Elephant vs Goex

[410-er]

Picked up a box of muzzy stuff today and a pound of Elephant was in it.I have never shot Elephant and was wondering,size being the same,(FFFg)if it will burn the same as Goex or should I just sell it?

 

[Tumblernotch]

I used it a few years ago when my club bought some. Some will say to throw it away but that's hogwash. It's not as good as GOEX and does seem to foul more, but it's serviceable. Since you only got a little, save it for plinking or using in blanks. There's nothing wrong with it.

 

[ohio ramrod]

It has been my experience that elephant powder will work as long as you swab with a heavily alcohol soaked patch followed by a dry after every shot. It burns well but fouls terrible!I won some many years at a shoot tried one can and gave the rest away.

 

[roundball]

Picked up a box of muzzy stuff today and a pound of Elephant was in it.I have never shot Elephant and was wondering,size being the same,(FFFg)if it will burn the same as Goex or should I just sell it?

Depends on the Lot# and date made...Elephant had terrible quality control issues in the last fews prior to them going defunct.

My Personal Experience:

I bought 5 lbs of Elephant 3F from a run in 1999 and it was junk...couldn't use it in Flintlocks due to slow, delayed ignition...had actual bits of identifable bits of wood in it, and created terrible hard fouling.

Then tried it in caplocks and gave up...poured 4 and a half cans out in 5 ten foot lines on the ground and burned it off...stood there and watched it it burn for about a minute...it just fizzled and smoked along slowly.

If you GAVE me a case of Elephant today I wouldn't waste the gas it would take to go to the range and try one can.

 

[410-er]

Now I find out and New Years Eve is over! :grin:

 

[Tumblernotch]

We must have gotten their good run. Like I said, it fouled more, but we didn't have any problems with it. With some cans you may have had to up the charge about 5 grs. From what I've been reading the quality must have really taken a nosedive since we bought it. I'll stick with good old GOEX, but if someone gave me some Elephant I'd keep it around for emergencies or to make bottle rockets with. :grin:

 

[ronrryan]

My experience is like Kanawha. Some years ago a bunch of us went in on a 25 lb shipment, quite cheap. The powder was consistent in grouping but a bit lower in poi at 25 yds, and was dirtier. We never saw it to smoulder or fail, always worked well, maybe we got a good lot. I think I still have one can somewhere, and would not hesitate to use it, provided shot-by-shot cleaning was possible. Good smoke, Ron in FL

 

[jethro224]

A buddy gave me a couple of cans once. In the guns I was using at the time, both caplocks, it was more reliable than the Pyrodex I was using before. But it was dirty.

Then I got some Goex. Way better.:grin:

 

[redwing]

I thought Elephant Powder was no longer made. The stuff was great when it came out but it got real bad. :nono:

 

[larry wv]

Still have a few cans. As has been said not as good as goex. Its luck of the draw because of when it was made. Not so bad to total junk like Roundball had. Larry Wv

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I tryed a can years ago, as others have said it was dirty stuff. Grafs is way better if you want cheaper powder. DuPont is the best I've ever used, no longer made.

 

[Dphar]

Picked up a box of muzzy stuff today and a pound of Elephant was in it.I have never shot Elephant and was wondering,size being the same,(FFFg)if it will burn the same as Goex or should I just sell it?

Some of it is prety good stuff some is not as good they were changing processes and such. Try it it might foul more, might not.

Dan

 

[Birddog6]

The best use I have found for it is it makes Great lawn fertilizer ! :thumbsup:

Dirtiest most fouling powder I ever used. I had a whole case of it & thought I would never get rid of it. :shake: Now it was very accurate, but the fouling was horrendous & just aggravated the H out of me every time I shot it. :shake:

You got 1#, heck go shoot some of it yerself & see the dif in it & Goex. Give ya something to compare.

 

[roundball]

PS:
I also bought a can of Elephant 4F at the same time I bought the 5 cans of 3F...different lot# & date code...and the 4F worked fine.

 

[steve nagy]

Diamondback Powder is now made in the old Elephant plant in Brazil. Good powder and value priced compared to Swiss or Goex; however, I have zip personal experience in using it.

 

[Muskeg Stomper]

Has anyone out there tried Diamondback powder yet? I understand that a Canadian firm bought the Elephant equipment and that the powder is actually made in Canada now, not Brazil.

Diamondback is priced real cheap @ Powderhouse but I don't want to take the chance on having a case shipped up here until I've read some good reviews on the stuff.

 

[mazo kid]

I bought a mixed case of Goex and Elephant several years ago, never had any problems in my flinters with the Elephant except it was dirtier than the Goex and not quite as hot. However, many of the top competitors in BPCR are loading their cartridges with Elephant, seems to be consistent or something is working!

 

[roundball]

Must be old stock because Elephant went out of business several years ago now

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Diamondback powder
I used it most of last year. I will also use more of it this year. I can say it shoots as good as I need it to. It seems to be a bit dirty compaired to swiss. Accuracy is as good for me though. I do always clean between shots ,maybe thats why it works for me. A shooting friend also uses it and likes it fine. To look at it ,it looks as good as anything else I have used. Only a few twigs and small rocks .Nothing to worry about.
n.h.schmidt

 

[roundball]

Only a few twigs and small rocks

Never realized there was a black powder worse than Elephant until your post...