At the Range the Other Day and.........

[kjeff50cal]

Was at the 25 yard range Tuesday (12-13-05) practicing with my Ruger .22 (yes I know I'm posting this in the TMLR&S  :grin: ) when I see and hear a familar smoky Boom!!!! It made my want to kick myself for not bringing any of my sidelocks. During the cease fire I go over to the gentleman with the smoke pole.... unfortunately he was zeroing in his new TC Encore    :twisted:  :roll: to take part in the January ML Deer season. He was using American Pioneer pellets (rabbit pellets to me ) and was sighting it in. Well to each his own and I went back to my .22. A few minutes later another shooter alerted me to something strange  going on with Mr. Powder Pellets target. I look across the range at his groups and down to the left at 4 O'clock of the standard 25 yard pistol target the range issues was a smoking hole!!! Earlier I heard a muffled report from his end and thought nothing of it but the hole began to flare up and pretty soon the target was in flames :shock:  :shock:  :shock: . As God as my witness the gentleman next to me (the one who alerted me) is an Arson Investigator :shock: and he said he has never seen such in his life. Mr. Powder Pellets shouted for the RO who called a cease fire (beleave me NO body was firing at that point) and put out the fire with a bucket of water. My theory is that he was using a two pellet powder charge (100 grn~) and some how the top pellet just burned (like a big tracer :shock: ) instead of detonating and part of it stuck in the target.

kjeff50cal

[slayer]

Crazy story man :eek: I don`t think I will ever use pellets and that is one big reason not to, not totally burning properly. Jack.

[Wynn]

Some years ago, before I wised up and reverted back to sidelocks, precisely the same thing happened to me using Prodex nuggets. Looked like a flare round going down range. That ugly in.... layed around the gunroom for about 5 years before I gave it away.

[Two Bears]

More than likely he was using 3 pellets   150 grains
The people who sell the rifles find it easy to SELL the notion that the newer inlines are made for 150 grains of powder so people the way they are have to have that and think that they NEED to shoot 150 grains because the sales hungry store clerk said so and that it is better.

WHAT AN IDIOT

[El Hombre]

Correct me if this has changed, but the last time I checked, NONE of the pellet manufacturers reccommend using 150 grains (3 pellets).  I know that many of the newer rifles advertise it, but Pyrodex and APP specifically do not recommend it. (Or at least they didn't used to.)

I always figured that had to tell you something. :shock:

[El Hombre]

Correct me if this has changed, but the last time I checked, NONE of the pellet manufacturers reccommend using 150 grains (3 pellets).  I know that many of the newer rifles advertise it, but Pyrodex and APP specifically do not recommend it. (Or at least they didn't used to.)

I always figured that had to tell you something. :shock:

This is from the Hodgon Website

MAXIMUM LOAD WARNING

45 and 50 CALIBER RIFLE:
45 Caliber Pellets come in one size: 50 grain
50 Caliber Pellets come in two (2) sizes:
1) 50 grain volume equivalent which equals 50 grains of loose powder by volume.
2) 30 grain volume equivalent which equals 30 grains of loose powder by volume.

The maximum load per shot should never exceed total Pellets containing more than 100 grains volume equivalent. That means, no more than:


45 Caliber 1) Two (2) 50 grain Pellets
  2) Three (3) 44/45 caliber 30 grain Pellets
50 Caliber 1) Three (3) 30 grain Pellets, or
  2) Two (2) 50 grain Pellets, or
  3) One (1) 50 grain Pellet and one (1) 30 grain Pellet  

CAUTION: Some rifle manufacturers may recommend the use of a number of Pellets in their rifles which exceed Hodgdon's "MAXIMUM LOAD WARNING". Hodgdon specifically disclaims any and all liability arising out of the use of any data which exceeds Hodgdon's "MAXIMUM LOAD WARNING" and the user assumes all risk in doing so.



Looks like they haven't changed their policy. I wonder if this could be the reason for the "flaming target?'

[jgalar]

Sounds like fun! Maybe he didn't have a projectile loaded. American Pioneer comes in sticks anyway and they crush up when loaded, he must have been using something else???

[KING]

  Sometimes interesting things can occur with the pelletized loads.  I too have observed a pellet not totally ignite and instead make like a rather fast moving flare going downrange.  It seems that  if the get a little damp( not soaked as they then fall apart) the may do this.  ...stay safe.....King

[lostid]

American Pioneer comes in sticks anyway and they crush up when loaded,

That's the first thing i thought of. American Pioneer pellets are SQUARE!
The AM.P. powder IS the old clean-shot powder, remember those old white jug's?

Leave it to those that support in-lines to make a square-peg to fit in a round hole :lol:  :lol:  :shock:  :pizza:  :toast:

[El Hombre]

American Pioneer comes in sticks anyway and they crush up when loaded,

That's the first thing i thought of. American Pioneer pellets are SQUARE!
The AM.P. powder IS the old clean-shot powder, remember those old white jug's?

Leave it to those that support in-lines to make a square-peg to fit in a round hole :lol:  :lol:  :shock:  :pizza:  :toast:

Originally The Clean Shot pellets were pellets, then Hogdon sued them for patent infringement (and the fact they were using the name Pyrodex in their advertising- claiming they were a "black powder or Pyrodex substitute") As a result of the lawsuit they chnged the company name to American Pioneer Powder, changed the pellets to "sticks" and no longer call them a Pyrodex substitute.

A wild ride, but a great product, AP Powder is all I use now, I gave all my Black powder and Pyrodex away.

[lostid]

Good for you El Hombre;
 Others should know, that the "charcoal" used to make AP Powders is from the rinds /leftover pulp of orange-juice concentrate processing plants, and it is a good thing to recycle.
 From my personal experiance,,AP is the same as clean-shot. And if any-one opens a can of that stuff ya better know how or expect too use it that day. Cause if you don't it WILL suck-up any and all available water/moisture in the air, and its composition will change.tomorrow!(period)
,
thus this very topic,,,,
,,,,Now you can beat your self up to me trying too explain too me how to "crush" square pelllets in the  round bore of a traditional gun

El Hombre, I believe you are a good man,,but this ain't the forum for AP pellet powder
 Merry Christmas to all

[kjeff50cal]

American Pioneer comes in sticks anyway and they crush up when loaded,

That's the first thing i thought of. American Pioneer pellets are SQUARE!
The AM.P. powder IS the old clean-shot powder, remember those old white jug's?

Leave it to those that support in-lines to make a square-peg to fit in a round hole :lol:  :lol:  :shock:  :pizza:  :toast:

Originally The Clean Shot pellets were pellets, then Hogdon sued them for patent infringement (and the fact they were using the name Pyrodex in their advertising- claiming they were a "black powder or Pyrodex substitute") As a result of the lawsuit they chnged the company name to American Pioneer Powder, changed the pellets to "sticks" and no longer call them a Pyrodex substitute.

A wild ride, but a great product, AP Powder is all I use now, I gave all my Black powder and Pyrodex away.

The "pellets" he was using were round (cylindrical) maybe thay were old.... he said the salesman at Gander Mountain gave him a (pardon the pun) smoking deal on the rifle and accessories because they were not selling in this market (Houston, Tx BTW we invented humidity :-D  :wink: ) and they were shipping the rest back east (PA maybe) where they shoot alot more (pseudo)blackpowder :twisted: (and I have some ocean front property in El Paso.......). Just possible if they (I have been in that GM) MORE traditional blackpowder weapons/supplies instead of the 'neo blackpowder'..... well time to get off my soapbox .

kjeff50cal