Chronographed load resource?

[Speedgoat44]

Is there a thread/sticky on members' chronographed loads with different charges,powders/projectiles/barrel lengths? I'd enjoy seeing what folks are getting in their frontstuffers. I chrono'd a 54 rb load years ago at 1590fps with goex 2f but don't recall the charge. This was out of a 36" barrel.

 

[PastorB]

I've posted several threads regarding chrono results from various guns, both long guns and revolvers, in the last month or two. Tried a lot of different powders in all of them, mostly round ball loads, but I did mix in a few conicals. If I remember correctly they were a .50 cal. Traditions DeerHunter, Pedersoli flint in .45, Pedersoli percussion in .54, original Colt Special 1861 musket, and a Pietta .44 1858. Shouldn't be hard to find. Hope that is the kind of info you are looking for.

 

[necchi]

Is there a thread/sticky on members' chronographed loads,,,,

No, unfortunately,
There's been ton's of folks posting chrono data in random threads since the sites inception, but nothing compiled.
I'll bet a "search" using "chrono" as a word will load pages of topics/threads,,
Ya just gotta sift through'm,,
There's published data in manufacturers hand books and "how to" manuals that can be found but that stuff is usually just guidelines, and nothing like the actual field data supplied by users

 

[Johnny Tremain]

The rifle was easy to get the chrono data from.

First time I took the revolver out, the smoke made it so the gates round not see the round pass.
Soon as the rain lets up (April) Ill try it again, outdoors at a friends private range.

 

[longcruise]

I have chronographed a number of guns, loads, powders, etc. The bige (HUGE) takeaway for me is that the only reliable source of data is derived from your own firearm with your components.

These guns do not lend themselves to the concept of load data that is possible with modern guns and reloading components. What can seem like minor variations can have significant effects on velocity. I'll give one example here. Just one recorded factor.

Two 54 caliber rifles. One with a 28" barrel and one with a 32" barrel. Shot over a chronograph the same day loaded exactly the same with all components. Multiple shots averaged from each gun. The 28" barrel averaged almost 100 fps faster than the 32" barrel. So, "common sense" tells us that it should have been the other way around.

Why did this happen? Well, the only observable difference was that the load was much tighter in the 28" barrel. That barrel was slightly smaller in the bore and therefore the patched ball had more initial resistance to the expanding gasses. The more resistance, the more efficient the burn and resulting in higher velocity.

Playing with a chronograph is a lot of fun and very enlightening. If you are seriously curious about the ballistics of these guns, get a chronograph. There is much to be learned.

 

[hanshi]

I've done a bit of chronographing of a few ML guns and found out some things that can render velocity comparisons not very meaningful. Even with the same caliber, barrel length, powder and charge it's not always easy to duplicate. For example: .40 caliber and do you use a .390" ball or a 398". What about patching material? I was testing velocity of my .40 some time back and just changed the patch material and got a nearly 200 fps boost in speed. Then what lube do you use and is it the same lube used by the shooter who posted the results of his chrony session? What I'm getting at is it's near impossible to duplicate the conditions with which someone else used for their numbers. Chronographs range from reasonable cost to downright cheap and they all work well.

 

[Speedgoat44]

Thanks for the replies! I agree that every gun/load combination is highly individualized and hard to generalize to anything outside of that particular combination. It's still helpful for me to see what others are getting though, if only to understand what possibilities exist. In the end, it's probably about load development and chronograph time. For me that's a summer activity - too busy with bird hunting and coaching during the school year. In the meantime, any other leads would be appreciated! I'll also be using the search engine as suggested. Thanks!!!