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I was an E4 in the navy, used to say ‘don’t call me sir, I knew who my parents were’.
Old saying was more lead less powder. I wonder that higher pressures of faster burning powder blows through the shot column in that first inch or so as it leaves the barrel. And the slower burning powders do less of that????i don’t know, but know lower charges make tighter groups.
 
This is just speculation on my part, but what may be happening is since the burn rate of Fg is slower than FFg or FFFg, the resultant propellent gas gets the mass of lead moving slower and gentler than finer/faster burning powders. Sort of a strong push rather than a punch to move the lead and therefore not injure the shape of the lead shot as much, and possibly cause less bouncing in the barrel of a single ball.

"the Receiver General send for from England five hundred Muskets (to be mark't with Virginia 1750) Bayonets and Cartouch Boxes of the best sort, Thirty Barrels of Cannon Powder, and Ten of Single F, Two Tons of Musket Ball, and Ten Thousand Flints."

This is the earliest reference I have to 1 Fg powder.

Gus
 
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I found out only one of my powder horns (a pulvern style flask) would pour Goex 1F powder. The other horns pour 2FF just fine, but clog up with the 1F. I got the powder in, but had quite a time getting it out of the horn. The 0.27 dia spout clogged, but the 0.50 inch spout poured fine. I'm not sure where the cutoff is. Something to consider.
 
First, do not have to call be Sir, only made it to E5 (buck sergeant),so cannon powder is more course than 1F. My question is why does 1F give you better patterns than 2 or 3 F??
I dont know the science of it but I believe its due to the pressure of the load. All I can tell you is I read the book about muzzleloading shotguns by V.M. Starr who had forgotten more about shooting smoothbores than I will ever know an I took his advise an tried Fg in my smoothbores an it for sure improved patterns. I suggested to others over the yrs to do the same an it helped all them. Give it a try an if im wrong Ill be the first to say it didnt help this time but im betting im safe
 
The much larger grain size of the 1F means it burns a bit longer than 2F so launching the shot is more of a push the load out of the bore rather than slapping the load. The push of 1F is less likely to distort the shot or push wadding through the shot column so you get a denser pattern. Not to mention the recoil from the 1F feels softer than 2f or 3f loads.
 
Works great in my Brown Bess carbine, although it does foul a bit more. That's not a problem as I can wipe between shots when hunting birds. Or if loaded with ball, I can get three shots off without wiping, which is fine for hunting. I find that my ignition seems to be quicker with fg, I assume because it stays packed against the touch-hole. 2f or 3f tends to dribble out (sometimes) making more of a fuse...? Or a bit of a "pocket", or space between the touch hole and the main charge. ? But that could be my imagination.
 

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