Triple 7 FFFg

I'd like to try some in my .54 GPR to see if I get more consistent ignition. What, in your opinion would be a max load for this 25 yr old gun?

Triple 7 doesn’t have the best reputation for consistent ignition in side lock guns like your GPR, but you won’t know yourself until you try it. As far as max load opinion, why not follow the Lyman manual recommendations? Triple 7 also has load reduction recommendations (volumetric) printed on the container you may want to follow.

NOTHING works as good as BLACKPOWDER!!

A few weeks ago I tried Triple 7 FFFg in my .54 cal. T/C Renegade for the first time. I used 70 gr. instead of the usual 90 grains of Pyrodex RS (FFg) with a .530 rb, pillow ticking patch lubed with T/C Bore Butter and wasted 4 - 2lt. bottles in 5 shoots at 35 yards, no swabbing between shots, no problems.

A lot of people who have loaded Triple 7 under patched balls have mentioned that it tends to burn cloth patches.

If the ball/patch combination is very tight in the barrel that might not be a problem but if the combination is at all loose, expect to see the cloth charred where it meets the bore along with the poor accuracy that will cause.

N.Y. Yankee said:

I'd like to try some in my .54 GPR to see if I get more consistent ignition. What, in your opinion would be a max load for this 25 yr old gun?

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Have you tried a hot-shot or spitfire nipple ?
A musket nipple might also be a solution.

I have been shooting Hot Shots for some time now. Tried T7 FFg due to easier availability. Found it has very little fouling, even in larger charges but is fussy about ignition. Thought I would try 3F for kicks.

Zonie said:

A lot of people who have loaded Triple 7 under patched balls have mentioned that it tends to burn cloth patches.

If the ball/patch combination is very tight in the barrel that might not be a problem but if the combination is at all loose, expect to see the cloth charred where it meets the bore along with the poor accuracy that will cause.

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Thanks for the info, now I know the problem. I thought it was maybe because the pillow ticking was old. It does load easier than when using store bought pre-cut lubed patches.

I had a shotgun that wouldn't fire 777 or Black MZ, I opened up the flash hole in a nipple by about 2 number drill sizes, That fixed the problem.
Haven't tried it with a rifle.
More fire= better ignition.

I have used T-7 in a 45 Colonial pistol & 32 gauge shotgun with no problem using a standard nipple and caps. The only reason I bought it was the gun shop near my shooting range was out of BP and RS Pyrodex and I wasn't going to pay the extra cost for the Pyro upgraded version. I just have to remember to load a little less than normal.

Carbon 6 said:

I had a shotgun that wouldn't fire 777 or Black MZ, I opened up the flash hole in a nipple by about 2 number drill sizes, That fixed the problem.
Haven't tried it with a rifle.
More fire= better ignition.

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Too much of a flash hole equals more pressure on the hammer.

Crow-Feather said:

Too much of a flash hole equals more pressure on the hammer.

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Yes, you don't want to open it up too much.

Carbon 6 said:

Yes, you don't want to open it up too much.

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What size hole do you recommend?

By experience related to me 777 can also promote leading (bullets, not patched balls). My speculation was that the 777 was atomizing some lead and later shots ironed in in.

SDSmlf said:

What size hole do you recommend?

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My papa once told me that most things you buy are designed to be used as is, and not meant to be modified. He said that modifications can actually hurt more than help. True, 777 fires easier, but at what cost that hasn't been considered.

SDSmlf said:

What size hole do you recommend?

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I don't.
Obviously you don't want to go too big and have hammer set. Look at the hole difference between a sidelock nipple and a revolver nipple.
Like I said I opened mine up one or two number drill sizes. If I recall correctly it was two sizes but I don't remember what size they were. Not all nipples are the same or have the same size flash hole. luckily they are cheap if you screw up.

Carbon 6 said:

I don't.
Obviously you don't want to go too big and have hammer set. Look at the hole difference between a sidelock nipple and a revolver nipple.
Like I said I opened mine up one or two number drill sizes. If I recall correctly it was two sizes but I don't remember what size they were. Not all nipples are the same or have the same size flash hole. luckily they are cheap if you screw up.

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That’s helpful.... not to big...not too small...just right.....

Personally I have found that as the nipple orifice wears and opens up from factory .028” diameter to about .035” accuracy and POI are impacted, particularly when shooting paper patched conicals. Somewhere past .035” orifice diameter (don’t have real data as I don’t typically don’t let nipple orifices go last .035”) I have experienced the hammer going to half cock. I toss or give away any nipples (plenty of knuckheads out there seem to want them) once the orifice opens to or beyond .035”. Limited experience with Triple 7, but you if opening up the orifice solves ignition problems without causing other issues, go for it. You are ahead of most in my opinion.

And just for reference if my memory is correct, a #70 drill is .028” diameter, while a #68 is .031” diameter. Two number sizes with a .003” diameter increase.

I have experience using Triple 7 in a Lyman Trade rifle, 54 caliber and while the cleanup was a breeze, the ignition can be problematic. It burns much hotter than traditional black powder and will burn lightly lubed patches. On that note, too much lube will cause hang fires, which I can tell you are painful. Real BP is easy to ignite and easy to clean.

N.Y. Yankee said:

I'd like to try some in my .54 GPR to see if I get more consistent ignition. What, in your opinion would be a max load for this 25 yr old gun?

Click to expand...

Wanting to use 777 in my new percussion because of the scarcity of black for me, research told me to drill the nipple out to I believe, .031-.033 From what is original of about .028. I did that before ever trying that AS it was still winter here anyway, and I've only had one or two misfires, and it was generally because of the plugged nipple. I went to standard primers over magnum primers and I seemed to have better results for what I do. Out of curiosity I tried one load of black with that larger nipple size and it worked fine at the charge that I use. I shoot a 50 caliber PRB at 55 grains 777, 60 black.

I’ve use triple seven for years never had any ignition problems unless you have oil down in the breach on my 54 great plains Percussion rifle I normally shoot sixty five grains and that’s at paper targets In Remington number 11 caps