Looking at Powder

[smokepolehall]

Ya know there are times when things finally dawn on you. Yeah the ones you just take for grant-it. I am making powder measures from deer antlers n have 20/35/55/65/75 gr, ones made. So i am sitting here n posted in What have you done ML'ing stuff today. It occurs to me that all the measures i made were tried with Trip 7 3 f. So i am looking at my powders n the rest are larger granules in size. So lets take the 20 gr. 2 f Blk. its not holding 20 gr, its 4 gr less of it at 16 gr. Geez i have really not figured on making about 120 measures.

 

[deermanok]

I use a few fixed measures that I've made or bought and I use an adjustable measure as well.
I use the same measures for 2f or 3f black powder, BH209 and Triple 7 2f.
I don't shoot competition, so if I'm off a few grains here or there with different powders, I don't think too much of it.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

That is why things are traditionally done by volume, with 2F Swiss by weight being the "standard" for the measurement.

When it comes to the substitutes, an equivalent volume has the same amount of oomph. And, they are typically less dense, so if you go by weight you really could get into dangerous territory.

 

[Pathfinder60]

That is why things are traditionally done by volume, with 2F Swiss by weight being the "standard" for the measurement.

When it comes to the substitutes, an equivalent volume has the same amount of oomph. And, they are typically less dense, so if you go by weight you really could get into dangerous territory.

With the exception of BH209 I'd say that's an accurate statement. Real black powder has a lot of variations in granule size...larger pieces down to dust. It all depends on how new the container is. BH 209 is different. Not only is it nitrocellulose based but the granules are hollow and tend to be more uniform in size. While BH 209 will vary in density from batch to batch, it doesn't vary in granule size anywhere near as much as real black does. While volume is perfectly adequate and in some cases preferential to weighing when it comes to real black and other substitutes, BH 209 is at its best and safest when being weighed. Having said that, volume does come into play when one settles on what a 100 gr by volume weight actually is for the batch that you're working with.