An excerpt from "The Complete Blackpowder Handbook" (2006, 5th Edition, Krause Publications, USA, ISBN 978-0-89689-390-0) by reputable expert Sam Fadala (bold highlights are my own edition):
"(...) Giving the Lie to the Pet Blackpowder Load
I didn't think that Pet Loads with half-grain blackpowder charges made sense. The chronograph proved the point once and for all. This was an easy test. I used the very rifle that was claimed to do its best with, if I recall, something like 60.5 grains of powder. The chronograph proved that no velocity or SD difference existed between 60.0, 60.5, and 61 grains of powder.
Blackpowder is not sufficiently efficient to show differences between miniscule charges. Nor are blackpowder substitutes. This does not take away from careful loadbuilding. Not at all. It simply shows that half-grain blackpowder charge variances are insignificant. This is quite untrue of smokeless powder. Also, as bore size diminishes, small changes in powder charge have more meaning. Regardless of this fact, muzzleloaders in bore sizes 32-caliber to 2-bore show no value in varying tiny increments of powder charge. I also have no faith that half-grain blackpowder increments do anything in the blackpowder cartridge. The chronograph proves it.
My "new" black powder revolver, a second hand purchase from another fellow shooter (who, in fact, just barely used it), a Italian made, Pietta, replica of a 1858 "New Army" Remington .44 just went trough a "sights trial" session on April 23rd 2011 at the Carregueira (Belas, Portugal) shooting range - planning to use it for MLAIC competition (ISSF precision target at 25 meters / 27 yards with a 200 mm / 8 inc bulls eye).
Using a load of 16 grains of FFF black powder and 14 grains of corn semolina, with Davide Pedersoli .454 round ball (approx. 140 grains), sealed with common vaseline, there's a drop on the impact point of approx. 15 cms / 6 inches. I was unable to use the classic 6 o'clock hold (sights with a white spacing just bellow the lower section of the bulls eye), and only with the sights converging on the top of the paper limit I was able to do some preliminary group testing).
16 grain powder and 14 grains semolina loads
on the "ready to use" Eppendorf tubes
With a "impossible" alignment of the sights,
just on the upper limit of the target paper,
grouping was approx. 15 cm / 6 inches lower.
The left deviation comes from the absence of horizontal references when aiming so high
- the barrel blocks the bulls eye and all aiming is done "staring at the white"
The front sight is quite high - approx. 4,5 mm / 1/6" inch from the "V-ish" shapped base - and some file work will be the next task - of course more shooting, notes and measure should take place due to the irreversible nature of this "hard" intervention.
The amount of "file work" to be done can be estimated by the sight radius (25 cms) divided by range distance (25 meters) times distance off center of target (approx. 15 cms). On the present case this should be close to 1,5 mm (almost one third of the factory size of the front sight).
That would allow a "on the spot" sight in - but the 6 o'clock hold requires a higher impact point (a white space section plus half the size of the bulls eye - so, 200 mm / 2 = 10 cms for the bullseye and lets add some 5 cms for the white space., another 150mm to manage) - the overall impact would be quite impressive on the filing of the front sight (approx. 60% "down").
Another corrective measure could be, off course, to increase the powder load - but, first of all, I'm already using 16 grains - right on top of Pietta's recommendation and, furthermore, and the real "key argument" for not increasing the load, I will need to use some extra ("hot") loads to deal with the 50 meter / 55 yard "D. Malson" MLAIC competition. If I get a "to much hot" load for the standard 25 meter I will be unable to "upgrade" it for the 50 meter. And, last but not least, let's not forget the physical limitations of the cylinders - the round ball, on top of the semolina and powder must be bellow the "cut line" where it comes in contact with the barrel - and there's not that much "room left" even with "standard loads". And no - I will not reduce or cut the semolina - has some "hardcore" shooters might suggest. Good practises are to be kept!
Pietta recommended min-max loads for the .44 Reminton 1858
My "work bench" for MLAIC competition at the shooting range
Disassembling my 1858 for cleaning
Close up on the cylinder .44 "tubes" and on the octagonal 8 inch barrel
My "enhanced training" diploma - ISSF 25 meter pistol
by Domingos Rodrigues
The coach video recorded all the shooters for in-class debrief
The main topics that enabled me to improve my technique and score were:
Time control. To always use a chrono / timer on all actions. In particular upon the "loading" command to keep track and reproduce all movements within a time interval - 20 to 30 seconds to load the 5 bullets, and take the remaining of the 1 minute to sight in...
Sight in and keep eyes up. While sighting in, on the time remaining after loading, keep eyes levelled up - like "waiting" for the sights to pop in front, between you and the target. Do not bring your eyes down to the bench following the pistol when you lower it between sight in essays. Do not focus on target. Get your brain "addicted" to the sights - eyes levelled, waiting for the comfort of the sights to pop up.
This routine, with the timer and attitude "pro sights", reduced (a lot!) the pre-shoot anxiety and lead to a shorter and more positive "step in" on each of the 5 shooting series. Control, control, control.
March, 26th, on the Benelli Tournament, I broke my personal record on this discipline - with a score of 528 / 600 (my previous record was 500 points, and the last 3 year average was 474). Very proud at the 8th place overall amoung 31 shooters .
Shooting my Morini CM 22 M RF at the Benelli Tournament
528 / 600 and 8th overall amoung 31 shooters
Notebook, "chrono", ammo, pistol and sound mufflers
