ApplePie
Member
I'm experimenting with shooting 100 grain .50 caliber darts out of a muzzleloader. An image of these darts is attached. These darts are used to inject drugs into large animals (500 lbs. plus) at distances ranging from 20 to 50 yards. I'm not happy with the current dart guns out there.
Desired muzzle velocity is in the 200 to 250 fps range. I've shot these darts out of an inline muzzleloader with 10 grains of Pyrodex ignited by musket caps with good accuracy and about the right velocity.
I'd like to experiment with 209 shotshell primers and a cleaner burning propellant. A totally closed ignition system will reduce noise and blowback, and I want less-frequent and easier cleanup.
I can try 10 grains or less of Blackhorn 209. Anyone have experience with that powder?
I'm also considering trying very small amounts (starting with maybe 3 grains?) of a smokeless powder like Lil'Gun. I know about the stern warnings against using smokeless powder in a black powder gun, but we are talking about a 100 grain loose-fitting plastic projectile at 200 fps here, not lead at 1500 fps. Only the thin plastic tail of the dart contacts the rifling. The aluminum head is smaller than bore size. Pressures should be very low. For comparison, this is less than half the projectile weight of the lightest 1/2 oz. .410 load. However, I'm wondering if I'll have any ignition problems, or if I'll need to enlarge the flash hole in the breech plug.
I doubt anyone on this forum has any experience with something like this, but I'm hoping for some comments and advice that may save me some time or give me some things to consider that I have not thought of.
By the way, I'm also thinking of having a breech plug machined to fit .22 rimfire blank power cartridges, like used in tools for driving nails into concrete. The different power levels of these cartridges can be used to obtain the desired velocity.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Desired muzzle velocity is in the 200 to 250 fps range. I've shot these darts out of an inline muzzleloader with 10 grains of Pyrodex ignited by musket caps with good accuracy and about the right velocity.
I'd like to experiment with 209 shotshell primers and a cleaner burning propellant. A totally closed ignition system will reduce noise and blowback, and I want less-frequent and easier cleanup.
I can try 10 grains or less of Blackhorn 209. Anyone have experience with that powder?
I'm also considering trying very small amounts (starting with maybe 3 grains?) of a smokeless powder like Lil'Gun. I know about the stern warnings against using smokeless powder in a black powder gun, but we are talking about a 100 grain loose-fitting plastic projectile at 200 fps here, not lead at 1500 fps. Only the thin plastic tail of the dart contacts the rifling. The aluminum head is smaller than bore size. Pressures should be very low. For comparison, this is less than half the projectile weight of the lightest 1/2 oz. .410 load. However, I'm wondering if I'll have any ignition problems, or if I'll need to enlarge the flash hole in the breech plug.
I doubt anyone on this forum has any experience with something like this, but I'm hoping for some comments and advice that may save me some time or give me some things to consider that I have not thought of.
By the way, I'm also thinking of having a breech plug machined to fit .22 rimfire blank power cartridges, like used in tools for driving nails into concrete. The different power levels of these cartridges can be used to obtain the desired velocity.
Thanks for your thoughts!