1st time with 3f

[Gtrubicon]

Evening, I tried 3f for the first time this afternoon in my rifle. It sounds better, shoots better and seems much cleaner than 2f. I couldn’t be happier with this rifle. I’m having a ball learning this craft.

 

[TNGhost]

4F shoots even cleaner.

 

[dave61965]

70 grains of 3f goex in my .50 TC Hawken will shoot pretty much one ragged hole, I burn 3f in my .62 cal flint rifle also.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Those would be good 100 yards groups. Keep trying and don’t jump to conclusions.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Ive been practicing @ 50yds until with 2f till yesterday when I tried the 3f. I’m gettin 2- 2 1/2 groups at 50. If I have time this weekend I plan on getting set up at 100 and see how we can do.

 

[excess650]

I took my .45 flinter out yesterday and found it to group better,and foul less with KIK ffg than it had with any fffg I had ever loaded it with. Go figure!

 

[Britsmoothy]

Yeah, wait 'till you discover 4f! It'll sound like a centerfire going off and it'll shoot tighter. Better ball obturation equals better gas seal equals better barrel exit. Win win.
Oh did I mention the economics ?

 

[deermanok]

I always used 2f powder until an old friend gave me a few pounds of 3f. Been using 3f since. I'm curious about 4f powder now that a few here made mention of it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I always used 2f powder until an old friend gave me a few pounds of 3f. Been using 3f since. I'm curious about 4f powder now that a few here made mention of it.

So was I.
I use to avoid buying the finest grade I can get which seems to be a in-between mix of 4fand 3f but gave it a shot a few years ago and wow what a difference. I can use 3/4 the volume to the volume of shot in my shotguns and last week was using it in my 10g. And this weekend I used it in a 12g flinchlock.

 

[Gtrubicon]

Yeah, wait 'till you discover 4f! It'll sound like a centerfire going off and it'll shoot tighter. Better ball obturation equals better gas seal equals better barrel exit. Win win.
Oh did I mention the economics ?

Where would a good starting point be for 4f charge? I have an Investarms Bridget Hawken, 45 cal

 

[Britsmoothy]

Where would a good starting point be for 4f charge? I have an Investarms Bridget Hawken, 45 cal

Well all I can say is that in my smoothrifle of .45 I use 3/4 the volume of what I would 3or2f.
So if I was loading say 60gn in a .45 rifle I would start around 45gn of 4f and see how it goes.

 

[deermanok]

Interesting. I've never considered using 4f but I may just have to.

 

[rrebuck]

I'd been told by the shop where I bought my first flintlock Lyman GPR not to use 4F for anything but the pan b/c it burnt too fast and could create too much pressure in the barrel. Have any of you compared chronograph results w/ 4F to the others? Pressure readings would be interesting to see too, but impractical for most of us to measure.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'd been told by the shop where I bought my first flintlock Lyman GPR not to use 4F for anything but the pan b/c it burnt too fast and could create too much pressure in the barrel. Have any of you compared chronograph results w/ 4F to the others? Pressure readings would be interesting to see too, but impractical for most of us to measure.

Old wives tale.
There is more evidence suggesting it is perfectly safe than otherwise.
Evidence like manufacturers NOT labeling cans with only use as pan powder. Evidence like manufacturers cans still saying GUNPOWDER on them.
Historic evidence of disassembled cartridges of yesteryear containing it and no data is readily available clearly demonstrating excessive pressure values for use in a muzzleloader barrel.
I've been asking for evidence for years now. I only get third hand tales of doom and they are less tales of doom than the videos on YouTube of folk getting it wrong with other than 4f grades of powder!
Most folk just chicken out believing they are about to create a pipe bomb which is utter nonsense.
If it was so easy to go from 3f to 4f, from safe to pipe bomb with such a small change in grain size, don't you think it be took off the market?
I do.

 

[Sudsy]

I have a pound of 4f and only one small .36 cal flintlock, I'm never going to use all this in the pan
I'm paying close attention to this thread.

In a .32 percussion squirrel rifle how much 4f would you start with ?

 

[hanshi]

I've always used 3F in the barrel because that's what I started out with and what was normally available. Occasionally I could only find 2F and used it just like the 3F. I've always put 4F in the pan but only have 3F in the shop now. Out of 2F and 4F so I just "make do". I'd have no hesitation when using 4F in my .32 & .36 or in c&b revolvers OR my .50 pistol.

 

[Bassdog1]

If you look at the grain size in 3F Swiss and 3F Goex there is a noticeable difference but I have been able to find good loads with both. Bought two bottles of null B for a flint CVA Squirrel rifle that I sold but not going to put it in the barrel will save in case I ever get the Flintlock fever again.

 

[TreeMan]

Old wives tale.
There is more evidence suggesting it is perfectly safe than otherwise.
Evidence like manufacturers NOT labeling cans with only use as pan powder. Evidence like manufacturers cans still saying GUNPOWDER on them.
Historic evidence of disassembled cartridges of yesteryear containing it and no data is readily available clearly demonstrating excessive pressure values for use in a muzzleloader barrel.
I've been asking for evidence for years now. I only get third hand tales of doom and they are less tales of doom than the videos on YouTube of folk getting it wrong with other than 4f grades of powder!
Most folk just chicken out believing they are about to create a pipe bomb which is utter nonsense.
If it was so easy to go from 3f to 4f, from safe to pipe bomb with such a small change in grain size, don't you think it be took off the market?
I do.

Britsmoothy do you find that 4f attracts more moisture or sticks to the inside of the barrel between shots when shooting a lot like at a match? More so than the coarser graphite coated powder? On some of my rifles I clean between shots and I’m sure there is some dampness left when dumping fresh powder. I know it soaks up the damp funk in my pan if I dont wipe the pan between shots. You’ve peaked my curiosity.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Britsmoothy do you find that 4f attracts more moisture or sticks to the inside of the barrel between shots when shooting a lot like at a match? More so than the coarser graphite coated powder? On some of my rifles I clean between shots and I’m sure there is some dampness left when dumping fresh powder. I know it soaks up the damp funk in my pan if I dont wipe the pan between shots. You’ve peaked my curiosity.

Good question.
All I know is that the brand I use does not seem to have with sticking to the sides of my barrels more than they do with 3f.
Also, in the right conditions I can get soup in the pan from any size powder. I just thought it was normal to remove fouling from the pan, hammer and cock irrespective of powder size.
I kind off guessed there is no pnacea when muzzleloading.

 

[TFoley]

I kind off guessed there is no pnacea when muzzleloading.

Nailed it.