FFg vs FFFg

In reading these forums and some others I am on, I see different people saying they use 2F or 3F in the barrel. I know the difference in terms of granulation, but how much difference is there between one and the other ballistically? Is there a reason for one over the other?

There is a store near here that sells the Pyrodex 2 and 3F for the same price and when I actually get me a flinter, I would like to know which to get and why.

Also, does the pan have to be primed with 4F? Or could one use 3F for barrel and pan?

Each rifle seems to have its own personallity. 2F works in some, but 3F works better in other rifles. 3F will burn a little cleaner and one can reduce the powder charge by about 10% to get the same velocity. That 10% reduction adds up over time in savings. For the prime either 4F or 3F is OK. Science dictates 4F or Swiss NullB is going to be faster, and it is, but we are talking fractions of a second.

I am not too sure about using Pyrodex in a flinter. T/C's new Firestorm? flintlock says it CAN shoot pyrodex, but I don't know.

BTW, howdy right back! :thumbsup:

You will want real BP for a flinter and many use 3f for the prime. I use 3f thru .62 cal for main charge and prime, some only use 3f under .50 cal your gun/choice of load will tell you which works best for you

TG is right. You will not be happy with pyrodex in a flint gun. There are many topics on this subject. I would be worth your time to look back and read some. Pyrodex ignites poorly in the barrel and is even worse as a pan primer. Most fellows who insist on using pyrodex in a flint gun end up putting a small amount of real BP in first and the pyrodex on top. I don't think I can remember a flint shooter on this forum who uses pyrodex straight in a flint gun.
Regards,
Pletch

shoot it an shoot it some more an then use number f that your gun tells you it likes. I will promise you it will NOT like pyrodex stick with the holy black :thumbsup:

Southlander said:

In reading these forums and some others I am on, I see different people saying they use 2F or 3F in the barrel. I know the difference in terms of granulation, but how much difference is there between one and the other ballistically? Is there a reason for one over the other?

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Because of the finer granulations the 3Fg powder burns faster so it generates its peak pressure faster. This usually results in a measurable velocity gain over 2Fg powder.

IMO, because 3Fg powder burns quicker with higher breech pressures it burns more completely. Many people have found that because it burns more completely it leaves less fouling in the bore.

As the others said, some guns like one and not the other. Only your gun will tell you what it likes.

There is a store near here that sells the Pyrodex 2 and 3F for the same price and when I actually get me a flinter, I would like to know which to get and why.

Click to expand...

The Pyrodex equivalant to 2f is called RS and the equavalent to 3f is called "P". Both will work in a percussion gun but neither will work well in a Flintlock.
Hodgdon, the maker of Pyrodex and Seven7seven says to prime the main charge with real black powder.
Nether will work well as a priming powder in a Flintlock.

Real black powder cannot be on display in a store. For this reason be sure to call ahead and ask if the store carries it. If they do, tell them when you plan on being there to buy some.

Also, does the pan have to be primed with 4F? Or could one use 3F for barrel and pan?

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The difference between 3Fg and 4F when used as a priming powder in a Flintlocks pan can be measured in a few thousandths of a second. Something that may be sensed but not actually useful unless your looking for every single advantage you can find to make your gun shoot as fast as possible.

I bought some 4F powder to prime with and was quite disappointed. I recommend priming your pan with 3Fg which brings me to which powder you should (IMO) buy.
Buy some 3Fg and load and prime with the same powder.

Okay, then... this many voices saying real BP and not Pyrodex must be worth listening to. What are everyone's favorite brands of BP and what kind of prices am I looking at?

Check: Powder Inc; Maine Powder House; Graf & Sons; Track of The Wolf. The more powder you buy at one time, the cheaper it is.

Southlander said:

Okay, then... this many voices saying real BP and not Pyrodex must be worth listening to. What are everyone's favorite brands of BP and what kind of prices am I looking at?

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Goex is very popular and a reliable powder. Swiss powder is a premium black powder, but it's pricey.

I hear good things about Graf's powder, but I haven't tried it yet.

You can't go wrong with Goex powder, and it's price is right. American made too.

flintlock62 said:

The more powder you buy at one time, the cheaper it is.

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Last time I bought powder they told me that, I told them to just pile it in the truck till it was free, the clerk had to stop and think for a minute. :rotf:

If you can buy black powder anywhere local I would suggest that you buy one can of each and try it to see which your rifle likes best. There may be a shooting club close with some members that will let you have a few loads of each. Chris

I use Goex because I can't buy DuPont anymore. ;-)

Swiss is the best-but most expensive. Geox and Kik are about equal in performance. Geox is
American made. Kik slightly cheaper and in my tests I had less deviation when tested on a chrony. :hmm:

Southlander:

Schutzen powder is another powder you may come across. It is very close to GOEX too as far as power and fouling is concerned but it is made in Germany.

The bottom line is that real black powder is the only good way to go with a Flintlock and if they are buying it at a local store sometimes a person can't be picky.

Of course if they are ordering it from a powder supplier that is another thing.

If you buy from a powder supplier you will have to pay the "Hazardous Material Shipping" fee.
This fee is a fixed fee that covers the cost of shipping one pound or 50 which is one of the reasons folks talk about buying more powder at one time to "lower the price".

I don't know what the current fee is but if someone is going to pay $25 for the Haz Mat fee it's a waste to only buy one or two cans of powder when buying 4 or 5 cans will only raise the total cost by the cost of the powder.

I bought a mixed 25 pound lot (12 lbs. FFg, 13 lbs FFFg) of KIK powder form Powder Inc. a couple years ago. I'm quite happy with it.

I would suggest finding a local club and you may find a bulk buy you can get a piece of as well as a place to shoot trail walks.

August West said:

flintlock62 said:

The more powder you buy at one time, the cheaper it is.

Click to expand...

Last time I bought powder they told me that, I told them to just pile it in the truck till it was free, the clerk had to stop and think for a minute. :rotf:

If you can buy black powder anywhere local I would suggest that you buy one can of each and try it to see which your rifle likes best. There may be a shooting club close with some members that will let you have a few loads of each. Chris

Click to expand...

:rotf: