How fast will it go?

[hotfxr]

Had a friend from back home (Alabama, way back) and got a chance to do something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Took the Mongrel modified .45 CVA Mountain Rifle and the .50 Ardessa Hawken (along with some sundry modern metal projectile spitting hunks of metal) and sat down to shoot through a chronograph.
Results:

Ardessa- .50 cal, patched round ball, 60 grains 3f, 5 shots average- 1812fps

The Ardess started fowling up after the 4th shot enough that if it hadn't it would have bumped up the speed another 10 fps. We did another couple of shots and it dropped of significantly. (I know I should have cleaned it but I wanted to see what it would do)


CVA- .45 Cal, patched lead round ball, 55 grains 3f, 5 shots average-  1776 fps
patched machined .440 brass round ball, average- 2115fps

I was surprised by this, I thought the .45 would be faster than the .50. I was not surprised by the brass ball's increase but did not think it would be that much. The .45 did not foul up at all even after 20 or so shots. I guess that is the difference between a new barrel and one that has been well used. Every day is a new learning experience I guess. Now off to clean a dozen or so firearms. Oh boy!

[Hawken50]

   Very interesting.....

[pilgrim]

    what was the weight of the .440 Lead round ball versus the .440 Brass round ball???     I suspect the Brass round ball was much lighter and that could be why the big difference in fps.

[hotfxr]

    what was the weight of the .440 Lead round ball versus the .440 Brass round ball???     I suspect the Brass round ball was much lighter and that could be why the big difference in fps.

I can't remember just how much they weighed, I'll check it again later. I wholeheartedly agree with your suspicions that the lighter ball will go faster. The other thing about them is that they are perfectly round and very smooth. Almost like ball bearings. It's a good thing that I now have a healthy set of brass ones, right?   

[Patocazador]

You were comparing apples and oranges .. and brass.

No comparisons can be made because only one variable can be changed at a time to make a valid comparison. You had different guns, barrels, loads, and ball material.

(It looks like how modern drug companies show results.) 

[pilgrim]

You were comparing apples and oranges .. and brass.

No comparisons can be made because only one variable can be changed at a time to make a valid comparison. You had different guns, barrels, loads, and ball material.

(It looks like how modern drug companies show results.) 

     as I read,  hotfxr  did the comparison shooting the CVA .45 to compare the brass rb with the lead rb

    it would take a very thick patch to shoot a .440 rb from the .50 Ardessa   sure someone here has done it though

[Patocazador]

"CVA- .45 Cal, patched lead round ball, 55 grains 3f, 5 shots average-  1776 fps
patched machined .440 brass round ball, average- 2115fps

I was surprised by this, I thought the .45 would be faster than the .50. I was not surprised by the brass ball's increase but did not think it would be that much."

I thought this was what he was surprised at .. the velocity of the .45 PRB vs. the .50 PRB.

I guess he will have to tell us what he was testing and why.

[pilgrim]

"CVA- .45 Cal, patched lead round ball, 55 grains 3f, 5 shots average-  1776 fps
patched machined .440 brass round ball, average- 2115fps

I was surprised by this, I thought the .45 would be faster than the .50. I was not surprised by the brass ball's increase but did not think it would be that much."

I thought this was what he was surprised at .. the velocity of the .45 PRB vs. the .50 PRB.

I guess he will have to tell us what he was testing and why.

      I see now.     Thanks  Definitely can't compare,  as you stated already. 

[hotfxr]

If the truth be told, I was actually using two different rifles to test two different powders. In that test, using both rifles with the  same constants,(powder volume, ball size, patch thickness, heck, I even weighed out the lead balls to make sure they were all the same size) I was hoping to get a useful comparison of the two different powders in a few different scenarios, but keeping an apples to apples contest going. That I did, but given the origins of one of the powders, I chose to leave that factoid out of the post and thought it would be of interest to see what our front stuffers do, velocity wise. So I will defend by interpretation of the scientific method, but at the same time give props to you guys for looking beyond what was printed and forcing the whole story out of me. That is one of the reasons I like this forum so much.