Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: No Powder on February 12, 2026, 10:47:25 PM
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Most everything I've read about black powder claimed it was an inefficient burning powder. And I've read where chonographs cannot detect changes made by adding 1-4 grains of powder. So when working up a load for a rifle, I add or subtract in 5 grain increments. Am I correct in doing this or should I be adding or subtracting in 1-4 grain increments when tweaking a load. Everybody has an opinion, so lets hear what those opinions are.
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Well I've always been told 5 gr increments.
.don't know why 5 gr but that's what I've always heard.
I'll be doing some Chrono work, hopefully Saturday if the weather holds . Working up a load for my .45 auction gun.
I'll try small changes and see if my old technology chrony can't tell the difference.
I recently watched a video by lame beaver and he states BP is only about 45% efficient
Poking around the interweb seems to support that.
Kevin.
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I'll throw my hat into the ring.
For working up a load, I think your 5-grain increments are perfectly reasonable to start. That'll get you into the "accuracy window" efficiently. Once you find a promising node - say it tightens up at 70 grains - then it can make sense to experiment in 2-3 grain tweaks if you're chasing a competition-level load. But most guns won't show enough difference to justify fussing in 1-grain steps.
Personally, my rule of thumb:
Hunting load development- 5 grain increments all day long.
Match tuning / paper punching- Find the node in 5s, then fine tune in 2-3s if the rifle seems sensitive.
And honestly? With black powder firearms, patch/ball fit and consistent loading technique usually matter more than 2 grains of powder either way.
Then again, you may not want to take advice from someone with the forum handle of "Second-rate Marksman"... ;)
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"Black Powder" is in the low end of explosives whereas smokeless powders (including BP subs such as Pyrodex, 777, Blackthorn, etc) are not considered "explosives".
When a trad muzzleloader touches off, that's an explosion ... when a smokeless cartridge is fired, that's expanding gas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV1KO2Uj3y8
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Eric said it well. Everything about consistent accuracy is all about consistency of Everything - load components, the process of the load, the bbl and lock, and the brain and trigger finger of the shooter (which usually should be first in this short list).
I do 5 grain graduated load tests as well.
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Thanks for the input fellows. Appreciate your comments and opinions. Kind of interested in Kevin's findings. But Kevin, concentrate on your load work up, and not on what several grains of powder will show on the chronograph.