Author Topic: Black Powder Sensitivity (Read 735 times)

mam40k · « **on:** November 04, 2005, 03:41:17 PM »

Being new to Black powder I was wondering how it reacts to temperature. Does the sight settings on your rifle change a great deal over temperature variations?

Cottonwood · « **Reply #1 on:** November 04, 2005, 03:51:00 PM »

Simply no.

iowa · « **Reply #2 on:** November 07, 2005, 04:38:13 AM »

mam40K: Ambient temperature per se does not have much effect on the burning characteristics of the BP powder compound as near as I can tell from some controled experiments. Significant temperature differances however can effect nitro powder composition. What often happens, I believe, is with temperature change, comes a change in air density. The air density change can truly effect bullet flight, velocity,and impact points; which is often confused with "temperature" effect on the compound of BP. Best regards steve witt

cooper · « **Reply #3 on:** November 07, 2005, 08:13:38 AM »

iowa is exactly right.

Your sight wettings WILL change, but they will change in the same direction as if the temperature caused an increase in the powder burning rate.

That is, if an increase in air temperature made the powder burn faster and increased your muzzle velocity, the increase in temperature will also decrease the density of the air, resulting in less air resistance, and making your bullets strike higher on the target.

You can't separate the two. The only way to tell for sure is to use a chronograph. From the limited chrono testing I've done on this, I would say that the air temp has only a minimal effect on MV.

mam40k · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2005, 04:10:56 PM »

Thanks for the information guys.