What's the average loading pressure over BH209?

[tpcollins]

I understand one of the key things to using BH209 successfully is a firm seating pressure of the bullet/sabot over the charge. I've heard of "leaning on the ramrod" as well as 90 pounds on a bathroom scale - just wondering if this is a correct poundage or not?

Whether useful or not, I plan to pick up a used Chilliton force gauge just to play with the effectiveness of consistant bullet seating. I'm just wondering if 60 pounds is sufficient or is 100 pounds really considered more effective? Thanks.

 

[GM54-120]

I would "guesstimate" roughly 60lbs is good.

The only test ive seem showed that after roughly 60lbs there is little or no gain.

A sabot with the correct fit is probably just as important and will hold that seated pressure better.

 

[sabotloader]

tpcollins

I certainly do not shoot BH as much as others and I have not gotten really scientific about measuring the pressure of the seat. I load a snug fitting sabot and purposely make sure that it is seated on the powder colume. I do try to level the colume by tapping the side of the breech area.

The characteristics of BH are not going to allow you to compress it very much. The powder itself s very hard.

You talk about seating with a certain pressure - but if the sabot can not maintain that pressure over time and temp it really does not matter. Just use a sabot that fits your bore firmly and make sure you seat the load approximaetly the same way every time.

There is not need to pound a sabot down or struggle to get it down. It just needs to be firm....

 

[saxman1]

I have not measured the poundage
I'm just trying to be consistant
I do seat the bullet and lean on the rod

 

[Lee 9]

I rigged a spring scale and did some testing, it should be in the archives of Hunting Net.
What I learned is the less than 60 pounds seating pressure is erratic more is ok but does not seem to improve things much, once you have 60 pounds being consistent is the only thing that helps.