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Best overall BP question

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first off you may have trouble finding goex at the present time.
i have little experience with commercial powders as i make my own.
that said i have used commercial powders as control when testing my stuff.
i would list them in this order.
Swiss
goex
old ensford
shutzen (sp)
Thank you. Heard good things about Swiss. Can you point me in the direction of learning about making my own?
 
This list includes many past World & National Champions…note the powder.

5EDC04C6-772D-460D-A809-2AB0274BF1C6.jpeg
 
What has been your best experience with which BP?


Over the years I have used a number of different powders listed in no particular order.

Goex 2f
Goex 3f
Scheutzen 3f
Swiss 1.5f
Another Swiss (can't recall the granulation)
Graf 2f
Graf 3f
Elephant 2f
Pyrodex RS
Pyrodex P

All good powders that I would use with two exceptions. 1. Pyrodex, because if loading procedures are not meticulously adhered to hangfires can be a problem. 2. Elephant, because it's return of energy is much lower than all others based on both charge weight and volume.

Otherwise any other differences were so inconsequential as to not matter to me.
 
This list includes many past World & National Champions…note the powder.

View attachment 178507
What is your point? The top shooters only use Swiss because (insert reason here). Personally have found nothing that out performs Swiss. In few guns some other manufacturers’ powders have matched the performance, but have not found any powder that performs better than Swiss day in and day out. Now, if one wants to save a few cents shot, there are plenty of options. But after all the money this crowd has invested in guns, powder and other accoutrements, find it difficult to understand skimping on powder because of cost. Or maybe there is another reason that I am missing.
 
Old Eynsford is/was as good as Swiss.. and OE hydrates a little better than Swiss.
Swiss still "rules" because it's the most powerful, most consistent, and most accurate....and available.
I know most Americans would like to use American powder, and Eynsford could have replaced Swiss on winner boards. But Hodgson really doesn't care about filling winner circles, it cares about filling CEO`S pockets.
If Hodgdon still cared about its country, we would see black powder on the shelves of every little Ma&Pa shop in the country. Yes, Hogdon is powerful enough to alter laws so we could return to the simpler days of powder availability, but alas.....
 
Old Eynsford is/was as good as Swiss.. and OE hydrates a little better than Swiss.
Swiss still "rules" because it's the most powerful, most consistent, and most accurate....and available.
I know most Americans would like to use American powder, and Eynsford could have replaced Swiss on winner boards. But Hodgson really doesn't care about filling winner circles, it cares about filling CEO`S pockets.
If Hodgdon still cared about its country, we would see black powder on the shelves of every little Ma&Pa shop in the country. Yes, Hogdon is powerful enough to alter laws so we could return to the simpler days of powder availability, but alas.....
And I get excoriated over my dislike for Goex/Hogdon.
 
GOEX FF. Bench rest match at Tacoma. 200 yards. First seven shots went into a 1 1/2 inch bull. Dropped one about three inches and the last two shots went back in the group. About five in the evening and the last relay of the day. It was dead calm.
 
I have used quite a bit of older brands like DuPont and CH. I was gifted a great quantity of these two powders many years ago. I have also used quite a bit of Goex (not the OE, just Goex). All three brands worked fine. I have not had much opportunity to use Swiss. What little (and very little I might add!) I have used worked just fine although fouling seemed to be a bit less yet was harder than Goex. Seemed to have a bit more 'zip' to it versus Goex.

Now that Goex is no more *, I have purchased some Shuetzen. Works just fine. Seems to be very similar to the old Goex in performance and fouling.

* Yes I know Estes Energetics bought Goex and claims they will be bringing it back to the sporting market. I honestly wish them all the best in this endeavor. But I'm not holding my breath. I have serious doubts that this will happen to any great degree. The US Govt and lawyers and general 'red tape' will be the down fall of it. I also like how Wano/Shuetzen/Swiss stepped up and did what they could to bring more powder to the American market after the end of Goex. This benefitted EVERYONE. Helps their bottom line and helps us shooters. Even if the new Goex is successful I'm probably sticking with Shuetzen now.
 
Swiss and Schutzen have donated cases of powder, as prizes, to every big rifle match that I have attended. GOEX/Hogdon never.(!)
I once was awarded a case of 1 1/2f OE from Hogdon. But it was to keep me quiet about my "lot" testing, not sponsorship.
For what it's worth, I took that free Eynsford powder to Quigley that year, and won!
Make no mistake, Eynsford is great powder.
Just sent 2 shots over the chronograph from my 58 Kibler to test my hunting load.
100gr 2ffg OE
1816 fps
1821 fps
5 fps spread is good enough.:horseback:
 
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I don't think we're allowed to do that here but there are many resources available.
Go to the cast bullet forum. Pages and pages of how to make your own. Personally, I don't want to go through that much work since you can still buy the stuff.
I've been shooting a lot of BPC in lever guns and revolvers lately. Been using goex 2ff from 1997 with great results. If I wanted to pursue the most accurate load with a muzzle loader, I'd use Swiss or Old Ironfarts.
 
What has been your best experience with which BP? Using Goex but have heard there are better ones and would like to get some input before laying the money out for more.

I'm sure some are going to say "look through the older threads". To wit I say thanks and get stuffed.
""look through the older threads". To wit I say thanks and get stuffed." LOL, like someone telling you to use the Dictionary when you ask how to spell something!! If you wanted to do that , you would have!! Love it!!!!:dunno:
 
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