Is there a future is performed smokeless pellets

[jaspervtec]

I was just wondering has anyone ever thought of or approach any powder companys about making a smokeless pellets. I would believe that the market got to be geting big enough to profit from.

[10ga]

1/ I think it would have to be a Hodgdon product if they are cylindrical. they have the patent on "pellets" as per 777 and pyrodex pellets. Not everybody shoots Hodgdon. See #2

2/ And I don't think it'll fly as bout every SML shooter I know shoots a very different load and the load/powder combos would be about inpossible to duplicate, expecially if ya wanna make a profit.

3/ I shoot a bunch of duplex loads. See #2

4/ 45 & 50 see #2

4/ Jeez, I don't use pellets in my smokey guns now as they are WAYYYY over priced vs loose powder.

5/ There are technical problems when doing that to nitrocellulose, It ain't the same as BP. That may be why there arn't any Blackhorn 209 pellets as it is part nitro powder.

10 ga

[joe21a]

Would be a problem fine tuning a load

[rossman40]

Due to the quickness of the burn you couldn't do the pellet thing. Even the shape of the powder granules determines the burn rate. Large granule powders may even have a coating of a deterrent or moderant to slow the burning rate as the surface area of the granule is greater starting out.

[shoot2reload]

Commercial smokeless pellets? They'd shelve them next to the Pyrodex and people would try them in their BP guns. Not good!

[dannoboone]

Hodgdon was on the band-wagon berating the idea of smokeless
powder in ML's when the l0ML became known. It enraged Doug to
the point he said on the ol' green board (or was it on the original
green board?) that he would never again shoot Hodgdon powder.
They are making way too much $$ on the T7 & Pyro pellets to get
interested in serving the small market of smokeless ML's in making
pellets for us, even if it were feasible, which, as rossman accurately
explained, it isn't.

Then if you take a look at the loads on Load Data, you will see
probably way less than half of loads used. A lot of us also use
duplex loads which get tweaked for just the barrels we have, and
may or may not be good loads for others.

It just won't happen, sorry.

[edge]

Back on Ol'Green I made a pellet from some old pantyhose....don't tell my wife

I used elmers glue to stiffen the pantyhose around a dowel.

The top was not sealed but it worked. I don't know how muck plastic was deposited on the barrel, but it will work.

Others have suggested other containment materials that do not leave residue but I will leave their ideas for them to reveal.

edge.

[jeremylong]

Oh boy, that is funny.

[12ptdroptine]

I forsee a problem with cinsistency here whatever holds them together weigh's something? so if you preweigh the powder first form the pellet then if for whatever reason how much and how consistant will the overall weight be? Now IF I made my own I would come up with a way to keep tab's on all this information. Plus if I have any that dont work I can always drop it back in the can. And I am sure that what ever is used as a bonding agent will have some effect on the burn rate or residue of some sort's. The good people of this board work so hard in load developement for us "less dedicated" people. I mean they have it figured down the gnats "too too" I dont see getting that kind of accuracy with inconsistant pellet's... Isnt that one of the reason's we tout not to use them in BPO gun's? By the way all you wonderful people who have pioneered the way for those like me. ;D THANK YOU for all you have done and contiunue to do! Without it I would still be waiting for the smoke to clear.
Drop

[mountainam]

The Miliatry used caseless ammo at one time and still may for all I know . Also some of you older fellows like me may remember that Daisy brought out the VL22 rifle that shot caseless ammo. It's a stretch but it's similar to smokeless pellets. A colossal failure. 10ga has it right. It's just not applicable for the most part. To me, when I hear pellets it's like hearing about "off the shelf" cartridge ammo as compared to a tailored load to you favorite CF. There IS no comparison. Pellets are for the somewhat lazier fellows that purchase that bubble pack of 15 sabot/bullet combo and it takes them 2 or 3 seasons to finish them off. Smokeless is for the hard core enthusiast, tweakers and perfectionists. Pellets are for the rest of the "that's good enough" crowd.