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Offline lostintexas

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My first BP mortar
« on: January 31, 2010, 06:18:39 PM »
This is my entry into the black powder realm so get ready for tons of questions.  I got this from armorer77 from the for sale section here on GBO.  I decided to paint the wood base that came with it until I could get around to building a nice one for show and use this one for firing.  Armorer77 said only golf balls so will continue looking for one that will hold up to the steel balls and get in on some of those being made here.  Enough chatting, here are the pics (hopefully):







Now for the questions:
1) Powder and charge - Fg or FFg but how much to start with?  Are pyrodex pellets safe to use (still have some from muzzle loading days years ago)?
2) Patches - After looking at the mortar, I'm thinking simply load the chamber with powder (after answer to #1 above), drop golf ball in and light fuse.  No patch needed and no need to ram the ball home.  PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE - Correct me if I'm wrong on anything!
3) Range - I'm thinking 500 yards is plenty safe and 100-200 is more reasonable but what is the expected range of a golf ball mortar?
4) Anything else?
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Offline GGaskill

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #1 on: January 31, 2010, 06:42:42 PM »
1) Powder and charge - If you are shooting golf balls instead of metal shot, any granulation powder will be OK because the golf balls are so light.  If you graduate to metal shot, then Fg or FFg, depending on the diameter of your powder chamber, is appropriate.

2) Patches - Correct, no patches, just loose powder in chamber and ball rolled in on top.  Even with metal shot.

3) Range - If you use enough powder to get 500 yards range, the flight of the ball will be unpredictable.  It's better to keep the range at 100 yards or less.  With metal shot, I would be uncomfortable with range in excess of 100 yards in a Coehorn style (thin walled) mortar.  A thick walled siege style mortar should be OK for longer ranges.
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Online Double D

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2010, 06:55:33 PM »
Use Fg.  How big is the powder chamber?  How much did Armorer77 say to use?  You can try Pyrodex, but it does not realy work that well in cannons.  Pyrodex needs resistance to build pressure.  Also if you use Pyrodex be sure you clean the gun well after words, just like you have fired corrosive ammo in a rifle.

Find out the diameter of the powder chamber. Got to the sticky at the top of the forum called safe loads and cannon plans.  Look at the graph for small cannons.  Find your powder chamber diameter then look for the load.  That is your maximum load.  Reduce the load to 1/4 of that and start shooting. Work up a few grains at tiem until you find a good load.  

500 yards is optimistic.  400 is a long long golf ball mortar shot.  Mike RC got one that far at last years cannon shoot.  Best I have done is about 300.  Shooting golf balls that far isn't very much fun because you can't see them.  

Shot them at something you can aim at and see the impact.  Lot more fun, especially when hit what you are aiming at.

If Ed said shot only golf balls, then thats all I would shot in it.  With the base, I sure wouldn't shot anything elese in it as it probably going to flip over.  Unless mabe you have the barral pointing the wrong way.
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Offline armorer77

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2010, 09:09:19 PM »
A couple of clarifications . Pyrodex will be a disapointment , fill the chamber with 1F or 2F and you will be fine . The reason I am not making these any more is because the powder chamber is too small to propel a heavier ball with reliability . The chamber is .625 x .750 it holds a teaspoon by volume . 1F will get you about 100 yds 2F will get around 200 yds . Hope this helps . Armorer77
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Offline lostintexas

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2010, 10:07:21 AM »
Great!  Thanks everyone.

Ed, thanks again for answering the question again on load.  I couldn't find the original email that had that info.

Awesome site and thanks for all the great info and help!
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Offline xo18thfa

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2010, 03:06:53 PM »
I did not know that about Pyrodex.  What do you use ?  Regular Black Powder?

Thanks, Bob
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Bob Sorenson
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Hitting the target is a matter of training, hitting the impact area is a matter of safety.

Offline GGaskill

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2010, 03:11:46 PM »
Black powder is the only way to go with muzzle loading artillery.
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Offline armorer77

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Re: My first BP mortar
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2010, 09:02:02 PM »
On my first mortar I experimented with pyrodex , the results were uniformly bad . Pyrodex is a lot like smokeless in burning , it needs pressure . My best range with pyrodex was around 9 feet . Armorer77
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