Accuracy of BP revolvers (group sizes)

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rodwha, your right of course, my comment about conicals was meant to be tongue in cheek, I may play around with them some day, but for now I have enough variables to work out first.
Conicals were used because of their higher weight/knockdown power I guess? and/or are paper cartridges easier to manufacture with them due to the flat sides?
Crawdad, I was not aware of the Picket bullet. thats an interesting one, I could see how it would be tricky to load that one straight!
 
BigBoom, I don't use conical bullets either as the round ball gives good enough accuracy for my uses. When I hunt in the fall with my revolver I just go with the conversion cylinder and either the 45 Long Colt or 45 Schofield. .
 
I use conicals often. I cast them .488 dia. 250 grain . Slightly slower but more punch. I have made paper rounds glued to the conical for easier reloading. The conicals do shoot different but are deadly accurate also. I use 45-50 grain of 777 with the conical round The attached target was also at 25 yards
 

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Thank you sir . A career in military taught me well.

Does make a difference. I shoot alongside a man that was qualified "Expert" in Army "infantry" . My Navy boot camp, in the 50's we fired 10 rounds from a 22 rifle that had seen better days. I've been trained by gun writers, American Rifleman, practice and more practice. Or as another acquaintance calls it, "reinforcing bad habits" Still a passable shot with a hand gun.
 
I was a HTCS spent years in boiler and engine rooms. Spent lots of time weapons qualifying when I wasn't welding up repair for MM's
 
Seems there are 3 threads now regarding improving accuracy of C&B revolvers.

Reading Driftwood Johnson's thread on shooting BP cartridges:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/shooting-black-powder-in-cartridge-guns.821193/

I learned that using Lee Powder Dippers to charge my cylinders would make for the most consistent powder charge in each chamber. Consistent powder charges usually = the most accuracy or at least take out that variable. I've been using the 30gr spout on my CVA powder flask to charge my C&B revolvers. I note the flesh on my index finger pressed into the spout changes the charge from throw to throw.

I plan to buy a set of the dippers and try charging the cylinders off the gun to see if there is any increase of accuracy. Being where I am (Africa) maybe one of you guys would like to try that out and beat me to the punch. Hint hint...

Edited to add - a standard BP powder measure would work. I just find them to be messy. Will have to play with it some more.
 
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Seems there are 3 threads now regarding improving accuracy of C&B revolvers.

Reading Driftwood Johnson's thread on shooting BP cartridges:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/shooting-black-powder-in-cartridge-guns.821193/

I learned that using Lee Powder Dippers to charge my cylinders would make for the most consistent powder charge in each chamber. Consistent powder charges usually = the most accuracy or at least take out that variable. I've been using the 30gr spout on my CVA powder flask to charge my C&B revolvers. I note the flesh on my index finger pressed into the spout changes the charge from throw to throw.

I plan to buy a set of the dippers and try charging the cylinders off the gun to see if there is any increase of accuracy. Being where I am (Africa) maybe one of you guys would like to try that out and beat me to the punch. Hint hint...

Edited to add - a standard BP powder measure would work. I just find them to be messy. Will have to play with it some more.

Been using Lee dippers to throw blackpowder charges into both speed load tubes and cartridge cases, 45C, for a couple of years now. I carry a powder flask and measure in my kit but its just backup in case I want to shoot beyond the pre-loaded stuff. One cravat mentioned in another thread on loading from speed tubes, a small amount of powder can remain in the tube so I find tapping the tube with a finger removes all the powder.
 
Seems there are 3 threads now regarding improving accuracy of C&B revolvers.

Reading Driftwood Johnson's thread on shooting BP cartridges:
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/shooting-black-powder-in-cartridge-guns.821193/

I learned that using Lee Powder Dippers to charge my cylinders would make for the most consistent powder charge in each chamber. Consistent powder charges usually = the most accuracy or at least take out that variable. I've been using the 30gr spout on my CVA powder flask to charge my C&B revolvers. I note the flesh on my index finger pressed into the spout changes the charge from throw to throw.

I plan to buy a set of the dippers and try charging the cylinders off the gun to see if there is any increase of accuracy. Being where I am (Africa) maybe one of you guys would like to try that out and beat me to the punch. Hint hint...

Edited to add - a standard BP powder measure would work. I just find them to be messy. Will have to play with it some more.

I use a powder measure my father gave me that's meant for rifles that has a funnel that moves. I don't know how consistent it is in comparison but it has to be much better than placing a finger over the spout on a flask.
 
I am trying to determine how accurate(or I should really say precise) a BP revolver can be in somewhat skilled hands?

Just like any modern toy at 25meters (27 yards):
ROA_zps7ejslric.jpg
 
Drobs, you don't need to buy a set of Lee dippers, especially if you're in Africa and would have to pay a premium for them. Make your own dipper from a fired pistol case (black powder capacities for common cases is available online) and a piece of wire for the handle. You can file the case down to adjust the final charge.

The real advantage of a set of Lee dippers is that they're calibrated in cubic cm. There's data that allows you to determine the approximate charge weight with smokeless powder. Other than convenience with black powder, and the fact that they're cheap, there's no need to buy them.
 
Erwan is that your ROA?

Hi Crawdad,

I don't use often my ROA anymore, this is the pistol that I prefer, my best one, but now this gun is also forbidden by the law, so I can shoot with only sometimes in the year and only when I know who are the people around me.

Never mind. I have it since 1976 and I keep the ROA by me because I really like it too much to give to them.

I did this shot wit my Remington NMA58 by ARTAX, pretty good handgun too. It's like an Pedersoli but the brand no longer exists for two years...

A good arme but I suppose that a good shooter can easily do it with a 1858 Pietta too...

Have a nice day. ;)

PS: After looking on a external drive, Pietta just out of the box 2014:

Pietta%20sorti%20de%20boite%202014_zpssc2ztvo2.jpg
 
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If there is a thread on this, please direct me to it, I have not found one as of yet.

I am trying to determine how accurate(or I should really say precise) a BP revolver can be in somewhat skilled hands? I see target groups often without distances, or if its from a bench, 1 hand, 2 hand, etc. and don't have a good feeling for how I and my gun are shooting comparatively. I am trying to shoot better and also get my gun to shoot better, and have improved things significantly on both counts, but want to know how others do, to kind of know where I sit. Also people show targets sometimes, but I am not clear on how many inches across the rings are for some of the targets people use, so not sure what the group size is.

My local range is 7 yards or 25. Interested in 25yards as 7 just seems a bit silly to me. Also, what kind of group sizes do the competitive shooters get? Anyone have any links to photos or videos of them?

25 and 50m:
http://www.crossna.com/forum/files/20130928_141946_232.jpg
Slection_032_zpszspzaln3.png
 
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Here is a Hege Remington at 27 yards.



Here is the Pedersoli Remington as a comparison. See group at 13:49



All in all some pretty impressive groups.
 
A lot of the accuracy with any handgun is more about the shooter than the gun provided it's doing decently.

When I was sighting in my older 1860 Uberti clones (one being branded Uberti and the other Navy Arms) to set the height of my new replacement front sights I was a bit surprised to note that the groups I was producing were ever bit as tight as anything I've gotten from my best S&W modern revolvers. And that was without even messing about with trying to find any optimum powder charge. Just 30gns of powder with a ball pushed down on it and a drop of cooking oil to lube and seal the ball in the chamber. As in I was getting roughly 1.5" groups at around 15 yards. And that's about the best I can do with the old guy eyeballs and nerves.
 
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