Starting Point for filler?

D

deerslayer303

New member
Hello Again,
I think I will start off shooting about 20 grains with my Old Army. I know Ruger says its safe to fill the cylinder with powder only leaving enough room for the ball. But I just need an idea of how much corn meal to use on top of the powder with various charges. Sorry if this has been beat to death.
 
I use 20gr. in my Ruger and no filler and she likes it just fine. I would shoot it with out filler first and if ya thinke it needs filler then put enough in so the ball is even with the top of the cylinder.
 
The ROA's chamber capacity when loaded with a ball totals about 40 grains of powder by volume.
So consider loading a total of 35 grains of powder and filler.
20 grains of powder + 15 grains of filler = 35 grains of volume total.
Then you can adjust the amount of powder and filler from there.
 
Ok, Thanks again. I wasn't sure if 1 grain of meal was the same as 1 grain of bp but I guess weight is weight, but either way its gonna be fun figuring all this stuff out. I'm gonna run various charges through the chrony with the different powders and see what happens.
 
Yeah, weight is weight, everywhere but in black powder.

Black powder is traditionally measured by volume, and while the unit of measure is called a 'grain', it's only the same as a grain of weight when the material being measured is real black powder.

A grain of filler by weight is NOT what's intended here. Measure the filler material using a black powder volume measure; in arcticap's formula you want 20 grains by volume of black powder and 15 grains by volume of filler.

If you intend on weighing your charges, you can use 20 grains by weight of black powder (weight=volume, approximately, for real black powder), but you'll have to figure out a conversion factor for the filler material. Measure out 15 grains by volume of filler and weigh it separately so you'll know what the proper weight is.
 
Thanks mykeal, we may need to start using larger letters & colors for the word volume! :D

arcticap said:
The ROA's chamber capacity when loaded with a ball totals about 40 grains of powder by volume.
So consider loading a total of 35 grains of powder and filler.
20 grains of powder + 15 grains of filler = 35 grains of volume total.
Then you can adjust the amount of powder and filler from there.
Click to expand...
 
Ok much better i think I understand now, I need to get smokeless powder measuring out of my head, I've been doing that for a while and I keep trying to apply the same principles I guess. So like even for my rifle I can't weigh 100 grains on the scale? It won't be the same as by volume? I will have to go to Sportsmans warehouse and get the correct measure. Boy I'm glad I'm asking a ton of questions and doing my homework, LOL I could be missing my face :eek: total NEWB.
 
Weight will change when you measure by volume. When your measure is set
on say 50 grs, sometimes you might be using 45 grs other times 55 grs and
eveywhere in between. Powder will change lot to lot. Me, I'm a serious target
shooter and perfer to weigh all my charges on a scale. When I use 50 grs,
that is excatly what I am using 50 grs. No guess work. Been doing this way
for over 40 years and it works for me.
 
Just eye ball it. Put your 20 grains in, then use a small measuring spoon or something and fill it up so there is about 1/4'' of room and then seat the ball.
 
Im not completely sure about this but i would guess that aslong as u leave enough room for the ball to be seated flush with the end of the cylinder im sure its okay. thats also asumign ur using bp and not a substitute like pyrodex or 777 or somthing of the sort.

-illus1on
 
For those who really want to weigh their substitute powder charges, here's a conversion table:

http://www.curtrich.com/BPConversionSheet.htm

Remember that only with some FFg black powders like Goex will its weight in grains equal its volume in grains.
Swiss powder can weigh 10%-11% more for the same volume of Goex powder and it is also a faster powder.
777 requires loading 15% less volume to equal a charge of any other powder.
 
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