Swiss 1Fg Prowder Compression

[opencountry]

Obviously it’s nice to purchase powder of the same lot number to avoid having to work up a new load with powder of a different lot number.
I purchased Swiss 1Fg powder when it was scarce, and where I found it, about five or six months ago.
I’ve found quite a difference in granule size in different lots of powder. I just ran out of one lot which shot very well; its granules were small. A new lot I’m experimenting with now has larger granules, and fills the case much higher.
My question is this - should I stay close to the same compression value as my older load, and use less poly filler wads? Any recommendations would be helpful.
Robert

[Coltsmoke]

Load to the same height in the case, not the same weight. Leave the wads the same.

[desert deuce]

In reference to Swiss Powder:

While realizing that I am inviting the criticism from the masses of misinformed shooters the question you ask is exactly why my baseline in loading for black powder cartridge rifles is volume. WHY? Because you are dealing with powder column height in the case which is accurately measured by volume, not weight, when transitioning from one lot of the same granulation of Swiss powder. I see sometimes over 4 grains difference in weight from lot to lot of the same volume of Swiss 1.5, 2 & 3FG.

With 1FG Swiss & 1FG Goex I just do volume and do not weigh, so far. For 45-70 both brands like a lot of compression with the 500 gr govt bullet.

ALL powder measures that I use for black powder meter and dispense the charge of powder by volume.
Belding and Mull by a charging tube and Lyman 55 by a rotating drum.

With that said, one lot of 2F might like .080" compression and the next lot .165" compression and the only way to know is listening to the target.

I have a sneaking suspicion, unverified of course, that bullet weight may have an effect on how much compression a specific load prefers.

[opencountry]

Thank you Desert Deuce and Coltsmoke.
But, with less weight won’t my trajectory be different? I guess I’ll know when I test.
Robert

[martinibelgian]

Well,

I'm exactly the opposite - I go by weight, not volume. I believe weight is a better measure of the energy than volume. I don't care about the compression, it's a result, not a goal.

[opencountry]

My mind is open. This is interesting. I’ve always maintained the same trajectory by loading by weight from lot to lot with Goex and Swiss. I want to experiment with this ‘volume’ technique just to see for myself.
Robert

[Coltsmoke]

I load by weight also, but when changing lots I load the new lot to the same height in the case and then weigh it. Then I use that weight to load the new lot. Then if that don't shoot, start from ground zero and start testing.

[mike herth]

How consistent are the powder measures in dropping the desired amount of powder to attain the desired column of powder? Is there much variance in the column height, assuming all cases are exactly the same length? So seating depth remains constant and adding more powder just increases compression until you get the desired accuracy. If I understand this process correctly, there is no further need to weigh each charge using powder from the same lot. Right?

[desert deuce]

I should have mentioned that the test by volume is the

starting point

in deciding the best accuracy with a new lot.

Accuracy being the goal rather than velocity. One minute vertical at distances beyond 300 yards to 1,000 yards make me happy.

Seldom if ever the same and occasionally close to the same realized accuracy at given distances by volume or weight.

Still searching for that elusive golden 100% always correct solution to the question. Good luck in finding it.

[desert deuce]

In answering Mike Hearth; what I do know is that shooting in moderate to high level competition success is 96% mental and 4% other.

Whatever it takes to properly calibrate that critical six inches between the ears is what the rifleman must do to succeed and most all of that calibrating takes place before the command to FIRE is given.

With that in mind the old adage of, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," may apply here. Why would one not entertain the practices of the shooters that consistently shoot in and win matches rather than those that primarily write about it?

[opencountry]

Thank you all, everyone. I’m learning things here, and appreciate your feed. I’ve shot in competition off and on nearly all of my life from age ten where I competed in indoor NRA youth .22 rifle shoots; later I shot centerfire benchrest shoots. I’m seventy-two now. I’ve always packed a rifle with me wherever I’ve traveled because I love shooting.5 I’ll say, the most challenging has been mid to long distance Sharps shooting. I’ve enjoyed it more that any other. I love it like you all do. From spring to fall I do a lot of load testing at daybreak when the sun just breaks the horizon. Once I get a load working for me I head to the range or open prairie or canyon to compete against the wind, and myself. I’ll say this, and I think many would agree, a good marksman with fair loads can outshoot a poor-to-fair marksman with the very best of loads. And, I’m somewhere in between relying on the best of loads.
Robert

[Luke]

Getting a B&M and learning how to use it lets you go either way: use weight to set your volume, then monitor to maintain. Or use volume to set your weight, then monitor to maintain. Along with case volume, settling, and compression.

[opencountry]

Does the B&M have a trickler built into it?
Robert

[Woody]

No the B and M does not have a trickler. It's just a drop tube. The modern MVA measure is an upgraded Belding and Mull. Both work very well for dropping consistent measurements.

When I buy powder, I try to buy at least one case and more recently two cases at a time. That allows me to work up a load and forget for a year or two. Recently to bought two from Baco. It's been a couple of years since I bought some. I'm good for this year with the remainder of my previous supply. Next year I'll play with this year's purchase. I have enough primers and lead to run through all I currently have. You have to look at the long picture, even when your wallet is a short term item.

Woody

[desert deuce]

What Woody Said!