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I recently picked up a LabRadar Lite unit, mostly for use with my centerfire rifle load development. I was checking the zero on my Accura MR this past weekend, so I decided to try out the LabRadar.
In the past I used an optical chronograph, but I had avoided using the optical with a sabot firing ML due to (possibly overblown) concerns of chrono impact with the sabot. This was the first velocity data I had obtained for this ML using BH209. I thought I'd share it as a data point and possibly for general interest.
The muzzleloader is an Accura MR nitride, with a Lehigh Defense breech plug/vent liner combination.
The load is 110 gr volume equivalent of BH209. The loads were pre-measured by the weight equivalent, using a Lee Precision powder throw and then a Redding trickler to fine tune the last few kernels to provide a consistent weight.
Projectile was a 300 gr Hornday SST ML bullet with a MMP HPH24 black sabot.
I fired 6 shots, and here's the LabRadar data:
1782 fps muzzle velocity was less than I had expected, based on the data Western Powder published for BH209 in muzzle loaders. Of course I never knew the barrel length Western used. But the load was consistent , with a single digit SD.
Since LabRadar can also calculate the BC of a projectile, the calculated G1 BC average of .256 compared reasonably well to the Hornady published value of .250.
In the past I used an optical chronograph, but I had avoided using the optical with a sabot firing ML due to (possibly overblown) concerns of chrono impact with the sabot. This was the first velocity data I had obtained for this ML using BH209. I thought I'd share it as a data point and possibly for general interest.
The muzzleloader is an Accura MR nitride, with a Lehigh Defense breech plug/vent liner combination.
The load is 110 gr volume equivalent of BH209. The loads were pre-measured by the weight equivalent, using a Lee Precision powder throw and then a Redding trickler to fine tune the last few kernels to provide a consistent weight.
Projectile was a 300 gr Hornday SST ML bullet with a MMP HPH24 black sabot.
I fired 6 shots, and here's the LabRadar data:
Stats - Average | 1,782 | fps | BC - Avg | 0.256 | |
Stats - Highest | 1,798 | fps | BC - High | 0.257 | |
Stats - Lowest | 1,774 | fps | BC - Low | 0.253 | |
Stats - Ext. Spread | 24 | fps | BC - ES | 0.004 | |
Stats - Std. Dev | 9 | fps | BC - StDev | 0.002 |
1782 fps muzzle velocity was less than I had expected, based on the data Western Powder published for BH209 in muzzle loaders. Of course I never knew the barrel length Western used. But the load was consistent , with a single digit SD.
Since LabRadar can also calculate the BC of a projectile, the calculated G1 BC average of .256 compared reasonably well to the Hornady published value of .250.