How warm does it need to be?

[Lou Lou Lou]

How warm does it need to be to work up a musket load? Accuracy seems to fall apart below 32degrees. Any advice?

[Tom Magno, 9269V]

What do you specifically mean that your accuracy is falling apart? First round ok, then after that no good - no good at first shot, ok until 4th shot... Does your musket group ok in warmer temperatures? A little more detail might help us to diagnose the issue.

But what I think you may be experiencing just as a hunch is a failure of your lube - it's probably too hard for the temp you are shooting in. I've shot the snowball skirmish in below zero conditions with no problem (excepting of course no feeling in my extremities) but have to use very soft lube that would otherwise melt right off of the bullets normally... you may have to go to straight crisco in the extreme low temps.

[Lou Lou Lou]

I could have phrased it better. Yes, it used to group, very well in warmer temps.
I want to double check it and or work up a new accurate load.
The lube isnt workin at these temps. So rather than add anther variable to the equation, I was looking for the operating range for " Lens Lube"
It works fine from 70 to 100 degrees ambient temperature. Do I have to wait 50 for 60 degree weather?

Regards
Lou

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I worked in a Fire Direction Control Center calculating trajectories for artillery rounds while I was on active duty in the Army. Powder temperature was one of the variables we compensated for when shooting conventional munitions. Colder powders do generate less muzzle velocity, but I'm not sure how much it matters with short range, direct-fire weapons. Air density, wind speed, wind direction were also factors we compensated for.

With non-conventional munitions, we also compensated for the temperature of the round - I'd have to guess colder lead doesn't expand as well as warmer lead.

There was also a correction factor for how much the earth rotated beneath the round while it was in flight. I've been saving that factoid to use as an excuse at the right moment, but it hasn't come up yet....

[Lou Lou Lou]

It may well be the work of Angels

[iron brigade]

I had that problem last year. rifle was dialed in the cold weather but all over when it warmed up. what i found out is that i needed a new nipple cone. replaced the nipple and all was good again.

[Southron Sr.]

Dear Gary:

The ultimate artillery was during World War I courtesy of the Krupp Company and the Imperial German Army-"The Paris Guns."

If I recall correctly, those guns had a range of 75 Miles. The math involving the firing of each round was phenomenal and most of it was done using paper and pencil and the calculations used a lot of paper! In addition, each shell was a bit larger than the previous one-taking into account the barrel ersoion caused by each shot!

The guns were supposed to cause a panic in Paris-but the shells hit at such random times and so widely apart the French thought that they were bombs dropped by high altitude airplanes! No panic ensued in Paris or France.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

The Paris Gun is an amazing story. If memory serves me right, they took over a Division of manpower to keep in the field. The largest battery I ever served in shot 8 inch howitzers. An HE round was about 200 lbs, which was roughly equivalent to the Paris guns shells - but we didn't have anywhere near the 81 mile range. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-QX_SZwDeE

Another good story is in the book 'The Arms of Krupp'. http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Krupp-Industrial-Dynasty-Germany/dp/0316529400#_ It's a pretty thick book, but the author can really belt out a lot of facts and figures and still maintain an easy reading style. These guys supplied the Europeans arms for generations.