I saw the results of his testing on another forum. He also did a series of tests with just the prime in the pan and photographed the flash into the barrel.
The results showed something that I had believed for years was wrong. The strongest flash into the barrel and the fastest ignition times were the prime was just under but not covering the flash hole. The case where the powder was bunched to the off side away from the flash hole, the way I have been doing it for years, was the slowest and had the weakest flash into the barrel.
The timing difference of ignition between all three configurations was not enough for a human to detect. I was more impressed with the amount of flash entering the barrel rather than the timing.
Mike, I read that same thing awhile back on the Cast Bullet forum.
And, like you, I realized that all that good teaching I got back years ago was nothing more than speculation, and was propagated in error each and every time it was told and passed on.
Things like this make me wonder about other things too..............
-Was this and numerous other things actually done "wrong" all these years, or did they get turned around a bit in the "tellin"?
-Are we actually more advance, understand more, and do things a whole bunch
better than they did in the old days?
-The marksmanship we hear so much about, from the old days...was it really that much better? Or, has it been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d a bit in the "tellin"?
-With times and prices being what they were in the old days, did they practice as much as we do today?
-Did the simple carrying, cleaning, care, and life dependency of their muzzleloaders produce a better marksman?
-Was "old fashion" lube, powder, and ball that much better than it is today?
-Were the guns more accurate then, than those made now?
Many, many questions linger in the mind, and certainly makes one wonder where the real truth actually lies.
Still yet, we love the stories and try hard to emulate "exactly" what they did....right or wrong.
It's all part of the game, and every last one of us seems to thrive on it..... And, is that
not "exactly" how it should be?
Just wondering about others thoughts......
Uncle Russ...