3F to 2F conversion

[mdivancic]

I'm going to the 14th Va Cav shoot in Saratoga, NY this weekend. I couldn't find any 3F anywhere locally, but I've got 2 lbs. of 2F which I'm going to have to use. Anyone have a good rule of thumb for this moving from 3F to 2F? My Sharps usually uses 42g of 3F.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

In my musket, 43 grains of FFFg works the same as 50 grains of FFg. Your results may vary, but that's got to be close. - Gary

[R. McAuley 3014V]

Just to what degree of concern you should have concerning bullet weight largely depends upon what powder-to-ball ratio you find as the ideal for a particular rifle. For example, in developing the Model 1855 rifle, it was soon established through empirical methods that the ideal powder-to-ball ratio was 1:8, while the French (preferring all things metric) did their best to "fudge" their standard as a 1:10 ratio.

If indeed you have found what appears to be an “ideal” bullet and powder combination for a particular rifle, simply divide the bullet weight (in grains) by the powder weight (in grains), which the dividend forms the approximate ratio. As an example, if your bullet is a 315 grain minie, and you find that 35 grains puts every round fired in the same ragged hole at fifty yards, then perhaps the ideal ratio is 315/35 or 1:9 (i.e. one grain of powder for every nine grains of lead). This ratio also provides you with a tolerance of 9 grains, such that a bullet weighing as little as 310.5 grains versus one weighing as much as 319.5 grains should perform exactly the same as one weighing precisely 315 grains using 35 grains of powder.

Some examples are as follows:

Lee Ashcan (475 grains) at 1:8 approximates a powder charge weighing 59 grains (FFg) or 44 grains (FFFg).

Hodgdon (405 grains) at 1:9 approximates a powder charge weighing 45 grains (FFg) or 30 grains (FFFg).

P-H 575 (575 grains) at 1:10 approximates a powder charge weighing 58 grains (FFg) or 43 grains (FFFg).

If you are currently shooting 42 grains of FFFg in your Sharps, your cheek is going to get awfully bruised using 57 grains of FFg. I think you are going to want to find some FFFg somewhere before the next match, and save that FFg for blowing stumps!

[mdivancic]

OK, I get how you get the ratio of bullet to powder, but I'm not seeing how you got from 42g ffg to 57g fg? Is there a ratio?

[Michael Bodner]

Michael,

If you're going to Saratoga to shoot with the New England Boys, then I suggest you put ALL of your 2F into the gun at once. Ask any of those DOPES to take a shot while you spot for them. They're so dopey, I bet they'd do it!!

Might I suggest that if you drop any rounds on the ground, you kick it all the way back to Statesville before bending over to pick it up!!!

Have fun and say 'Hey' to the folks for me.

[Lou Lou Lou]

Dang Copperhead
Aint got a good word fer nobody. No wonder we done made him skedaddle.

Yore Fren