Skip to main content
Live chat will not be available on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor day. We will reply to your request as soon as possible.
Help Center Community Shop

smokeless vs. blackpowder/pyrodex

toad67
Am I correct in my thinking that smokeless powder is measured in weight by grains and blackpowder/pyrodex is measured by volume in grains? In one pound of smokeless there are 7000 grains per pound. Is there also 7000 grains of powder per pound of black/pyro? So would each pound be a pound but the black/pyro would just take up more space? Hopefully not to confusing. Thanks.

Todd
0

Comments

4 comments

Date Votes
  • 11b6r
    50 grains of black powder WEIGHS 50 grains. A "50 grain charge" of pydrodex has the same VOLUME as 50 grains of black powder. It has a different density, but most BP shooters use a powder measure, not a scale- so set your measure to 50, pour it full of pyrodex, and you have the correct load- even tho it does not WEIGH 50 grains. If you poured the same measure full of black powder, and poured it out on the scale, it WOULD weigh (close to) 50 grains.
    0
  • JustC
    7000grs is a pouund, no matter how dense the powder is. Size doesn't come into play,....7000grs is 7000grs
    0
  • dandak1
    11b6r is right on. To avoid confusion when posting or writing about my pyrodex charges, I use the term VE. For example I if i use 35 gns. VE of pyrodex in my 44 WCF that means 35 grains Volume Equivalent (ie: black powder measure set to 35 grains, but used with pyrodex). Pyrodex was designed to be a volume for volume replacement for black powder. It weighs about 30% less or so. I never weighed my pyrodex charges but as previously posted simply set the bp measure for what you desire.
    0
  • Hawk Carse
    Grains are a unit of weight, not volume.
    Volume measure of powder whether black or smokeless is a matter of convenience, not units.
    The Sharps Rifle Company said, about 130 years ago, "For fine shooting it is recommended that powder be weighed on a scale."

    Pyrodex and other fakes have a higher energy content than black so they are manufactured at lower density so that they can be loaded to the same volume as black. A volume measure that holds 80 grains of real black will only hold about 56 grains of Pyrodex but that will give you about the same velocity. Since the main use for Pyrodex and the other stuff is hunting and plinking, volume measure is adequate.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity