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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 35
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 35 |
A friend of mine told me that some 12 gauge black powder loads (and some Brown Bess loads) can exceed 2500 ft lbs of energy. I was not aware that black powder could make that much power. Most black powder loads make between 1,000-1,900 ft. lbs. What's the truth?
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 389 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 389 Likes: 4 |
They certainly could. I load a 10 gauge with 1 1/2 of shot (656 grains) and 4 1/2 drams (122 grains) of 3F black powder. This load has a muzzle velocity of about 1300 fps. Using a energy calculator ( https://www.beartoothbullets.com/rescources/calculators/php/energy.htm) this load has an muzzle energy of 2,462 lbs. A Brown Bess uses about a .715 ball (550 grains). You would need to push that ball at about 1431 fps to reach 2,500 foot-pounds of energy. I don't know what the powder charge would be for that, probably somewhere in the 130-150 grain range of powder. Certainly a very stout charge, but not astronomical. So yes, it is very possible, but I would certainly only want to shoot that in a gun that was specifically built to handle it. The recoil would be, shall we say, unpleasant.
“I left long before daylight, alone but not lonely.”~Gordon Macquarrie
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,144 Likes: 37
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,144 Likes: 37 |
Note that ft lbs is not fps. Ft lbs is a function of mass and velocity which is called kinetic energy. A 1/2oz 12 ga slug is .03125 lbs and assume its velocity is 1200 fps.
1/2 x (.03125 / 32.2) x (1200 fps x 1200 fps) = 698.75 ft lbs.
Whoops that is a light slug. Lets change that to a 1.5 oz slug = .09375 lbs
1/2 x (.09375 / 32.2) x (1200 fps x 1200 fps) = 2096 ft lbs
So there you go.
Last edited by Tamid; 04/19/17 10:09 PM.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 35
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 35 |
Thanks guys! Seems like you could load a 600 grain slug into a flintlock and have a hard hitting weapon. I wonder what the pressure would be on something like that.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,183 Likes: 1162
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,183 Likes: 1162 |
I once shot a 237 grain .54 cal. patched round ball out of my .54 cal. Leman Trade rifle, with a 1 1/16" barrel, ahead of somewhere around 240 gr. of Goex ffg. Accidentally!! I won't go into how the accidental loading happened, but it did not involve alcohol, I promise. I have no idea what the foot pounds of energy was on that load, but the tang sight recoiled into the bridge of my nose and laid it open like a knife. In retrospect I believe it would have killed any living thing it was aimed at. It nearly got me. But, no harm whatsoever to the rifle. SRH
Last edited by Stan; 04/19/17 10:20 PM.
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,144 Likes: 37
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,144 Likes: 37 |
Stan, Sounds like you accidentally doubled up on the powder. I use 120 gr. of ffg with a 250 gr. slug in my Hawkens.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,183 Likes: 1162
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 13,183 Likes: 1162 |
More than doubled the intended load, Tamid. I was shooting a 100 yard match, and listening to a joke being told while loading. I guess I proofed it that day. SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 12,743
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 12,743 |
Ft Pounds are dependant on several factors, including projectile weight. To try to put a limit on how many can be produced using black powder is a bit ridiculous. What for instance would be the foot pounds produced by an 1860's era 25 pounder black powder cannon. To make it a bit more relative & limit it to shoulder fire sporting guns how many were delivered by the old 8 & 4 bore black powder rifles, some of which burned as much as 16 drams of powder.
Miller/TN I Didn't Say Everything I Said, Yogi Berra
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,144 Likes: 37
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,144 Likes: 37 |
Ft Lbs are a factor of mass (weight) and velocity and nothing else. If you can measure both variables you can calculate the ft lbs. I don't know what black powder has to do with it.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 12,743
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 12,743 |
Correct; The formula is ˝MV˛. Thus that 25 lb cannon ball would only have to fly about 80fps to reach 2500 ft/lbs energy. The 4oz ball of a 4 gauge would have to make just a tad over 800 fps. Both are quite capable of obtaining higher velocities using Black Powder as the propellant.
Miller/TN I Didn't Say Everything I Said, Yogi Berra
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