How critical the nipple?

[TexiKan]

Every time a friend of mine goes to Friendship, he comes back with some new information. He remarked how some shooters attributed better accuracy to changing nipples on their guns because the other nipple was "blown out." According to him, after the switch, accuracy improved. I am not sure about this dramatic impact. I have checked the nipple on my gun and I cannot detect any changes.

So, those of you who might do this or are associated with excellent marksmen, I would appreciate some input!

TexiKan

 

[Stumpkiller]

The larger the hole in the nipple the more gas can escape. This, combined with powder and fouling blowing out, reduces pressure and can make a less consistant muzzle velocity. But then target shooters tend to sweat every detail, rightly so, and are more critical of such things. The caplock will still work and a nipple usually lasts for thousands of shots.

As a cheap test: small paperclip wire should pass through but not a large paperclip wire.

 

[Fred_Dwyer]

I believe part of the problem is that the erosion of a stainless nipple is so slow; a person may not notice the change until many shots later. Just a slow degradation of groups, that one may chalk it up to aging eyes. Then change the nipple and WOW, lookit at that! shoots like it used to!
In all fairness, you could probably adjust the load and get it accurate again with the eroded nipple; but it's much faster and cheaper to just replace it.
The hole is so tiny I'm not sure you could see the wear; it would take a supply of precision wire feelers of different gauges. A little erosion goes a long way. The area of the hole varies with the square of the radius. The size of the hole affects the size and shape of the jet from the cap and the amount of blow back after ignition.
Heck, when in doubt, replace it.

 

[Rifleman1776]

When I lived near Friendship I knew most of the top shooters. Most of them rountinely changed nipples before every big shoot. However, with time I have come to the conclusion this was more of a ritual than necessity. It is probably a hold over from when the only nipples available were soft steel and subject to burn out with a lot of use. Today's modern nipples will last longer than the energizer bunny.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Many hardware stores, and any welding shop will sell inexpensive wire gauge sets- used to measure the orifice in the heads of the acetylene torches-- that can also be used to measure the size of the hole in the nipple.

Mine was sold as a " Tip Cleaner" kit, rather than a gauge, as the wires contain some abrasive to cut out cooked on crud. My kit comes with 11 different size wires to it.

I would never use these Abrasives to clean a clogged nipple, however. :shocked2: Hot water and soap do the job just fine. :bow: :surrender:

The Cheapest advice for measuring a go-no/go gauge for your nipple is as recommended by Stumpkiller. :thumbsup: Find a small paper clip, and a large paper clip, and " "Appropriate them" for you range box. The smaller diameter wire used in a small paper clip should pass through the orifice(hoe) in your nipple. The larger wire used in the larger paper clip should not. ( When I first tried this test, I found that the end of the wire was "pinched" by whatever cutter was used, and I had to file the wire back to "round" before it could be used as a gauge.)

WHEN IN DOUBT, CHANGE THE NIPPLE(S). :hatsoff:

 

[necchi]

Like Stumpkiller said they do wear out.
It's called gas cutting in my neck of the woods and the differance in the orifice is usually too small to be seen with the naked eye.
As he said, the hole begins too open and the pressure escapes from the nipple end instead of the muzzle. Hammer blowback is sometimes seen, the hammer will come back to halfcock.
I see this happen around 250-300 shot's with my loading technique.
The group does open because of the changed/varied pressures, and like said it's a big deal for the Target shooter.
It can change a one hole 50yrd group into 1 1/2-2"s and a 3" 100yrd into 4-5"s,, so it's not a big deal for casual shooters or hunters.
For those Target shooters hunting the elusive X (or cutting a string at 50yrds) it's all about consistancy, and a good nip that keeps the hammer down is one of those issues.
I go through 2-3 nip's a season and will happily "gift" an old nip too fellow competitors or someone who's lost theirs and just wants to shoot.

 

[ohio ramrod]

The nipples do "burn out" over time. The heavier the powder charge and heavier the projectile the faster. Some long range bench shooters using slugs and heavy powder charges may change nipples every 25 shots (unless they can afford platinum lined nipples). But for light charges and prb a good ampco nipple will last easily up to 1000 shots. Soft steel and hardened steel not as long. So there is no definate answer. I myself like a nipple with a hole between .025 and .032 . :idunno: :idunno:

 

[Jason Lewis]

texikan, i shoot long range and in our game we use platinum lined nipples, actually they are critical for sustained accuracy with the long range rifles. our rifles and their long heavy bullets will burn out a steel nipple in about 20 shots or less, with the platinum lined ones they don't burn out untill well about 500 rounds or so.

 

[TexiKan]

Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try a new nipple and see if there is any perceptible different in my target accuracy. The odd thing is, in all the years I have been in this hobby, this is the first I have hear of this phenomenon. Guess I need to hang around better shooters.......and as one said, no longer attribute the wider groupings to aging eyes!

 

[Stumpkiller]

If you find a nipple that compensates for aging eyes . . . get two. :haha:


Didn't work for J. Howard Marshall or Grocho Marx. :rotf:

 

[ohio ramrod]

Stumpkiller I was about to post a reply about you needing a nipple to accomadate older eyes. But then I remembered Claude said he would bar anyone posting posts not considered proper for our younger members . So I cann't post it. :idunno:

 

[TexiKan]

Heck, aging eyes have enough trouble seeing the nipple to put the cap on it! But if I get one of them super-duper-extra-premium-ultra-hot-shot nipples....well, my aging eyes may just feel a whole lot better!

 

[tiger955]

These cap guns are soooo complicated! Maybe I should just stick to my flinter? :surrender:

 

[Rhett Griffith]

I've been working up a load for an English target rifle I built for a guy. After I found a fairly good load, I stopped replacing nipples every 20 shots just to see what the result would be. The load I was using was 90 grains of FFg behind a 535 grain slug. After about 25 shots, the groups went from one inch at 100 yards to 3-4 inches. After another 10 shots, I had to stop the experiment because the group had grown to about a foot across and the bullets were sometimes hitting the target stand! :shocked2: When I removed the nipple, the flash hole was visibly enlarged compared to a new nipple. This is the first time I have shot a target gun like this, but it would seem that using new nipples or platinum lined nipples is critical for this kind of gun.