Powder compression

[J.Murphy]

This is a minor detail, but it crossed my mind while loading and recording the relative compression of a series of charges for a new bullet trial. I would weigh the charge and then drop it into the case through a 24" drop tube, which would settle it to a level below the level of a powder measure dump and then further compress with a compression die. Is this drop tube reduction included when comparing differing compressiom distances in loads, and what would be the difference if you simply compressed the load and dispenced with the drop tube?

[powderburner]

It seems to be different. Just have to try it and see. The compression is to your seating depth. So its what it is to get there. The numbers thrown out vary with the way its dropped and granual size.

[Clarence]

Murphy,

I measure compression with the drop through a 24" drop tube considered zero.

Clarence

[Coltsmoke]

Ask your rifle which load it likes, drop tube or not. It will probably like one powder charge of each, probably each charge different weight. Only time at the range will tell.

[semtav]

For comparing loads, most people just measure the amount of compression used for the method they use.

Drop tube it, measure it, compress it measure it, figure the difference.

Or dump it in, measure it, compress it measure it figure the difference.

Comparing the number of one method to the other would be pointless.

So if I tell you I compress my load .4 inch.
It means nothing if you don't know which method I used.

As others have said, which works best, only you and your gun will know.

[Woody]

I no longer measure the compression. I insure the powder charge fills 100% to the seating depth. This becomes my start point and I add powder until I find the accuracy I know the rifle is capable of. This compression is not important as it is only relevant to this set to components. (powder lot, primer, case brand, wad, and bullet. When something changes, i.e. powder lot, I start the load development from this point, and add or subtract powder until I find the new accuracy point. Usually it only takes a minor tweak to find it. Compression is not a goal in and of itself, it is just something that happens when loading blackpowder ammunition.

Woody

[bobw]

Well said Woody. Bobw

[Randy Bohannon]

Perfect answer to a old question, Thank you Woody for your clarification.

[Clarence]

I do it like Woody does. My starting point is the powder weight that has no compression but no void, and I work up from there by weight until I find what the rifle likes. Then, depending on the powder, I either weigh charges or set the measure by the desired weight and throw the charges.

Clarence

[semtav]

I think a lot of us just use powder weight and don't bother with measuring compression.

It might help when switching lots of powder but that is subjective too.

[hueyw]

Woody knows!

[Coltsmoke]

There's a lot you don't know and you don't know that you don't know it. We are all in that category some are higher up on the ladder than others. How many times have you been shooting on the line and heard someone say what happened to that shot and the response is I don't know. Figure out what you don't know then learn it and you will win more matches.

[RB1Shooter]

Good response by Coldsmoke! I agree with you whole heartedly.

I believe that far to many folks, when developing loads either: have no goal, have a goal but don't know how to get there or to many simply don't know how to start. The two(2) operative words; whether casting, case maintenance, loading or shooting are "consistency & repeatbility." Without either, a shooter is doomed to follow the endless roads of wrong turns, dead ends, long forks which take you back to where you started, or getting directions from outdated or simply wrong maps.

As Coldsmoke points out, , "learn why..." Good advice! Use it as a positive tool to not only improve your shooting / scoring but, as a self reward knowing that you figured it out yourself.

On the subject of compression; one might rethink the concept as, what is your loads burning efficiency? Determine what factors go into making a specific load work for a specific powder type and weight / volume; assuming you are using the same brass & bullet. Set your goal, then work from there and always work towards that goal, no side roads.

Good shooting!

[marlinman93]

Learning why is good advice. But having just started down the road with loading BP about 2 years ago, I'm not sure most folks I've asked "why" could tell me why on many things they said they do during their reloading process.
Some things like compression depended on which powder brand they used, and the person I spoke to. And many other steps in the process were equally unsubstantiated by anything more than, "It works for me".
That's not entirely bad, as I am new to it all, so it just meant I had to try everything I was told by people I saw shooting BP well, and emulate what worked for them, and made minor adjustments to figure out what my rifles liked best. But after a couple years, I'm still tweaking, and trying for best accuracy.

[bpcrshooter62]

Hi welcome to the world of loading black powder lol what you are doing is a never ending thing we are always looking for a better group (load) good luck and keep having fun !!