will strike nowhere near the first shot. That second plus subsequent shots are ones that determine the size of the group.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I don’t overthink it. Just fill the goat horn powder measure and pour in the barrel.

 

[david w]

I dispense my charges with a powder measure. That tool has been calibrated to throw a know weight of powder.
These thrown/weighed charges are individually pack in plastic tubes with lids.
Makes for convenient loading at the range.

No humidity is getting to my powder. Fouling in my barrel effected by atmospheric humidity, maybe, but my patch lube and between shot damp patch out conditions the bore a lot more towards creating a more even homogeneous state within the bore between shots.

The second sentence in the quote makes it sound like the POI of a second aimed shot will strike nowhere near the first shot. That second plus subsequent shots are ones that determine the size of the group.

Apparently, you don't have 100% humidity in Canada, as we have in Arkansas. Secondly, I didn't state the second shot of a barrel that hasn't been swabbed, way off target. Fouling will cause the pressure to go up slightly, and cause a higher velocity. That will cause the POI to differ by a bit, NOT WAY OFF! Jeez, I've been shooting for around fifty years.

 

[longcruise]

Found those figures. These were done with a brass measure. The type with a funnel top that will shear the powder off even with the top. So here are the results.


First, the 10 that were poured and sheared without tapping the measure

93.5
94.1
93.2
92.5
92.8
93.6
94.0
92.8
93.5
92.2

93.2 Average Weight
.63 Standard Deviation
1.9 Extreme Spread

Next, the ten that were tapped and then sheared

94.3
94.2
93.5
93.9
93.8
94.1
94.1
94.0
94.1
94.3

94.0 Average Weight
.25 Standard Deviation
.8 Extreme Spread

So, you can see that tapping is more precise as well as yielding a slight bit more powder.

While I'm completely aware of these differences, I don't tap the measure.

I once bought eight pounds of goex ff at a very good price from a BPCR shooter who had found that that lot of powder was not up to par for goex. Something about water contamination at the Moosic PA plant. He was a top end competitor in BPCR and wanted the very best powder.

That powder worked just fine for me and being from the same lot it made for consistent shooting for as long as it lasted.

 

[gunnyr]

I voted no tap, try to be consistent when around black powder. The SgtMaj says I'm constantly , inconsistent.
Whatever that means.
gunny

 

[appalichian hunter]

I use my own hand made measures some are horn some are cane, and some are what ever caught my fancy at the time, fill level with the top of the measure and down the bore she goes. Nothing for the guns operations is store bought I like to make those type of things, keep me out of the bingo halls.