Swiss shooters

Okay, whats the trick to getting this stuff to shoot accurate? I bought 2 kilos at rendezvous 1 1/2 weeks ago and it groups terrible! I've tried 50 grains to 80 grains, .020" patch, .490" round ball, felt wads, swabbing between shots, no swabbing. Just down right terrible accuracy. At 100 yards it was an even bigger joke.

I've read about how clean shooting this powder is and to be honest, Pyrodex shoots cleaner and doesn't leave crud at the breech end like swiss does.

The other day I loaded up 80gr 2fg Gearhart Owen ( Yes, OLD stuff! ) .020" patch, .490" round ball, beautiful 100 yard 3 shot group under 2 inches! Back to shooting sweet as she always does.
( Note: Covered holes are with 60gr 3fg Swiss @ 100 yards! See how terrible? ) 3 inch bullseye.

I believe it was Rifleman that reported the same thing. Is this with a particular rifle or ALL RIFLES?

I have heard that others have had some bad accuracy with newer lots of swiss. I am shooting a lot that is over 10 years old. Just picked up a case of the same lot from my guy a few months ago.

Fleener

azmntman said:

I believe it was Rifleman that reported the same thing. Is this with a particular rifle or ALL RIFLES?

Click to expand...

2 50cals and now a 45cal. Have tried both conical and patched round balls, accuracy is just very very poor. I tried lowering the charge today with a fast twist .45 shooting a 460gr conical and my accuracy opened up to a 3" group. 70gr shot ok, but nothing stellar.

Are you sure it's not "re enactors" powder. That stuff is not graded, and will not shoot consistently.
It's kind of a mix of 1f thru 3f.

You might go to a larger ball, (.495) and pillow ticking (.18) My .50 PRB rifle loves 2f, hates 3f.

New packaging? Should still the same stuff. Everything I have is in containers with labels that look like this
I have always found Swiss to perform at least as good and usually better in most of my guns. Has something in addition to the container changed? I am still working down 25 lbs from I believe from 2017, so what I have is an ‘older’ lot.

thats the old label. Once the newer stuff like mine came out, folks have reported manure accuracy with 3f. Doesnt matter if its patched ball or conical, it will not group with anything I try. Recoil is extremely stiff for just a 60gr charge. I am going to run it over the chronograph and maybe that will help tell me whats going on with it. Every other powder I have on hand shoots excellent groups, this stuff? Not even close to shooting decent.

Another one of life’s disappointments. Should have ‘stocked up’ when it was shooting good I guess. Set for this year anyway.

You might inspect your fired patches for blow out. I had some related issues with the hotter 3F Swiss powder. My .54 has a distinct preference for FF.

I recovered them and they are good to go. This powder just has something wrong with the way it was made. I wont know until i can chronograph it and after that, im going to email swiss and ask whats up. I have another 2.2lb container of 3fg swiss i can open and test out and see what happens.

I only shoot Swiss 1 1/2. Good accuracy with everything. Lot I have I bought three years ago.

Could it be that not only did you change from 2f to 3f you also changed brands? 2f G/O to 3f Swiss. Less energetic G/0 to more energetic swiss. And the switch from 2f to 3f will certainly change the way a gun shoots. Maybe your rifle dislikes 3f powder irregardless of brands. I can't afford Swiss so I can't offer any suggestions there.

I normally shoot 3fg goex or pyrodex p in this rifle, they both shoot great. This swiss 3fg is just a really odd duck and not right.

I just shot an email to swiss with pictures, info and lot # on the powder. Im thinking its bad. I have a can of 3fg schuetzen that I will be trying next.

Solution seems obvious...
You need a new gun

ha! i just got 2 new ones in. They to shoot like manure with this swiss lol.

Swiss emailed back. I find it hard to believe that 3 different brands of guns hate swiss powder? Especially when they all shoot different projectiles. There's no way I would be able to hunt big game with the charges listed below.

"Good Morning,

I shoot that same lot with a .45 caliber and I don’t have any issues with grouping. It just could be that your rifle doesn’t like that powder. I do have a rifle that doesn’t like Swiss powder at all. I have one, that will only shoot Swiss and I have one that will shoot anything I put down the barrel. Rifles are just like people I have figured out.

When shooting this Swiss with my .45 caliber, at 25 yds I am shooting about 20 grains, 50 yds, it’s 30 grains, and 100 it’s 40 grains. My grouping off a bench is about 1.2-1.5”, at 100 yds. Off hand, I get about a 3” group (I am not very steady) But I can shoot pretty tight groups closer in off-hand. My last time out I shot a group off hand under .75” with the same lot of powder that you are having issues with."

As expected answered from a manufacturer.

Buy GOEX and shoot groups.

Someone will want the Swiss at the range.