doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Pressure vs. Velocity

I do not know who you are calling Mikie?

Surly not me.

Mr. Campbell will have to answer for himself.

Me, I only have a masters degree in Engineering, and 24 year as a Munitions Officer in the Air Force. So little experience here.

And I do NOT own a machine shop, I am happily retired from many years service as a Department Manager at the DOE Pantex Plant here near Amarillo, Texas

http://www.pantex.com/mission/Pages/default.aspx

Bill Johnson, enjoy the day

Mike

No No Skeettx. Mikie Campbell from New Ywk!!!

Hello, Billie,

Good on ya for coming out of the closet. I'd say it's nice to meet you but, somehow, I sense a lack of sincerity....almost sarcasm...in your request for my wisdom.

My credentials for posting my insight on ammo is the same as yours and all the anonymous hundreds who post here....I have a keyboard. That's all that really counts, though I also have 50 years of reloading experience and have put well over 100,000 rounds thru my 5 Fox doubles, much of it that scary factory stuff. I've also made an effort to document the wear and tear they've experienced.

I will say I spent 4 days in Texas and it was one of my nicer vacation days ever. Enjoying San Antonio's riverwalk and the Alamo was enough of Texas for me.

I try not to be a chest thumper but, since we're personally acquainted now, I'll share that I spent 17 years in research inventing and patenting chemical manufacturing processes and another 19 years as a senior development and production chemist entrusted to make 2,000-gallon batches of chemicals with a tank of nerve gas surrounded by a quarter million unsuspecting residents.

These days, my resume and $1 buys me a cup of McDonalds coffee.

Mike Campbell a.k.a. Mike Campbell

Well Mike Campbell,
It is nice to see you can be a bit civil. Still needs some work.
As much as you may not believe it, I really am interested in your opinion, save the condescending attitude. Had you answered my post with an opposing view, less sarcasm, there wouldn't have been an issue. I would have even considered taking your information into account when making future decisions on pressure. We are all here to learn and have fun.

I had no intention of chest thumping. My point was that I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, and I figured you would ask. My resume and .58 cents gets me coffee at MacDonalds. Senior discount.

Now may we have that opinion on pressure?
Please, layout how a person with minimum experience should approach reduced pressures in vintage guns without purchasing factory LP shells, and I'm not be sarcastic.

I shoot a damascus small bore gun so I have a dog in the fight. It is my left hand. Any info that I can get that gives me a edge in keeping that hand is appreciated. I try to be EXTREMELY cautious, and if I am making poor assumptions, I want to know about it. Low pressure, to me, is a serious issue.

Now on a lighter note, if you can tell me how to change my posting name from Ithaca1 to Bill Johnson I'll see that happens as well. I never looked at a posting name as a gauge of credibility until now. There is validity to that.

My apologies to Tom C for allowing his thread to be sidetracked. Now, back on topic.


Bill Johnson
Ithaca1

Keep your handle but put your name in the signature line if you like. That way all your posts will have your name or whatever you like at the bottom. I don't recall how I did it but the computer savvy guys here will tell you how.

Thanks builder. Took another look and figured it out.
See below.

Bill Johnson,

When it comes to shotshell pressures, there seems to be two camps: those who believe there is valid reason to pursue shotshell pressures of <8,000 psi, and those who know it makes more sense to stick with 8-10,000 psi. I can't offer advice to the first camp because I'm firmly in the second.

We've been discussing it for years and, IMO, there is ample evidence to suggest that pressure of 8000+ is desirable. In fact, you outlined some of it in for very first post. I won't rehash it again.

When I ask for data and get "Well, it just seems like a good idea" responses, I guess I can be a sarcastic prick.

But, hey, if the world was always logical, cowboys would ride side saddle.

Mike Campbell,
Thanks for your response. That is much more informative. I assume you are talking about cold weather when sighting my 1st post. Are there other reasons for the 8-10K pressures that are a plus in sxs's. Specifically the guns that Tom C stated.

I'm of the opinion that the lower the pressure the better, as long as the performance is there.

I don't ride horses, to dangerous.

Bill Johnson

I am in the camp that loads for pressures below 8K psi, for my damascus guns. I have recipes that give me all the desirable characteristics I look for that stay around 6K, even below. I can get average velocities of 1190 fps in a 12 ga. Rem. Nitro hull and are way down in the 5K psi range. For the temperatures I use them in, that is fine. Colder climes may find this load very weakened and inconsistent. What works fine in the winter in San Antonio may not be worth a flip in upstate NY.

I feel safe using my damascus guns at pressures of 5-7k psi. Would I feel as comfortable shooting them at 8500 psi? Nope. Didn't say they wouldn't hold up at that pressures, said I wouldn't be as comfortable shooting them at that. My guns, my eyes and hands, so I get to decide. Is this a great country or what?!!!

SRH

Got that right Stan. My feeling line for line. Except, I use 8k max in small bore Damascus. Hope that is not a mistake. I have shot 8.1 through it but I am at 7.2 with my go to load. It took me literally years and a lot of thought to get there. I'm going to reduce my 20ga 7.2k load by 1gr and send them to Tom A for testing. Fudge factor.

Best,
I don't know if I should sign ithaca1 or Bill Johnson. Crap, another issue to figure out but at least I can't loose my hand over it.
Ummm thanks to Mike, I'll sign Bill